As a diehard Memphis Grizzlies fan, it isn’t easy for me to forget last season. In January, we were tearing our way through the Western Conference and seemed destined for a playoff berth for the first time since 2006. A second half slide kept us on the outside looking in, however. This does not mean that there weren’t great moments last season. Wins over the Lakers and Cavaliers showed that we could play with the best. Power forward Zach Randolph made his first All-Star appearance and carried the team in many games. Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo scored in bunches. Marc Gasol performed well.
As the 2010-2011 season approaches, last season gives us hope for this season. Zach Randolph is coming off a career year in which he averaged 20.8 points and 11.7 rebounds. I don’t see any reason why he can’t garner his second straight All-Star appearance in 2011.
At center, Marc Gasol is primed for a breakout season. He averaged 14.6 points and 9.3 rebounds last season and shot 58% from the field, 4th in the NBA. In my opinion, he will be one of the league’s three best centers by season’s end.
The Grizzly that I’m most looking forward to watching, however, is small forward Rudy Gay. Gay inked a 5-year, $82 million contract during the offseason and is, hopefully, eager to show that he is worth such a huge sum. Should fans expect Gay to eclipse the 19.6 points per game he averaged last season in 2011, considering that the Grizzlies have so many weapons? Maybe.
Fans should expect him to step up and be a team leader, though. Gay is the longest-tenured Grizzly and should use that veteran experience to guide the team toward the playoffs. It’s time to play like a $15 million per year player, Rudy. Show me something.
The guard positions are where the 2011 Grizzlies are absolutely loaded, maybe too much so. At point guard, Mike Conley is back and should continue to play great once every six games or so. The other five: average at best. Yes, yes, I’ve finally jumped off the Mike Conley bandwagon. I don’t know exactly why, but I think I simply realized that I shouldn’t have to settle for such mediocrity. He is likely gone after this season, so I’m happy. His backup, rookie Greivis Vasquez, is much worse. I have made my opinions on Greivis very clear on this site but to summarize, he is slow and plays horrible defense. You don’t really need a point guard to win in the NBA, do you???
At shooting guard, OJ Mayo should continue to be a scoring force for the Grizzlies. He averaged 17.5 points per game last season and should have similar numbers this year. His three backups, Sam Young, Xavier Henry, and Tony Allen, add significant depth to the position and all three should make the 2011 Memphis Grizzlies a formidable team.
With all of those good players together on one roster, will the Grizzlies come through and make the playoffs? If our bench can play well and be reliable, yes. Last season, we lost many games because our starters played 40+ minutes and became gassed late in the game. Unfortunately, there was no real bench to turn to in those games.
The bench is the key to the Grizzlies’ 2011 playoff hopes. Will it step up? I sure hope so.
Owen
Conley has had a pretty good preseason. He seems to be more committed to penetrating the lane and scoring than he has in the past. Conley has no Greg Oden on this team. We need him to create more this year and I’m confident he can.
I’m not predicting it, but don’t be surprised if Mike Conley has by far his best year ever. This is a contract year for him, and he will be trying to earn that lottery pick money.
SI NBA Preview, Best Case Scenario: Grizzlies gel and get to the postseason. Worst case scenario: Heisley’s unwillingness to negotiate a new contract angers Randolph, who brings the whole team into a downward spiral. That being said, I’m looking forward to the season and see no reason why we don’t get to the playoffs, especially with the free-agent flight from the Western Conference. The key has to be the bench. Unless someone puts up some points and provides consistency, it will be hard to sustain win-streaks. We need consistency. Let’s hope one of the rookies can help us out offensively. Go Grizz.
I echo Paul that Conly has played well in the preseason. He still doesn’t have as many assists as we would like, but #11 has stepped up his offense. And I believe it is solely because the armsleeve that he has been wearing, especially the yellow one. #IfYouLookGoodYouPlayGood.
Maroda, we need an article about the Conley arm sleeve. You’re our fashion expert.