Memphis Grizzlies: The NBA’s Most Unlikely Playoff Contender

New Faces

If you mentioned the names JaMychal Green, James Ennis and Andrew Harrison, many people wouldn’t know who they are or where they played. But these three Grizzlies are ranked third, fourth and fifth for the Grizzlies in minutes per game for the season.

Green is in his third season with the Grizzlies and Ennis his second. Harrison is a second-round pick in his rookie season. Ennis himself has been a victim of the injury bug, missing the past 13 games with a calf injury.

The recent winning streak has also see an influx of other unlikely contributors. Troy Daniels, in his first season with the Grizzlies, was he teams second leading scorer in this stretch at 16.5 points per game.

This included back-to-back performances against the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans which featured a total of 60 points and 13 made three-pointers at a 56.5 percent clip.

The aforementioned Green has been very consistent all season. But he stepped it up a notch in their winning stretch, posting 10.3 points, 12.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. Most notably, Green has been a plus-11.2 when on the floor.

Also as touched upon earlier, some old faces have steadied the ship during this winning streak and helped keep the Grizzlies above water. Guard Tony Allen has been an unexpected contributor on the offensive end.

After posting 7.7 points per game on 41.2 percent shooting over his first 12 games of the season, Allen contributed 13.2 on 55.7 percent shooting while also being a team-best plus-11.7  when on the floor.

Further, veteran forward Zach Randolph returned from personal issues to play the last three games of this streak. In just 19.8 minutes per game, Randolph averaged 11 points and 10 rebounds.

But it’s the lesser lights that have stood out. Green came to the Grizzlies undrafted. Ennis returned to the NBA via the Grizzlies after playing a season in Australia. Daniels was also undrafted and is on his fourth team in four NBA seasons.

Troy Williams, an undrafted rookie, has been another contributor. He posted 7.0 points and 26.7 minutes per game during this stretch.

These contributions from some very unheralded players is not only a testament to the players themselves, but also Fizdale and the environment which he has created in his debut season.