2014-15 Memphis Grizzlies Preview

Head coach Dave Joerger and owner Robert Pera butted heads to some degree, so much so that Pera allowed Joerger to interview for the then vacant head coaching job with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Cooler heads prevailed and Joerger not only returned to the Grizzlies, but he did so armed with a contract extension.

“We’ve all been together. The guys are more comfortable,” said Joerger. “Last year was a learning year for our staff.”

Then, All-Star forward Zach Randolph not only exercised his player option for the 2014-15 season, but he signed a very reasonable two-year extension to stay as the heart and soul of the Grizzlies.

Next, Memphis had a nice offseason in terms of adding personnel. This team didn’t need much, but brought in veteran Vince Carter and walked out of the draft with Jordan Adams and Jarnell Stokes.

What started shaky, became stable and once again, the Grizzlies are one of the league’s best teams.

“We have good depth and good experience,” said Joerger.

However, the head coach made it clear that expectations need to be tempered.

“I don’t think there’s high expectations for this team. We’re the team nobody’s talking about nationally,” he said. “There’s really good teams in the West.”

Memphis is one of them, no matter what Joerger says publicly.

The Grizzlies have done it for years with defense. The 2013-14 campaign was no different. Memphis finished third in the NBA in opponents’ scoring and ninth in opponents’ field-goal percentage.

Memphis will put a premium on a better start this season. The Grizz began last season 10-15, but still managed to get into the playoffs. They scared the Thunder, taking them to seven games, but Memphis held a lead in Game 6.

They are a team no one wants to play.

Marc Gasol has emerged as one of the best two-way centers in the league. He missed 23 games last season with a knee injury. When healthy, Gasol and Randolph represent the game’s best big-man combo.

If everyone knows about Gasol and Randolph, Mike Conley is still something of an unknown nationally. It’s easy for him to fall through the cracks considering how many incredible point guards reside in the NBA. Conley is not as polished offensively as some of those men, but he’s improving. Defensively, Conley is near the top of the list.

Tony Allen is a constant threat to make the All-Defensive team and some believe he might be the best perimeter defender in the sport.

There is a wonderful blend of veterans and young talent in Memphis. How much some of those youngsters play is up for debate, but the realistic analysis of the Grizzlies roster is that they are set up for the present and future.

However, one looming potential problem exists. Gasol is a free agent at the end of the season and he admitted that there was little chance an extension would be inked before the start of the season.

Common knowledge has seen the New York Knicks as viable contenders for his services. Gasol probably won’t talk much about it and all sides agree that it won’t be an issue during the season.

Hopefully that’s true.

Memphis is in position for another deep run in the postseason now that there’s some stability. The team is deep, the coach is locked up for a while and the defense should remain the best in the Western Conference.

“We only want to focus on the process,” Joerger said.

2013-14 Results: 50-32, 3rd in Southwest; Lost in West Quarterfinals to Oklahoma City

ADDITIONS: F Vince Carter, F Michael Beasley, G Jordan Adams, F Jarnell Stokes

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE:

PG- Mike Conley SG- Courtney Lee SF- Tayshaun Prince PF- Zach Randolph C- Marc Gasol

KEY RESERVES: F Vince Carter, G Tony Allen, G Beno Udrih, C Kosta Koufos, F Jon Leuer, G Nick Calathes, F Quincy Pondexter, G Jordan Adams, F Jarnell Stokes

FRONTCOURT: Gasol missed all of that time with the knee injury, but when he returned, the Grizz started cooking with oil. He is the best, smartest defensive center in the league. He won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2012-13, but didn’t play enough to warrant consideration last season.

Offensively, Gasol may need to be more assertive. He averaged 14.6 ppg last season, which matched a career high, but what makes him such an effective threat is his play-making ability. Alongside Joakim Noah of the Chicago Bulls, Gasol is the best passing big man in the world. Gasol collected 3.6 apg last season. He’s a strong rebounder and has to be seen to be appreciated.

Randolph is so skilled. He can play outside and shoot from the perimeter. This allows Gasol to man the interior, but they can reverse positions and let Randolph go to work in the paint. Randolph is a bull inside. Last season’s numbers were 17.4 ppg and 10.1 rpg. He had to do almost all of the heavy lifting with Gasol gone through the winter. Randolph took a modest deal to stay in Memphis. Temper issues flare up occasionally, but Randolph has turned into a decent leader and teammate.

At 34, Prince is nowhere close to the younger version. He played only 25.6 minutes per game and that number went down to 16.1 in the playoffs. Prince isn’t quick enough to defend most small forwards any longer and offensively, he’s shot. It should come as no surprise when Carter, or Pondexter take his minutes.

BACKCOURT: Conley has really become a wonderful floor general. His scoring last season jumped to 17.2 ppg, which was a career high by almost three points. Conley handed out 6.0 apg and managed 1.5 steals per night. That final number was down a bit.

What made Conley so special was his desire to have the ball in his hands late. He converted several big shots during the playoffs. He’s a pretty solid defender as well, finishing in the top 10 of players who missed being on one of the two teams.

Lee came over from the Boston Celtics and started 47 of 49 games played with the Grizz. He averaged 11.0 ppg and should figure to improve on his scoring numbers being in Memphis a full season. Lee is a solid three-point shooter and decent slasher. Lee is a legit offensive two guard, but Allen fits so well with their defensive scheme, it’ll be hard to imagine Allen not on the floor at the end of games. Joerger could have Allen and Lee both since Prince’s prime is in the past.

BENCH: This group finished 10th in the league in bench scoring last season, but Mike Miller, Jerryd Bayless and James Johnson took their 22.6 ppg elsewhere.

Carter is a huge addition. He averaged 12.7 ppg in the last two seasons as a reserve for the Dallas Mavericks. Carter isn’t the high-flyer he once was, but he’s still a capable scorer. Carter shot almost 40 percent from beyond the arc in those two seasons, so he’s transformed himself.

Allen is more of a starter than a bench player, but since he’s not expected to start, that’s why he’s on the list. He’s out there to stop the best wing player, not to score, although he chips in fast-break points and put backs.

Koufos started on some good teams, especially in Denver. It’s hard to crack the lineup with Gasol and Randolph in uniform, but Koufos averaged about 1.5 ppg less with the Grizz than he did starting for the Nuggets in 2012-13.

Calathes will be suspended for the early part of the season. Udrih will handle the duties and he availed himself nicely during the postseason.

Pondexter missed most of the regular season in 2013-14 with a stress fracture in his right foot. He also sat a chunk of time during the season before, but if he can stay on the floor, Pondexter could be a huge plus. He can shoot and might take that starting small forward job from Prince.

Leuer emerged a bit as Randolph’s back up.

The rookies – Adams and Stokes – have talent, but with this veteran, win-now core, they may not see much time.

COACHING: Joerger won 50 games as a rookie head coach. This summer’s bizarre flirtation with the Wolves was odd, but that four-year extension gives him stability.

The defense didn’t falter much, the players seemed happy with Joerger and he’s promised a spark offensively. It’ll be hard to duplicate year one, but he’s more seasoned. There could be improvement for the Grizz under Joerger.

OUTLOOK: Joerger may curtail expectations, but they exist. The reason is not just the strength of the roster, but the style of play from the Grizzlies. They are a throwback. They win with defense and strong interior play.

If Gasol’s contract status isn’t a burden, then Memphis should be very good. The Grizzlies won 50 games after a terrible start. If the Grizzlies start closer to .500 or better, than Memphis might be in that 55-60 win range.

Memphis will go to the playoffs. They could do that finishing fourth in the Southwest Division. If everything goes the Grizzlies way, they could end up as the fourth seed. Joerger was right when he said that the Spurs, Thunder and Clippers are good. Memphis may not be at those teams’ level, but they headline the group behind.

In the messy Western Conference, the Grizzlies could finish anywhere from fourth to eighth. But they will be a tricky out come postseason time. They always are.

Categorized in: NBA

Tags: Grizzlies, Memphis, Memphis Grizzlies