14. Memphis Grizzlies

 Putting the Memphis Grizzlies this high in my rankings makes me feel the same way I did when I put  up a raving status about Ben Affleck and The Town. As great as Gone Baby Gone was (Affleck's directing), as funny as Affleck was in Extract (bearded slacker role should be used with Affleck more often), and as much as I liked both his directing and acting in The Town, I was ready for floodgates to open of, "What the hell are you thinking Chris?! Gigli is unforgivable!" So I enter this column with the same type of apprehension as I go about claiming the Memphis Grizzlies are the #14 team in the NBA and the 8th seed, ready to be swept by the Lakers, out west. 

Don't Short Change That This Team Won 40 Games Last Season

Now obviously 40-42 isn't enough reason to think that the Grizzlies are anything more than an 8th seed, but the fact that they finished 10th in the West last year is reason to believe they can be right in that mix again, this time finishing on the right side of the Lottery line. They've brought everyone back from that team, signed on Tony Allen, and drafted could-be-stud Xavier Henry. 

Rudy Gay and OJ Mayo Are A Top 3-4 Shooting Guard/Small Forward Combo In The League

This statement makes me feel like putting Affleck's "Pearl Harbor" in the ranks of great war movies of the last 10 years (which under review would it be? Black Hawk Down, The Patriot, .... Dare I put Pearl Harbor?) In the NBA, the teams with the best shooting guard + small forward are the Heat (D-Wade/LeBron), Lakers (Kobe/Artest), Celtics (Allen, Pierce) and surprisingly the Grizzlies (Mayo/Gay). Building around these two guys who are 22 and 24 years old is a great recipe for the future. 

Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol Are Both Far Better Than We Realize

Randolph's stat line from last season: 17.3 ppg, 11.7 rpg. 

Marc (not Pau) Gasol: 14.6 ppg, 9.3 rpg. 

Marc Gasol has only played two NBA seasons and is still only 25 yrs old. Here's a point of reference, look at Pau Gasol's stats from his second NBA season, with the Memphis Grizzlies: 

Pau Gasol: 19 ppg, 8.8 rpg. 

Now Marc is a little bit behind in scoring, but keeping pace with his older brother is a very good sign for the Grizzlie's future frontcourt. 

Tony Allen Is A Great Defender

Having Allen come in to help out in guarding of Kobe, Durant, Brandon Roy and all other Western Conference star guards will have a bigger impact than the stat lines will show. Important to watch with Allen is that little +/- line of how the team does when he's on the court. I think Allen would have been better off staying in Boston, but maybe being apart of this up and coming team rather than future heir to Ray Allen's starting spot seemed more appealing. 

But.....

I don't think Mike Connely and Acie Law is enough at the point guard position to make this team elite. Either they slide Mayo over to the point and Henry becomes a star shooting guard for an impressive Mayo, Henry, Gay, lineup or Connely and/or Law has to develop fast. Put Chris Paul or Rondo on this team and I think you're looking at a 2-5 seed, but until the point guard catches up to the rest of their secretly good other positions the Grizzlies will remain the Ben Affleck of the NBA, secretly good but leaving fans unsure if they can believe it or not.