Memphis Grizzlies Playing Solid Basketball

The Memphis Grizzlies posted a record of just 24-58 in the 2008/09 season. So their 1-8 start to the 2009/10 season didn't shock many people. But, since 1-8 start, the Grizzlies have won 14 of their past 22 games to bring their record to 15-16. They are just three games back of the eighth place team (the Utah Jazz) in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. The Western Conference has 13 teams with more than 12 wins, while the Eastern Conference has just six.

Memphis drafted 7-3 center Hasheem Thabeet, a Connecticut product, with the second overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. Thabeet entered the draft following his junior season at Connecticut, but is a raw player in many aspects of the game. The Grizzlies have had their success despite playing him for only 10.9 minutes per game.

The team has a lot of young players that have performed well. Twenty-three-year-old small forward Rudy Gay, a fourth year player from Connecticut, has averaged 21.0 points and 1.69 steals per contest. Power forward Zach Randolph, 28, has averaged 20.2 points and 11.2 rebounds. He has shot 50.8% from the field and 83.7% from the charity stripe. Second-year center Marc Gasol, a 24-year-old from Spain, is averaging a double-double and has swatted 1.42 shots per game. He has shot 61.3% from the field. Guards O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley, both 22-years-old, have averaged in double-figures in points, while Conley has dished out 4.9 assists per game.

With all of those players contributing, the Grizzlies have had the luxury of letting Thabeet gradually develop. He may end up becoming the NBA's best shot blocker in time, and has averaged 1.11 blocks per game in his small amount of playing time this year. In a 118-90 win at the Miami Heat, he scored five points, pulled down five boards, and blocked five shots in just 21 minutes of action. Memphis' opponents have blocked 1.04 more shots per game than they have, so they could use a shot blocker.

Even if Memphis somehow sneaks into the playoffs, the team would most likely lose in the first round. But, if the Grizzlies keep their core in place, they could make a lot of deep playoff runs in the future.

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