NBA Playoffs 2011: The Memphis Grizzlies Are the Rolling Thunder in the West

Everyone loves a good underdog story, and that's exactly what the Memphis Grizzlies are giving us during the 2011 NBA Playoffs.

Who would've thought the No. 8 team in the West would upset the No. 1 seed San Antonio Spurs? Honestly, nobody.

Then who would've predicted that same Grizzlies team would give the Oklahoma City Thunder a run for their money? You're 0-2.

These are the moments people will look back on 50 years down the road.

Could you imagine if an eighth-seeded team, the Grizzlies nonetheless, advanced to the NBA Finals? They were 40-42 last year. Does this remind you of anything?

Let's switch sports for a moment to the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL, a mediocre team who at 7-9 made the playoffs, then went on to topple the defending Super Bowl champion New Orleans Saints. Who saw that train called Marshawn Lynch coming?

So what is the secret formula for underdog teams like the Grizzlies?

The way I look at it, they're the eighth seed, so what do they have to lose? They have come out with the power and energy most teams lack, and that is exactly what has been rolling them along in the playoffs. If you could go back to the last week of the regular season and tell Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers he would be swept in the second round, but his little brother's team would be kicking butt, he would have laughed.

Their roster certainly isn't the most popular in the league, but we all can see that they're giving it their all, and that's really all that matters. Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol are two guys who will be recognized and respected next season.

The Dallas Mavericks will have a tough time against this "grizzly" Memphis team, if they do advance to the conference final.