NBA: To Tank Or Not to Tank?
By Alex Siquig
November 20, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph (50) celebrates with small forward Tayshaun Prince (21) against the Golden State Warriors during overtime at Oracle Arena. The Grizzlies defeated the Warriors 88-81 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Memphis Grizzlies
Depending on the length of Marc Gasol’s absence, the Grizzlies will have to accept that their glory days just might be over. The West has gone even crazier than usual this year. As of this writing there are thirteen teams that are fighting for 8 playoff spots. At least a few teams will finish with winning records and miss the playoffs. The Grizzlies have done an admirable job these last few years developing a fierce defensive based identity, the grit’n’grind toughness that dispatched the Clippers and the Thunder (without Russell Westbrook) last season.
The Grizzlies have always been a top heavy team, the triumvirate of Conley-Randolph-Gasol is what keeps them so dangerous (with an assist from the smothering toughness of Tony Allen). Gasol, their most important jenga piece, makes all the difference. Small market teams especially feel the pressure never to tank, always to strive for that next victory. Would the city still support a losing team in these trying times? To be a cold hard cynic for a moment: the Grizzlies more than most of the premiere teams of the West need superlative young talent. Think of the damage they could do with their usual excellence coupled with one of the Top 5 picks. Gasol and Conley are still in the midst of their primes. The Grizzlies could catapult themselves back to the top or settle for a few more years as a 5th to 7th seed before the inevitable crash. I say tank and tank hard. They’ve got a lot of work to do.