Ground to a halt: Grizzlies at crossroads following Gasol's injury

With the "Grit and Grind" Grizzlies, there is always an air of affability, a blue-collar romanticism that makes Memphis easy to root for.

Since the 2010-11 season, when the team's identity was forged in the crucible of Rudy Gay's injury, the Grizzlies have won 62 percent of their games. They've been to the Western Conference semifinals twice, and even managed a conference finals appearance at their peak.

Along with the Thunder and Spurs, the Grizzlies have been a model of consistency - a triumph of small markets outwitting metropolitan oligarchs.

The formula has been immutable, carrying themselves with an impenetrable bravado. If basketball were a fight, the Grizzlies are the masters of the ground game, pounding opponents down low with a bruising combination of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, and up top, with Tony Allen and Mike Conley serving as handcuffs.

But the party in Memphis may be over following Gasol's sending-ending foot injury, and the team's settling in a notch below the real contenders in the West.

So where do the Grizzlies pivot from here?

Losing their pillar

Gasol's season-ending injury is going to hurt the Grizzlies. It's just a question of how much.

Even in a down year, Gasol was their backbone. He's their defensive coordinator at the back, shouting out schemes. On offense, he is the traffic cop in the high post, spotting cutters, feeding Randolph on high-low passes, and playing pick-and-roll with Conley.

Gasol was a central piece to every set the Grizzlies ran, and although his modest numbers (16 points, seven rebounds) don't suggest it, he's Memphis' best player.

The Grizzlies have some contingencies. Randolph has shifted over to center in Gasol's absence and posted averages of 19 points and 6.5 rebounds. He's not Gasol on defense, but at least Randolph can prop up the offense.

Brandan Wright and Chris Andersen are also capable veterans who can soak up minutes. Wright can be a terrifying finisher in the pick-and-roll, and Andersen is an effective rim protector.

No solution is perfect, and the Grizzlies certainly never envisioned problems at center after locking up Gasol to a five-year maximum contract last summer. But they should at least be able to keep their heads above water in the final third of the season.

Where Gasol and the Grizzlies go after this season, however, is very much a mystery. The history of players with Gasol's injury is littered with horror stories. From Yao Ming to Joel Embiid, the odds are stacked against Big Spain. And if the Grizzlies can't rely on their pillar, then where is this team going?

Breaking continuity

Despite all their success, the Grizzlies have fallen short of making a serious challenge for league supremacy. With their core ranking as one of the oldest assemblies in the NBA, organic growth won't get them anywhere.

It's time for the Grizzlies to think about the future.

Fortunately, Memphis has maintained a relatively clean cap sheet. By parting ways with the non-guaranteed deals of Vince Carter and Lance Stephenson, the Grizzlies could open up nearly $45 million in cap room and still have Gasol, Allen, and Randolph on the team.

The trouble is Conley - a free agent whom the Grizzlies would be wise to keep. The Grizzlies have the advantage of offering him a fifth season, but Conley might be hesitant about committing to an aging roster. He certainly won't lack for suitors.

Past that, the Grizzlies have a gigantic hole on the wing, and they'll likely look for shooters. Unfortunately, that puts them in the same boat as everyone else. A solid 3-and-D option like DeMarre Carroll fetched $60 million last summer. With a higher cap and even fewer options on the market, expect prices to skyrocket.

Memphis is also woefully short on depth. Years of failed draft picks have left the cupboards bare, and opting for cheap veterans has proven unsuccessful in recent seasons.

The alternative would be to rebuild. Conley and a (hopefully) healthy Gasol form a strong foundation, and fitting them with new supporting characters might be the most prudent move going forward.

That would mean severing ties with Randolph and Allen. Although it's ethereal, and therefore difficult to quantify, there's a tangible identity that would be lost. Without two of the principles, "Grit and Grind" would just be an empty ethos.

Or maybe, after half a decade of smash-mouth basketball, the Grizzlies are simply grounding to a halt.