Assembling the Memphis Grizzlies' Playoff Rotation
The Memphis Grizzlies are finalizing the group to be used in the playoff rotation, one that promises to be stronger than in 2014 both in the starting lineup and the bench.
The Grizzlies' set will look similar to those of the past few years. They'll be led by Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Tony Allen, who have made four straight playoff runs together, totaling 21 games in that time and reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2013.
Courtney Lee should hopefully bounce back from a poor showing last spring against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Grizzlies went three deep on the bench in the seven-game first-round loss to the Thunder. Like Lionel Hollins in the three prior postseasons, Dave Joerger hardly used an actual backup big man in the rotation. This time should be different, as situations could merit extra defensive help inside.
In order for the Grizzlies to overcome a sluggish second half to reach their first NBA Finals, they'll need greater output, particularly from perimeter players, whose shooting could be the difference in a tough first-round series.
Starting Center: Marc Gasol
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Along with Randolph, Gasol will form the two-headed monster teams fear will pound away on the inside. Gasol has averaged 16.2 points per game in his playoff career, including 17.3 per game last season.
On Sunday, Gasol was aggressive as expected in a 103-89 loss to the San Antonio Spurs, a possible first-round opponent with the Grizzlies currently third and the Spurs sixth in the West, but didn't make shots until late, hitting three of 10 in the first three quarters and four of five in the final frame en route to 16 points.
Afterward, Gasol, who has drilled 43.1 percent from the field in the past five games, conceded to The Commercial Appeal's Ronald Tillery that he can't find his stroke. "I didn't have a rhythm," Gasol said. "I hurt my team. Honestly, I've got to get better. I haven't had a rhythm in a little while."
When he was in the flow, it was too late to avoid a third straight blowout loss to Western playoff teams.
Fortunately, this recent stretch portends that the Spaniard will attack until he finds it instead of receding into a passing role. He has taken 14.4 shots per game during this period.
Memphis' potential with Gasol carrying a large scoring load was apparent as he posted 19.8 points per game while the team went 21-4 and put forth 110.3 points per 100 possessions through Dec. 17.
If Gasol regains his primacy in the playoffs, the Grizzlies will make their first NBA Finals appearance.
Starting Power Forward: Zach Randolph
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Randolph has been a perennial force in the playoffs for the Grizzlies. He has averaged 18.4 points and 10 rebounds per game during the postseason while with Memphis. Last year, he had 18.2 points and 8.4 boards per game in the series against the Thunder.
Randolph's 20 points and 13 rebounds against the Spurs on Sunday came after a dry spell. He posted 14.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in the previous 11 games. Sunday marked his third double-digit rebounding performance of the month.
The Memphis Flyer's Kevin Lipe said after Randolph's 10-point, three-rebound showing in a 107-84 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Friday that the 33-year-old power forward wasn't playing like himself and suggested he might have been coasting.
Against the Warriors, Randolph was content making passes on the perimeter and slow getting into the post. On Sunday, he forced his way past defenders more often while taking shots.
Randolph acknowledged that he had brought greater passion against the Spurs, telling Tillery, "I was just trying to be aggressive and play my game, doing what I do to help the team."
One can be sure the spark will be on come playoff time, when Randolph will help Gasol terrorize opposing big men.
Starting Small Forward: Tony Allen
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Tony Allen has been the difference for the Grizzlies this season, and that won't change in the postseason.
Allen is Memphis' most effective individual defender. He's seventh in the league at 98.5 points allowed per 100 possessions and fourth with two steals per game. The Commercial Appeal's Peter Edmiston noted that he deflects passes at a higher rate than any other rotation guard.
Further, he changes the team's ability to stop opponents when he's on the floor. The Grizzlies allow 9.5 fewer points per 100 possessions when he's patrolling the perimeter.
Allen wreaks havoc on opposing scorers in the playoffs. He victimized Kevin Durant in the past two postseasons, helping limit the five All-NBA First Team member to 37 percent from Game 2 through Game 5 of the 2014 first-round series and 35.8 percent from Game 3 to Game 5 in Memphis' 2013 Western Conference semifinals triumph.
His defensive prowess scares teams as much as the way Gasol and Randolph impose their will offensively.
Starting Shooting Guard: Courtney Lee
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Courtney Lee could be a three-point threat in the playoffs, ensuring some dimension in the Grizzlies' offense, but he must bounce back from his month-long slump.
After making 45.1 percent from downtown through the first four months of the season, he's hit only 22 percent in March. After Lee missed all three long-range attempts against the Spurs on Sunday, SB Nation's Andrew Ford tweeted, "Courtney Lee continuing to miss good shots is one of the most concerning storylines for the Grizzlies."
Following a 17-point performance on March 14, including 2-of-3 from downtown, Lee told Tillery he simply needs to make some shots to head in the right direction.
Lee made 31.6 percent of 2.7 three-point shots per game against the Thunder last year.
If the Grizzlies are to keep up in a series with the Spurs, Lee needs to rediscover his early-season form. Also, whereas he took less than a third of his shots from long range in the 2013-14 regular season and the playoffs, Lee should increase his focus on that area, taking more than his current 35.6 percent from beyond the arc.
As the Grizzlies' top three-point shooter, Lee played a major role in their early offensive surge. Likewise, he'll be key to their viability against a team that thrives on the perimeter.
Starting Point Guard: Mike Conley
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No matter whether Lee bounces back, the Grizzlies need Conley's scoring in the playoffs.
He helped in the past two postseasons, averaging 17 points per game in 2013 and 15.9 per game in 2014.
But his potential playoff performance this year is in question, as he has struggled through injuries down the stretch. Conley rested four games from March 12 to 17 but has been erratic since then, scoring 14.8 points per game on 45.9 percent shooting.
The Grizzlies couldn't get past the Thunder last year because they couldn't get someone to match the barrage of buckets by Durant and Russell Westbrook. If Randolph and Gasol have unsuccessful games, the Grizzlies' No. 3 scorer, who attacks the basket with toughness despite his 6'1" stature, must take the burden.
Sixth Man: Jeff Green
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Jeff Green hasn't been a consistent scorer for the Grizzlies since they acquired him via trade from the Boston Celtics on Jan. 12, but they need him to burn the net frequently if they're going to make a deep playoff run.
Green has averaged 13 points in 37 games for the Grizzlies. He's shot at least 40 percent from the field in only 21 contests. However, he's shot 50 percent five times in the past eight games and finished below 40 percent just once.
Against the Spurs on Sunday, he had 19 points on 8-of-15 shooting, an example of the high-volume bench scoring the Grizzles need from him, especially when key players struggle.
After starting 27 straight games, Green has come off the bench in four of the past six.
Tillery tweeted that Joerger said Green's move to the bench was "to give Green more space to operate."
As the first player off the bench, Green might need to pick his spots carefully, especially with Gasol and Randolph as the focal points of the offense. But when they leave the court, Green will have plenty of room to make plays.
In two of his three previous playoff appearances, Green filled significant scoring gaps for the Celtics and Thunder. Since the Thunder's big men couldn't get buckets in 2010 with Serge Ibaka early in his development, Green was their No. 3 scorer with 11.8 points per game in an opening-round loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
In 2013, he helped an aging Celtics team, leading them with 20.3 per game in a first-round loss to the New York Knicks.
Once again, he'll assume that role, acting as a primary scorer off the bench.
Seventh Man: Vince Carter
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Vince Carter hasn't compiled the stellar year Beno Udrih put together, but it's sensible that the 38-year-old gunner takes a bigger postseason role than the ball-heavy point guard.
Carter's playoff career outstrips that of Udrih. He's averaged 21.3 points per game in eight trips, including 12.3 per game last year for the Dallas Mavericks. Udrih has scored 3.7 per game in four postseasons, including 7.9 in 16.4 minutes per game for the Grizzlies last year.
Also, Joerger is likely to invest fewer minutes in backup point guards than other backcourt reserves with Conley garnering a huge load, reducing Udrih's prominence.
Carter is finding his stroke late in the season. He's averaging 5.6 points in 15.1 minutes while shooting 36.6 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three-point range in the past 14 games after returning from a left foot tendon injury. Beforehand, he had six points in 16.6 minutes per game on 33.4 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from long range.
Throughout the season, his mechanics were fine. On the other hand, as Conley told Tillery in December, he took time to regain comfort after having bone spurs removed from his right ankle last May.
Carter's three-point progress gives Joerger additional confidence that the man who made a game winner in Game 6 for the Mavericks against the Spurs last year will drain big shots for the Grizzlies.
Eighth Man: Beno Udrih
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Udrih has been a great help for the Grizzlies this season, especially when Conley has struggled or been injured. He's posting 7.4 points in 18.6 minutes per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the field. In eight starts, he's averaged 11.4 points on 55.2 percent shooting.
As mentioned in the previous slide, Udrih will receive fewer minutes come playoff time with Conley running a large portion of the contests.
Udrih was a valuable contributor against the Thunder, registering three double-digit scoring games.
He won't get as many opportunities as Green and Carter, but his attacking will help the Grizzlies keep pace with high-scoring opponents while opening outside shooting opportunities for his fellow backcourt reserves.
Ninth Man: Kosta Koufos
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Kosta Koufos was hardly seen during last year's playoffs. He averaged 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game in seven games for the Grizzlies in his fifth playoff run.
Joerger used Mike Miller for a significant amount of big-man minutes in what little time Randolph and Gasol left the court.
Green has a greater capability as a stretch 4 than Miller did, but his defense will be enough of a concern that the Grizzlies will make Koufos a real rotation member this postseason. Koufos is a difference-maker on that end, allowing 99 points per 100 possessions and blocking 1.7 shots per 36 minutes.
Koufos keenly uses his long arms to take away shot opportunities, even when he's not blocking shots.
If the Grizzlies face the Mavericks in the first round, Koufos, who pulls down 10.9 rebounds per 36 minutes, could compete with Tyson Chandler on the glass and deny him putback opportunities. In a first-round battle with the Spurs, Koufos' disciplined rim protection would help against San Antonio's pick-and-roll attack.
Statistics are current through March 29 games. Unless otherwise noted, advanced metrics come from basketball-reference.com.
Tom Firme is a Memphis Grizzlies Bleacher Report featured columnist. Follow Tom on Twitter @TFirme.
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