NBA Playoffs 2011: Could the Memphis Grizzlies Win the 2011 NBA Championship?

After Rudy Gay went down with a partially dislocated left shoulder, the Grizzlies' playoff chances seemed to go down with him.

Gay hit the season-ending DL in late February, and was the second-leading scorer on the Grizzlies with 19.8 PPG.

While Rudy Gay was seen as the superstar of the Grizzlies, power forward Zach Randolph has taken over that role quite well. Randolph went on to lead the team during the regular season with 20.1 PPG and 12.2 RPG. Randolph is continuing to dominate into the playoffs. He leads the team with 23.3 PPG and is second with 9.3 RPG. Kevin Durant came out after the Thunder were mauled at home in game one 114-101 and said that Zach Randolph was the best power forward in the NBA.

While it is very hard to argue against that statement based on how Randolph is playing, Thunder teammate Kendrick Perkins didn't appreciate the comment. 

The Grizzlies are currently full of confidence, and don't need any more compliments—especially not from the other team who just lost home court advantage.

The Grizzlies took down the top-seeded Spurs in the opening round. They finished the Spurs in six games, and it could have been finished in five if it weren't for a miracle Gary Neal 3-point shot in Game 5.

While the Spurs weren't quite at 100 percent, as both Ginobili and Duncan were fighting through minor injuries, the Grizzlies showed some great potential. 

It seems as if there is an even playing field during this year's playoffs. The Lakers lost in Game 1 to the Mavericks, and the Bulls lost to the Hawks. Anyone could win the NBA Championship this year, and I believe the Grizzlies have the pieces to do it.

Z-Bo gets a ton of credit, as he should because he is an absolute force. Center Marc Gasol doesn't get nearly the credit that he should, though. He has been second in scoring in the playoffs for the Grizzlies with 15 PPG. He also leads the team with 12.4 RPG.

Gasol and Z-Bo will be a combination that should scare every team in the playoffs, including the Lakers.

The most impressive part of this Grizzlies team is the depth that they have at guard. Point Guard Mike Conley has been playing out of his mind thus far. Conley has averaged 14.4 PPG in the playoffs, which is good for third-best on the team. He leads the team with 6.3 APG.

Guard Tony Allen has provided some veteran leadership. He has contributed 9.1 PPG and leads the team with 2.1 SPG. Allen won an NBA Championship with the Celtics in 2008, although he wasn't a huge contributor. He has plenty of playoff experience as well.

Shane Battier was acquired by the Grizzlies from the Rockets in late February after Rudy Gay went down with his shoulder injury. Battier has come off the bench and provided some solid defense. He has also provided 7.1 PPG and 4.3 RPG. Battier is a matchup nightmare, as he is 6'8" and can shoot the three-ball very effectively. Like Allen, Battier has playoff experience as well. 

The Grizzlies have a total of eight players averaging more than seven points per game in the playoffs. This team has great depth, and does not rely heavily on Z-Bo and Gasol.

The fact that the Grizzlies took Game 1 from the Thunder in the Western Conference Semifinals is huge. This now gives them home-court advantage, which bodes well for their chances of advancing. 

The Grizzlies have the talent to take down either the Lakers or the Mavericks if they meet in the Western Conference Finals. 

Z-Bo and Gasol match up well with the Lakers bigs. The Grizzlies were 2-2 against the Lakers during the regular season.

They were 3-1 against the Mavericks during the regular season, and Tyson Chandler alone can't guard both Z-Bo and Gasol.

If the Grizzlies get either the Celtics or the Heat in the Finals—as they are now the Eastern Conference favorites after the D-Rose injury—they will get their franchise's first NBA Championship.

The Grizzlies will ride the Z-Bo and Gasol combination all the way to an NBA Championship. The duo is simply unstoppable. When you add in the guards that have played extremely well for the Grizzlies, we are looking at a very good mix of players. 

The Grizzlies have depth, they play solid defense and they rebound the ball extremely well. They also can score with ease, which very well could equate to an NBA Championship.