Memphis Grizzlies: Biggest strengths and weaknesses for 2017-18

The Memphis Grizzlies will seek to take their eighth straight trip to the playoffs in 2017-18. We’ve compiled a list of their strengths and weaknesses.

The Memphis Grizzlies have become the NBA’s epitome of mid-level success, making the playoffs in each of the last seven years, though never competing for a championship in a particularly meaningful way. Traditionally, the team’s “Grit-N-Grind” philosophy has lent itself to a slow, bruising style of play.

For much of the recent past, the Grizzlies have kept the pace of their games at a crawl, and leveraged their skill and smarts to beat opponents by taking better shots than they tend to allow. Last year’s team wasn’t much different.

Defense was still a priority, and Memphis played with the second-lowest pace in the league (per Basketball-Reference). The offense took a step toward modernization, however. Zach Randolph was relegated to a backup role in favor of the stretchier JaMychal Green, and coach David Fizdale hammered home the importance of spacing and 3-point shooting.

The overall effect on offensive production was relatively minimal. The Grizzlies finished the year in the bottom third of the league in offensive efficiency. That’s not particularly good, but it’s also not indicative of the future value Memphis should gain by altering its system. From a philosophical standpoint, they’re far better positioned to reap the benefits of seeking out more efficient shots in the upcoming year than they were at any point in the past decade.

We’ll find out if the Grizzlies have the personnel to turn that philosophy into a reality soon enough. In the meantime, we’ve put together a list of strengths and weaknesses to look out for as they attempt to do so.

We’ll start on an optimistic note with a strength, and then alternate back and forth between the weaknesses. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but it should give you a sense of some of the key levers for achieving success.