Memphis Grizzlies: Biggest strengths and weaknesses for 2017-18
By Greg Cassoli
Weakness No. 3: The Western Conference
It’s strange to think of something so contingent upon external variables as conference alignment as a weakness, but the fact that the Grizzlies will be competing for a playoff spot against so many good teams is most definitely one of the team’s larger concerns.
Memphis doesn’t have a realistic chance of competing with the West’s best teams like Golden State, Houston, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, and Minnesota (yes I am including the Timberwolves here). Those teams have superior talent up and down their rosters, and to suggest otherwise is to engage in the type of self-deception that leads to over-inflated expectations.
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If the Grizzlies are competing for a postseason birth, it will be against the likes of Denver, Portland, Los Angeles (Clippers), Utah and New Orleans. That’s a lot of good teams, all fighting for three spots.
Memphis is talented and well-coached enough to grab one of them, but not if something goes wrong like if Parsons isn’t ever good again; if multiple key players miss significant time due to injury; or if Conley and Gasol regress with age, and the team can no longer defend at a high enough level to make up for its middling offense.
There are a lot of little scenarios that, when compounded with Memphis’ level of competition, could amount to the franchise’s first playoff absence since 2011. Grizzlies’ fans can find some solace in the fact that that reality holds true for everyone competing in the West though. The road to the postseason won’t be easy for anyone outside of the conference’s aristocracy.
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Still, Memphis has a lot of plausible places for light slippage. Those are particularly dangerous this year.