Injuries.
Memphis, last year's Western Conference Finals participant, had an awful start to the 2013-14 campaign. Injuries played a huge factor. Starting center Marc Gasol was lost for seven weeks with a knee injury. Reserve guard Quincy Pondexter was lost for the season with an injury. That loss was devastating since he is one of the few perimeter shooters the Grizzlies could rely on. Starters Mike Conley (pg), Zach Randolph (pf), Tayshaun Prince (sf), and Tony Allen (sg) have all missed time early in the season. The results were disastrous, as make shift lineups failed to compete against the tough Western Conference.
Then the Grizzlies started making moves.
For starters, they struck gold when they brought up swing man James Johnson from the D League. Now...you know you're desperate when you're ravaging through D League talent in December.
But I digress.
Johnson has made an immediate impact, on both ends of the floor. His versatility allows him to be used in a myriad of ways. He's also proven to be clutch, often finding himself on the floor late in games. His tenacious energy has already made him a fan favorite in Memphis. After all, they do play in the Grind House.
The loss of Pondexter forced Memphis to make another move, trading reserve shooting guard Jared Bayless to Boston for Courtney Lee. With no Gasol, and no outside shooting threat, defenses were able to make life miserable for Z-Bo. Lee was brought in for one reason...to shoot the three. He's adapted nicely, averaging 14 points a game while shooting 44% from beyond the ark. Since Lee's arrival, Z-Bo has been a walking 20/10 guy (points / rebounds).
Gasol's seven week injury also turned out to be a blessing in disguise for reserve big men Ed Davis, Kosta Koufos, and Jon Leuer. Each saw considerable playing time....and each one continued to improve as the season progressed...and the injuries mounted.
The end result?
On January 14, Gasol returned to a lineup that now had a consistent outside scoring threat in Lee, a high octane swiss army knife in Johnson, and quality reserves behind him. Something Gasol didn't have during last year's playoff run. The Grizzlies are 8-1 since his return.
As a team, Memphis is now clicking on all cylinders...knocking off OKC, Portland, Houston (twice), and Phoenix during their recent run. Anchored by Gasol, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, the Grizzlies are once again one of the most dominant defensive teams in the league. To put it in perspective, Memphis has yet to score 100 points during their eleven game stretch. And this unit will only get better when Tony Allen...aka the Grind Father...aka reigning all defensive first team guard..returns from a wrist injury.
The Grizzlies now sit just a half game back in the Western Conference playoff race, with plenty of games to go. Somehow, someway, they're right back in it.
And of all things to thank....injuries. follow @plcolter
No comments:
Post a Comment