Are the Grizzlies legitimately a 65+ win team?

[Connor B]

They don't have a weakness. Their defense is great, and now they have outside shooting to go along with one of the best front courts in the league. They play as a team, they are extremely efficient, well coached, have maybe the best home court advantage (according to record), and they have amazing chemistry. I really don't think their streak is a fluke, their schedule will get tougher but they have played some very good teams and show zero signs of slowing down.

[DMAVS41]

Don't see why not if healthy.

They've been on that pace for around 2 years now when Gasol is right.

[L.Kizzle]

West is too deep. 60.

[AussieG]

So far..

But the season is long and there is plenty of chance of cold streaks or injuries.

The thing I like about the Grizz is similar to Conley and Gasol (individually) they keep improving and refining everything year after year. And the bench keeps gradually getting better and better. Every year it gets better, in terms of depth, scoring and chemistry.

It usually takes until after Feb until they hit playoff form but this season it only took 7 games. I just wonder if they can sustain it. Injuries would be the biggest thing I guess. Gasol and Conley have to stay healthy.

I don't know how many games they can win.. I'm more talking about whether or not, they can play this way all season long and then carry it into the playoffs. Or if they will peak too early.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

65+ wins in this western conference would be ridiculous. I see them winning 60 +/- 3 as long as they stay healthy.

[RoseCity07]

Yes if they stay healthy. The east is just terrible. Across the board the Grizzlies should be favored in every game. The only teams that should give them trouble are OKC and SA.

[bdreason]

They're a great team, but they'll hit a wall at some point, and they'll have a losing streak. Same goes for every hot team right now, including my Warriors. NBA season is a marathon, not a sprint.

[masonanddixon]

They struggle to score from the perimeter and don't have a truly prolific offensive player.

[MMM]

65 win teams are historically great teams so I don't think the Grizzlies are on that level yet.

[All Net]

I can see them winning 60 if healthy but I can see GS being any round that mark too.

Top 3 team in West for sure

[Prodigy]

I never followed them much in the past but could some posters would the knowledge enlighten me?

Why didn't they keep Hollins?
What didn't they like about him?
How has the team changed in identity and style since?
Why has it seemed to improve over the years (to a kind of breakout year this year) despite maintaining mostly the same core?

[AussieG]

First two questions - Hollins has a feisty stubborn attitude.. a very direct in your face sort of style that wore thin a little bit with the front office. This attitude transferred into the players (grit and grind etc) so it's a bit sad that he had to go. They don't need him to play like that but he helped them develop it and find that style of play. He turned players that were known as lazy or weak defenders into players that fight hard every night. Also.. he likes to make decisions about roster or playing time based off gut instinct and the new owners/management are more progressive using stats/analytics with people like Hollinger and that frustrated him.

The team has pretty much kept playing the same way as they did when Hollins coached. It's been small gradual changes. The new coach was already the defensive coach while playing with Hollins. The team has changed the style a but, by making the offense more dynamic, and just in general trying to address weaknesses. To fill in the holes. There are no big changes, just having a better bench/depth in the roster and in general.. more options offensively and defensively. They try to be more of an uptempo offensive team while still keeping the solid defense. A more dynamic offense. Hollins offense used to be stale at times.. with huge scoring droughts and predictable offense and over time, they've found ways to avoid getting making those same mistakes again. A part of that is the coaching and a part of that is Conley and others maturing and learning.

Final question..

Because the core players are all coachable and have a brain and the right attitude. There isn't huge egos (alpha as people here call it) there is just a group of players who want to be a good team and like being around each other. They would take pay cuts to stay playing with each other. They want to be a part of the success and to continue to learn. They have high bball IQ and always want to keep improving.

Also.. because each year, they build better chemistry and improve. They get older and have more playoff experience after each season. It's the fact that the core stays the same that HELPS. Because there is continuity and they know each other so well. Every year they try to address weaknesses in their game and also grow together as a team. Over these years, the bench has gradually improved as well. Filling in holes and weaknesses. And maturing together as a team.

It all revolves around Conley and Gasol but Z-Bo and Tony Allen are important too. And new players like Poindexter, Lee, or Udrih off the bench have came in and done a better job than the players they have replaced from years ago. Even Koufus is an upgrade over Ed Davis or Darrell Arthur etc. There used to be no good backups for Conley and Gasol and the offense would dry up when they went to the bench but over the years they've improved and this season the backups are decent. Over the last 10 games the bench has been really good. One of the keys to the easy run they've been having lately.

[Uncle Drew]

Yes if they stay healthy. The east is just terrible. Across the board the Grizzlies should be favored in every game. The only teams that should give them trouble are OKC and SA.

Funny, since the Grizzlies are 10-0 vs. West teams, and their only losses came against East teams.

[Lebronxrings]

Funny, since the Grizzlies are 10-0 vs. West teams, and their only losses came against East teams.

that ether

[DMAVS41]

Funny, since the Grizzlies are 10-0 vs. West teams, and their only losses came against East teams.

As of Nov. 24th....the West was 45-19 against the East. It's a joke conference dude...

Right now there would only be 1 East team to even make the playoffs in the West given the disparity in schedule strength. At this point in the season...the only team you could say would really be close to a lock to make the playoffs in the West would be the Raptors. All the other teams right now would be fringe playoff teams...and I certainly wouldn't bet on teams like the Wizards or Bucks to make it over the Suns or Mavs or Clippers or Thunder

And that is with the Thunder hurt....

It will be no different than last year. 8 of the 10 best teams will likely be out West....and only 2 or 3 teams in the East would sniff the playoffs in the West. Last year, only the Heat and Pacers would have made it...and I'd argue the Pacers wouldn't even have made the West playoffs last year if they had to play a West schedule.