2011-12 Memphis Grizzlies Season Outlook
Memphis Grizzlies enjoyed a very successful run in the 2010-2011 season. They went in the playoffs as the eighth seed in the Western Conference, and went on an enchanting run defeating top seeded San Antonio Spurs in the 1st round and putting up an admirable fight before bowing down to Oklahoma City in the second round.
Memphis boasts one of the best young squads in the league. They actually did not need to do anything extreme this offseason because all they need is time to gel as a team. Their only key acquisition is Josh Selby, the 49th pick from the 2011 draft. This player can definitely be a bargain for the Grizzlies. In the right system, Josh Selby can fulfill the potential that he failed to measure up to in college.
The sole other acquisition is their signing of PG Jeremy Pargo, resigning Center Marc Gasol and letting go of Shane Battier to free agency. Though Battier didn’t put up huge numbers, he will be able to definitely be a gigantic loss to the team. Battier was an incredible leader for the Grizzlies and he frequently guarded the opposing team’s best wing player. His corner 3 is also money, and he can shoot lights out like the very best of them.
Memphis welcomes back one of the finest front courts in the league in Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Zach Randolph put up a double-double of 20.1 points and 12.2 boards a night last year. He had a great year last year and even played great in the postseason, constantly playing in the clutch when the team required it the most. Center Marc Gasol also played well last year averaging 11.7 points, 7 boards and 1.7 blocks.
The return of Rudy Gay this season is huge for the Grizzlies because he missed 28 games due to injury. He averaged 19.8 points and 6.2 rebounds while also coming up with 1.7 steals a game. In 81 starts last year, Mike Conley eventually came to life by averaging 13.7 points, 6.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game. Though OJ Mayo disappointed last season, he will be able to light up the score board at times as he averaged 11 points per game of the bench.
Their only issue now is that they are really thin in the post. They have even received appalling news when they lost backup power forward Darrell Arthur to a year ending injury before the season began. He was their only real reliable post man off the pine and now they’re in the market searching for an extra post player.
This squad definitely has some nice players coming off the bench in other spots. Two major defenders in Tony Allen and Sam Young will be subbing in for Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo respectively. Both guys can also put up points when required. Greivis Vasquez played huge for the Memphis Grizzlies in the postseason and the hope in the Memphis organization is that Greivis Vasquez can push Mike Conley in the starting lineup.
Western Conference Pick: 3rd Southwest Division – The issue for the Grizzlies this season is they cannot sneak in and take any person by surprise again this year. If they’d like to get back to the postseason, they are going to be forced to play even better than they used to be a season ago. Provided they can stay motivated, Memphis should not drop off much from last year and that is why we rate the team so high with our NBA predictions.
They are a good defensive team that may rely on Randolph and Gasol to carry the load in the post. If Gay can remain healthy for a complete season, then they should reach their potential offensively too. While the Grizzlies are well behind Dallas and San Antonio talent-wise, I do believe they’re the next-best team in the Southwest, just in front of Houston and New Orleans. They should make the postseason again in 2011-12.
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