MEMPHIS – As the two remaining ‘Core Four’ members from the Grizzlies’ original Grit and Grind era, Mike Conley and Marc Gasol have endured their share rugged battles in the Western Conference.
So after surveying the landscape of a vastly improved conference entering this season, it’s only natural for the longest-tenured Grizzlies to anticipate a season of slugfests. Many of the eight teams that made the playoffs in the West last season either stood strong or reloaded with key additions.
And most of the teams that missed the postseason along with the Grizzlies made drastic upgrades, from LeBron James resurrecting the Lakers, to the Nuggets bolstering their depth by retaining Will Barton and snagging Isaiah Thomas on a discount, to even the Suns landing No. 1 pick Deandre Ayton and fast tracking their development with proven vets in Trevor Ariza, Ryan Anderson and Jamal Crawford.
Mike Conley #11 of the Memphis Grizzlies handles the ball against the Orlando Magic during a pre-season game on October 10, 2018 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. Photo by Fernando Medina / NBAE via Getty Images.
“When you look at everything that’s happened throughout the West,” Conley said while shaking his head in almost disbelief, “you know you’re going to be in a dogfight each and every night.”
A collection of national sites covering the NBA have predicted the Grizzlies to win between 32 and 38 games this season. Although that’s clearly a respectable jump from last season’s 22-60 finish, it’s far from where a team that made the playoffs each of the previous seven seasons expects to land.
Fact is, the Grizzlies haven’t posted consecutive losing seasons in a decade.
“The West is strong, and the pundits say it’s gotten stronger every year,” Grizzlies’ general manager Chris Wallace said entering the season. “Aside from an injury-plagued year, we’ve been right there in the mix. So we’re not concerned about what anybody else is doing. Our focus is on us and getting back.”
The Grizzlies open with consecutive games against East teams – Wednesday’s season opener at Indiana and Friday’s home debut against the Hawks – before playing 13 of their next 16 against the West. Where exactly do the Grizzlies fit in the West’s big picture? Amid so many changes, who is their biggest rival?
Those were among several intriguing queries from a league survey to a group of NBA team reporters and analysts – including me. There was one rule: Each answer must be limited to around 100 words. In the final installment of a two-part series, let’s break down the Grizzlies and the West’s top storylines.
Survey: Not including your team, which Western Conference clubs are you most looking forward to watching play this season (one from your division, one from a different division)?
MikeCheck: Within the division, it’s the Pelicans. How far can Anthony Davis carry New Orleans after last season’s dominant, first-round upset over the Blazers? Losing Boogie Cousins in free agency wasn’t the problem. It’s the departure of floor general Rajon Rondo to the Lakers that puts the most pressure on Davis to keep the Pelicans afloat. And speaking of the Lakers, outside of the division, all eyes are on LeBron and the NBA reality show assembled in La La Land. But let’s be clear up front; there’s nothing LeBron can do in purple and gold that Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Jerry West and Wilt Chamberlain haven’t accomplished. So it's a very high bar.
Survey: Also not including your team, which Western Conference rookies are you most looking forward to watching play this season (one from your division, one from a different division)?
MikeCheck: Within the division, it’s gotta be Luka Doncic. By bringing Dirk Nowitzki off the bench this season, the Mavericks are already handing over the reins to their next international superstar. But is Luka ready for all that will come his way? His versatility is impressive, and his improved shooting will elevate his impact. But can he adjust to the speed and relentless pace of the NBA game? Can he be an adequate system defender at his position? All are legit questions. Outside of the division, the rookie I most look forward to seeing play is the mysterious Michael Porter Jr. – when or if that might be this season for Denver.
LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates after he made a shot against the Golden State Warriors and was fouled during their preseason game at T-Mobile Arena on October 10, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Ethan Miller via Getty Images
Survey: In your opinion, who is most likely to be the conference’s 2018-19 “breakthrough” player from another team?
MikeCheck: Come on, seriously? No one in the league moves the needle like LeBron. No one. And that’s the case no matter how many titles Golden State wins or whether Houston catches the Warriors. LeBron will guide the Lakers to the biggest win improvement in the league from last season. He will take them from a sideshow that lived the past few years off their legacy to the main attraction again. LeBron will push the Lakers to top three in the West and maybe even to the conference finals, but no farther. He’s no longer earmarked for the NBA Finals like he’s been the past decade in the East, which makes the NBA Finals an anticlimactic event compared to the real finals – the Western Conference finals.
Survey: From the perspective of fans of the team you cover, which opponents do they consider to be your team’s biggest West rivals?
MikeCheck: For so long, it’s been the Clippers and/or Thunder. But so much has changed. Half of the Grizzlies’ ‘Core Four’ is gone. Zach Randolph and Tony Allen were largely responsible for providing the blood and bruising in the Grizzlies’ bitter rivalries. The Clippers no longer have Blake Griffin and Chris Paul in tandem as the NBA’s most annoying and relentless set of complainers. Kevin Durant ditched OKC to stack rings in Golden State. So it’s clearly a new day. Perhaps CP3 carries the friction with the Grizzlies over to his new team in Houston, considering regional proximity and four divisional meetings a year. But after seeing the Rockets twice in the preseason, the Grizzlies must get better in a hurry to make it a competitive rivalry.
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