Let’s examine the players who, during their time in Memphis, pulled down the most rebounds per game in a single season.
One of the league’s more recent teams, the Memphis Grizzlies made their debut during the 1995–96 NBA season.
Today, we’re examining the guys who, during their time in Tennessee, recorded the top five single-season rebounds per game.
Jonas Valančiūnas – 2021, 12.5 RPG
Valančiūnas spent the first six and a half years of his career with the Toronto Raptors before Memphis acquired him midway through the 2018-19 season. In his final campaign with the Grizz, the Utena, Lithuania native had one of his most productive seasons in the NBA, putting up averages of 17.1 points, 12.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 0.9 blocks across 62 outings (61 starts). Valančiūnas registered 49 double-doubles and had four outings with 20 or more rebounds, helping him secure a career-high in boards per game.
Zach Randolph – 2011, 12.2 RPG
The 19th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, Randolph made his way to the Grizzlies after being traded there by the Los Angeles Clippers following the 2008-09 campaign. ‘Z-Bo’ earned an All-NBA Third Team selection in 2010-11 after dropping 20.1 points, 2.2 assists and a career-best 12.2 rebounds in 75 games. The NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2004 as a member of the Blazers, Randolph amassed 53 double-doubles and had 20 outings with at least 15 rebounds, including five with 20 or more, while producing a career-high 4.3 offensive rebounds a night.
Zach Randolph – 2010, 11.7 RPG
In his first full season with Memphis, Randolph earned his first career All-Star appearance after putting up 20.8 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.0 steals across 81 games. He led the NBA in offensive rebounding with 4.1 per contest and compiled 57 double-doubles, including a 31-point, 25-rebound outing in a win over the New York Knicks, which represents a career-best single game record for Randolph. The Michigan State product enjoyed a fruitful eight years with the Grizzlies, tallying 16.8 ppg, 10.2 rpg and 2.0 apg in 551 games.
Jonas Valančiūnas – 2020, 11.3 RPG
At age-27, Valančiūnas posted an impressive 14.9 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.1 blocks in 70 games during the Covid-19-shortened 2019-20 season. ‘JV’ recorded 39 double-doubles and the only triple-double throughout his 13-year career, when he dropped 26 points, 19 rebounds and a career-high 12 assists in 33 minutes of action. Across 151 total outings with Memphis, Valančiūnas averaged 16.4 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 1.9 apg and 1.1 bpg on shooting splits of 58.1 / 34.9 / 75.9.
Zach Randolph – 2013, 11.2 RPG
Randolph holds five of the top seven single-season rebounding performances in Memphis’ 31-year history, and his 11.2 rpg during the 2012-13 campaign rounds out the list for today. Although his scoring dipped to 15.4 points following a lockout- and injury-riddled year that saw him appear in just 28 contests in 2011-12, the lefty forward-center was still a force to be reckoned with on the glass. Randolph recorded 45 double-doubles and led the NBA in offensive rebounding (4.1) for the second time in his career. When he officially retired in 2019, Z-Bo finished with career averages of 16.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg and 1.8 apg across 1,116 games with the Grizzlies, Trail Blazers, Knicks, Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers.
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