Memphis Grizzlies: The NBA’s Most Unlikely Playoff Contender
By Simon Smith
Topping The Warriors
The Grizzlies recent hot streak culminated in a demolition job the reigning Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors. Memphis started on fire, leading 31-16 after the first period and coasted to a 110-89 victory.
As has been the case with the Grizzlies over the course of the season, the team as a whole contributed to undoubtedly their best win of the season. Seven players scored in double figures, with Gasol and Allen leading the way with 19 points apiece.
When Conley went down with a back injury, many writers and people around the league felt the Grizzlies would not be able maintain their standing. With an 11-7 record when Conley went down, the Grizzlies would no doubt have been hoping to stay around the .500 mark.
Considering Conley is expected to miss up to two months, this is a reasonable goal. However, not only has this collection of unknowns gained valuable on-court experience moving forward, they have propelled the team up the current standings.
Sure, it’s unclear how sustainable this current form is from such an inexperienced group. One thing though that has stood out over this impressive stretch is their defense.
Prior to their winning streak, Memphis was already ranked first in the league in defensive rating, allowing 99.5 points per 100 possessions. But they ramped this up to allowing just 94.2 points per 100 possessions over the past eight games.
This has been critical, as the Grizzlies offense has been virtually identical. This is completely understandable given the quality of players missing.
In Conley and Parsons, the Grizzlies have $247 million worth of contracts waiting to return. However, this is not likely for another several weeks. In the meantime, Memphis has an increasingly difficult schedule.
The remainder of December includes games against the Boston Celtics (twice), Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder.
However as we have seen over the past couple of weeks, the Grizzlies have an incredibly resilient group of players. This resilience will be stretched to its maximum over the coming weeks.