By now, NBA season previews are rolling out. Countless basketball sites, podcasts, and television shows are breaking down all 30 teams; projecting how each will fare based on additions and subtractions. I would like to do something different and focus on teams through the fish-eyed lens of their respective most-intriguing player or players. I continue with the Memphis Grizzlies.
Like many people, I grew up watching Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment (formerly World Wrestling Federation). I'm particularly fond of the "Attitude" Era, where wrasslers like D-Generation X, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Mick Foley kept me entertained through the late 90s and early 2000s. Another one of those acts I'm fond of is the Acolytes Protection Agency. The APA consisted of Farooq (Ron Simmons) and John Bradshaw. They would sit backstage behind a propped door and other wrasslers would hire them to be bodyguards. What made them so appealing is that they were such badasses, and they grew to be crowd favorites.
They remind me of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Ever since these two have been a tandem, the Memphis Grizzlies have hung their hats on defense and physicality. The city and its fans have engulfed themselves in this ideal. I've been to the FedEx Forum. There is a reason it is called "the Grindhouse." From the crowd to the musical selections, it is a very intimidating place for any visiting team.
Over the years of their collective tenure, the NBA's version of the APA have been the Grizzlies' sturdy, brutish gatekeepers. They operate the high and low posts like two obelisks, testing wayward opponents on their valor. To bang with them is a 60-minute endurance trial--trials that have hardened them over what seems like aeons. Consider Marc Gasol in high school versus how he looks today. It appears as if the beard is a symbol of the rigors of forging his game deep in the painted area. And Zach Randolph, despite forever looking like Eddie Winslow from "Family Matters"--is affectionately called "Zeebo," after Deebo the bully from the "Friday" movie series. One thing that will never be questioned is the toughness of the these two, even as the Grizzlies move forward with another as the face of the franchise.
This past off-season, the Grizzlies signed point guard Mike Conley Jr. to a five-year, $153 million contract. This cements Conley as their franchise player, and the Grizzlies as his team. He is the focal point of their future, and must excel in order for the Grizzlies to continue to be playoff staples in the spring.
However, Conley will need help. He will need protection. Yes, Tony Allen is there to provide backcourt toughness, but he is not looked to for help on the offensive end. Gasol and Randolph have to be productive in the paint. They're incredibly skilled--Zeebo has uncanny footwork, and Gasol is arguably the best passing center in the Association. With Randolph coming off the bench this year, Grizzlies head coach Dave Fizdale (I had to Google it) understands that Randolph is no longer young and spry. He's most effective in short bursts, and he and Gasol can still play fourth quarters together.
Mike Conley Jr. was paid a lot of money. The Grizzlies need to protect that investment. Something tells me they knocked on a propped door and asked Zeebo and Gasol for their services. They're not the young players they once were, but they are still more than just symbols of grit and toughness.
