The Memphis Grizzlies own the NBA’s best record at 15-2, but despite the numbers they have registered throughout the first month of the season, they still aren’t getting any respect in terms of NBA futures odds. The Grizzlies are listed at 13/1 to win an NBA title this season with the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Oklahoma City Thunder – who might not even make the playoffs – among the teams still listed ahead of them according to the odds. How crazy is that?
It’s only a matter of time before bettors and the odds makers realize that Memphis is for real and significantly adjust their number. Anybody that wants to get in on the action should make a play now.
Here’s why the Grizzlies are in fact for real:
Incredible Defense
No team in the NBA has been better defensively than the Grizzlies as they have allowed an average of just 92.4 points per game this season. The tandem of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph have held down the interior better than any other duo around the league while Mike Conley, Courtney Lee, and Tony Allen have made life miserable for shooters on the perimeter.
The fact that they have Gasol and Randolph protecting the paint behind them makes it easier for Conley, Lee, and Allen to be more aggressive, knowing that if they get beat, they have help. Meanwhile, veteran players like Tayshaun Prince and Quincy Pondexter have been excellent defensively off the bench. That tandem also allows them to matchup better in certain situations as Prince, in particular, is a very lengthy forward.
The Grizzlies are committed to playing a suffocating style of defense and no team in the league has a better blend of talent, work ethic, and consistency. This has been their calling card for many years now but they look as crisp at the defensive end as they ever have.
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Improved Offense
Memphis has also been better at the offensive end of the floor where Gasol and Randolph have combined to average 36.4 points per game. The Grizzlies have done an excellent job of spreading the basketball around and finding open looks while Randolph in particular has been a beast with a ridiculous average of 3.7 offensive rebounds per game.
Conley and Lee have established an excellent chemistry combining for 29.9 points per game while a number of different players including Prince, Pondexter, Vince Carter, and Beno Udrih have helped provide offense off the bench. Memphis still doesn’t have that one elite superstar that can take over a game, but they will have an opportunity to add a pure scorer if they choose to do so before the trade deadline.
They should feel comfortable with the talent that they already have on their roster. This is a team that averaged 96.1 points per game last season (27th in the NBA) but has noticeably improved by bumping that average to 100.4 (16th) this season.
Grizzlies Feeling That Chip On Their Shoulder
Another important, and perhaps underrated, aspect of the Grizzlies success has been the motivation this group has to prove they can take that next step. Remember, this Grizzlies team is no fluke. They went to the conference semifinals in 2011 and conference finals in 2013. Last year and in 2012, they lost in the first round to elite teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Clippers.
While many critics point to the Thunder as a team that’s motivated to take that next step in the playoffs, the Grizzlies are in the same position and are using that as motivation. They’ve been close before and they’re using those stinging losses as motivation to build something greater.
They can win in the West where they have heard plenty of criticism about their ability to win. Memphis is 11-0 against the conference this season and their only two losses came shorthanded against the Toronto Raptors and in a trap game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Grizzlies have been unstoppable against the top teams in their conference with double-digit wins over the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, and Portland Trail Blazers and their dominance in those wins is testament to the fact that Memphis is the best team in the league that the experts aren’t talking enough about.
