How the West Can Be Won (part 5)

In this five part series, we will look at those five teams in depth and why nobody wants to meet them in the playoffs. We will also discuss the flaws that could get these teams beat and trades they could make throughout the season to fill those holes. Without further ado, here is who I believe to be the best team in the Western Conference.

1.) The Memphis Grizzlies:

Why Nobody Wants to Play Them:
If you look at the Grizzlies, what are they’re major weaknesses? The only thing they really lack is a consistent spot up shooter. We saw glimpses of Wayne Ellington taking that role, but since his explosion he has returned to being who we thought he was. Look for the Grizzlies to trade for a J.J. Reddick/Kyle Korver type to sure up their rotation. Those kind of guys are usually not that difficult to find and or trade for.

If they do pull off a trade like that, I have no reason to think they would not be the favorite this season. They can pound you inside offensively and defensively with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. They have a weird situation to deal with when both big men can interchange from the low post to the high post and be effective. Pau’s younger brother is looking like the better brother and Z-Bo is becoming a household name is NBA circles. The duo is averaging 32.2 points, 19.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.9 blocks per game. While the Grizzlies have arguably the best big man combination in the league, they are no slouches on the perimeter either.

Rudy Gay has the ability to score in a variety of ways and can go off for twenty any given night if he has the right match-up. At the point guard position they have Mike Conely that is averaging 15 and 6 assists this season and is a very above average personal defender. He can shut the water off of players that can seem unstoppable at times.

But if you want to talk about someone who can shut someones water off, look no further than Tony Allen who is a major reason I believe Memphis can be an amazing team.Look at how guard oriented the Western Conference is. Tony Allen has the ability to guard dynamic point guards like Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook as well as dynamic wing players like Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Manu Ginobli. They have a solid bench in Jerryd Bayless, Mo Speights, and Darrell Arthur – but if they could bring in a shooter this team’s limit is an NBA Championship.

How They Can Be Beaten: 
At the moment, the Grizzlies do not have a true spot up three-point shooter, which can sometimes lead to lack of ball movement on the offensive end. When the ball goes into the post, they get a little stagnant because the defense can suck in without the fear of getting drilled on from deep. Rudy Gay has shown much promise in his still young career, but he hasn’t shown to be the big game-changer that has been asked from him the last few post seasons. They seem to come up short, and a lot of that has to do with the late game shortcomings of Rudy Gay. If Conely isn’t on and Rudy Gay is shrinking under pressure, they cannot expect Tony Allen to be their offensive weapon on the perimeter.

Possible In-Season Trade:
The Grizzlies bring in J.J. Reddick and Kyle O’Quinn and trade away Mo Speights and Wayne Ellington and either a draft pick or cash considerations. They get a sharp shooter to add to the rotation and a fifth big that could possibly fill in if an injury occurred to Arthur, Gasol, Randolph, or Haddidi.
Barring injury, all five of these teams have an equal chance of making it to the NBA Finals to probably face the Miami Heat. It could all come down to seeding, because with how close these teams are and how some teams match-up well with some teams and badly for others – who plays who could be a big indicator of who escapes to the Finals.