NBA Power Rankings: 2014-15 Western Conference Projections
By Shane Young
6. Memphis Grizzlies — 53-29
Hardest month: December (.570)
Weakest month: November (.481)
Back-to-backs: 20
The world doesn’t fail to attack like a Left 4 Dead zombie apocalypse when Memphis is picked to miss the playoffs. Perhaps the disagreement with them falling off the map in the West is warranted, because of their perseverance and tenacity on the defensive end.
The second Marc Gasol grimaced in pain and hobbled back to the locker room last November (just 12 games into the season), the playoff hopes were dismantled. God had went bear hunting that Friday, and came back with a record-sized Grizzly. If you find yourself trying to just survive out West without your best defender and rim protector, knowing “it will be fine when he returns,” you’re going to accumulate so many losses that it’s impossible to bounce back from.
Not Memphis, and not the debut season of coach David Joerger. 50 wins last season (when Gasol returned after 23 long games), baffles me and anyone who crossed the Grizzlies off their list mid-way through the year. From the point of Gasol’s return (Jan. 14) to the end of the season, the Grizzlies found themselves second in Defensive Rating (99.7 points per 100 possessions), and ninth overall in field goal percentage (47.2 percent). Their effort level and efficiency served them as a top 10 team in the entire league when their roster was intact.
Tony Allen is rising in age, but already has defensive goals next season, and they wont need him to score in bunches. The old, battered Vince Carter has joined the mix, fresh off his re-surged playoff series vs. the future NBA champions.
If you’re concerned about Carter’s age (37) and ability to stay lucky in terms of his legs and health, it’s perfectly expected. If he’s asked to take on close to 25 minutes per game again, there’s reasons to feel both positive and negative about how long he’ll hold up.
The franchise has their head held high on forward Quincy Pondexter, who they locked up in a four-year contract last offseason, and his presence in the rotation takes the strain off Carter and Tayshaun Prince, who’s expected to be the starter.
Where people fail to recognize the Grizzlies’ worth this season is during the first half of the schedule. Starting off the first 32 games of the season (39 percent of the year) with a 14-18 record isn’t being repeated, and yet they still found their way over the Suns and Mavericks last season. It’s been a half step improvement by General Manager Chris Wallace … not regression.