2016-17 NBA Season Preview: Memphis Grizzlies
Welcome to theScore's 2016-17 NBA preview, where you'll find comprehensive coverage of all 30 teams and storylines to watch this season.
Memphis Grizzlies
2015-16
| Record | Southwest | West | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 42-40 | 3rd | 7th | Lost in Round 1 (4-0 SAN) |
Offseason roundup
| Additions | Departures |
|---|---|
| Coach David Fizdale | Coach Dave Joerger (fired) |
| Chandler Parsons (4/$94M) | Lance Stephenson (NOP) |
| Troy Daniels (3/$10M) | Matt Barnes (SAC) |
| Wade Baldwin IV (draft) | Jordan Farmar (SAC) |
| Deyonta Davis (acquired from BOS) | Chris Andersen (CLE) |
| James Ennis (2/$6M) | P.J. Hairston (HOU) |
| D.J. Stephens (partial guarantee) | Xavier Munford (LAC) |
| Tony Wroten (partial guarantee) | |
| Troy Williams (partial guarantee) | |
| Wayne Selden Jr. (unguaranteed) |
- Re-signed Mike Conley (5/$153M)
Projected starting five
- PG Mike Conley
- SG Tony Allen
- SF Chandler Parsons
- PF Zach Randolph
- C Marc Gasol
Player to watch
Parsons' arrival in Memphis is more than an attempt to have a lookalike for team minority owner Justin Timberlake. For a franchise that's never been a player in free agency, signing the small forward was a major coup after they locked up Conley to the richest contract in NBA history.
Yet Parsons' addition is still a risk versus reward venture: His past two seasons ended with right knee surgeries, and he was limited entering training camp this fall. The payoff for the Grizzlies will come if he's healthy enough to bring an offensive dimension the team has lacked for a long time.
While their "Grindhouse" culture has seen some success, when it comes to perimeter shooting, the organization has been ballin' like it's 1979 for the better part of a decade.
| Grizzlies season | 3PA (league rank) | 3P% (league rank) |
|---|---|---|
| 2015-16 | 25th | 29th |
| 2014-15 | 29th | 23rd |
| 2013-14 | 30th | 20th |
| 2012-13 | 30th | 24th |
| 2011-12 | 28th | 26th |
| 2010-11 | 30th | 27th |
| 2009-10 | 30th | 26th |
| 2008-09 | 27th | 21st |
Outside of Conley being sound, Parsons is the highest-functioning consistent 3-point threat the Grizzlies have had since Mike Miller was in his prime, hitting 39 percent of his shots from deep the past three seasons.
Yet his value goes beyond corner shooting. The 6-foot-10 Parsons can stretch the floor as a power forward, something the team will employ when 35-year-old Zach Randolph takes a seat. There's also his ability to finish in transition, and his facilitation skills, evidenced by the Dallas Mavericks' assist rate being 3.8 percent higher with Parsons on the floor last season.
While he doesn't solve all the Grizzlies' shortcomings in terms of athleticism and shooting, he's a big step in the right direction offensively.
"I've talked to all the guys and they understand where the league is at," new coach David Fizdale told CBS Sports' Matt Moore in July. "If we think we're going to play in the '80s and win anything, we're sadly mistaken. And they understand that and I think we're going to have a committed group to playing at a faster tempo."
Also worth watching
With the retirement of Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett, appreciate the minutes Vince Carter gets this season. Carter and fellow 1998 draftees Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce are now the longest-serving players in the NBA.
Season expectations
This team's expectations are based heavily on health, and one would think the Grizzlies deserve better luck after last year, when a deluge of injuries forced them to roster an NBA-record 28 players over the course of the season. It was the main factor in their 5-16 finish, which was followed by a sweep at the hands of the San Antonio Spurs.
After tearfully paying tribute to the resilient squad, coach Dave Joerger was fired and replaced by Fizdale, who comes to Memphis with a well-regarded reputation as a players' coach from his time as a Miami Heat assistant. Add that to Parsons joining a recovered Conley and Gasol, and there are things to like about the Grizzlies, but plenty of questions about health and ceiling, too.
The playoffs should happen, with an expectation between 42 and 48 wins.