The Secret Is Out on How Good the Grizzlies Can Be
The Memphis Grizzlies are on life-support, but things seem to be about the same since they traded away Mike Conley two years ago. The team is also in a transition period, but at least they can take solace in the fact that they have plenty of talent. There’s no way they should tank this season, right?
If this weren’t the case, how’d we get here? The Grizzlies have won two games in a row and nine of their last ten, and they’re 3-5 since John Hollinger’s mock draft in late March. If it weren’t for the fact that they only lost to the Pistons, the Nets and the Lakers in their past two games, we might think the Grizz were tanking, especially after what was supposed to be the largest move in franchise history – the trade for Conley.
The Grizzlies are still in their rebuilding phase, but they’ve put together a respectable record and a top-ten draft pick. If they win half of their remaining games, they will have a chance to win the NBA championship. But they need to take advantage of this opportunity.
The Process Might Have Evened Out
A big factor in the Grizzlies’ recent rise has been the growth of Mike Conley. The 6’10” center had a down year in 2012-13, averaging 20.1 points and 17.5 rebounds per game. He couldn’t provide much offense, and his rebounding numbers were a bit too low – his rebounding rate, according to Basketball-Reference.com, was an abysmal 5.1%.
The problem with Conley’s game is that he doesn’t get help on the defensive end. His opponents scored a ridiculous 55.8% while Conley gave up 55.6% of his field-goal attempts and 51.8% of his
