The Memphis Grizzlies gathered for Media Day on Monday morning inside FedExForum and, as is the custom on Media Day, there were a lot of smiles. It’s easy to smile on Media Day (and in, fact, players do a lot of smiling since their official headshots are taken at the session). Smiles abound because players are back doing what they love to do and no one has turned an ankle, suffered through a shooting slump or missed a shot with the game on the line.
In other words, if you’re not smiling on Media Day, you might want to find another profession. Quickly.
But the smiles affixed to the boys in Beale Street Blue carried more depth than the usual Media Day grins. This is a team that knows it is a very good basketball team and one that knows that its window for grabbing the national stage is open now. Look behind the smiles and you see the hard jawlines of a team that is determined to get back to the Western Conference Finals at the very least.
It’s a tall order when you consider that despite a migration of talent from Western Conference to Eastern (fare thee well, Kevin Love), the West remains absolutely, positively stacked. The Grizzlies though, aren’t concerned with what other teams have done. They’re most concerned with their own teammates and how the 2014-15 edition of the Grizzlies will fit together: What will Vince Carter bring to the table at the ripe, old (NBA-wise) age of 37? And what of Quincy Pondexter, lost for virtually all of last season? Will the talent of Michael Beasley finally cut through the clutter and rise to the surface to provide the Grizzlies with another weapon?
These are some of the compelling questions on the table. What is beyond questioning is that the Grizzlies are returning an experienced and savvy core with Mike Conley leading the way from the point. As good as Marc Gasol (one All Star selection and Defensive POY Award) and Zach Randolph (two All Star selections) are, Conley is the heart and soul of the Grizzlies. Talk to Mike and ask him how the Grizzlies will be and he’ll look you straight in the eye and tell you “we’re going to be good,” drawing out the last word for emphasis, leaving absolutely no doubt.
This is not a “we could/should/might be good if things break right” situation. Far from it.