From the Grit and Grind era to today’s studs, discover the finest Memphis Grizzlies players of the past 25 years. Learn about their impact and what they accomplished!
Creating quarter-century teams for each of the 30 NBA organisations, RotoWire is reflecting on the previous 25 years as we approach the quarter pole of this century.
The greatest two guards, two forwards, and one centre from the Memphis Grizzlies club from January 1, 2000, to the present day make up this quarter-century team, put together by your home for the best NBA betting promo codes.
A multi-time All Star from more recent years joins the Grizzlies’ greatest performers from the Grit and Grind era of the 2010s on this 25th anniversary squad.
Memphis Grizzlies Quarter Century Team Members
Mike Conley (2007 to 2019)
After the Memphis Grizzlies draughted Conley with the fourth overall pick in 2007, Conley played a solid point guard for the team for 12 seasons.
A rebuilding Grizzlies club became a consistent contender with the help of the franchise leader in games played, points, assists, 3-point field goals, and steals.
The team began making seven consecutive playoff appearances in 2011.
Making it to the Western Conference finals in 2013 was the pinnacle of that period.
Conley won the NBA Sportsmanship Award three times, yet he was never named to the Grizzlies’ All-Star team.
He repeated as champion in 2022–23 (a year in which he played for both the Utah Jazz and the Minnesota Timberwolves), and he is still a Minnesota player (albeit he isn’t a major attraction for prop bets on NBA betting platforms these days).
Ja Morant (2019 to Present)
Ja Morant is the most gifted player the Grizzlies have ever had, and he will certainly break franchise records in a number of important areas before long.
Even though he’s only 25 years old, the team’s all-time leading scorer and third-leading assister is the star guard.
In his first six seasons with the Grizzlies, the team saw a dramatic resurgence under the guidance of the 2019 NBA Draft’s second overall selection, who guided them to the playoffs four times.
With the 2019–20 season being the sole outlier, Morant was named NBA Rookie of the Year. In the 2023–24 season, he played in just nine games due in part to a 25-game suspension.
With an average of 27.4 points per game in 2021–22, Morant not only won the NBA’s Most Improved Player title but also helped the Grizzlies win their fifth postseason series in franchise history.
In the previous four seasons, Morant has averaged at least 23.2 points per game.
Rudy Gay (2006 to 2013)
The defensive-minded Grizzlies teams of the Grit and Grind era could have used some scoring from midrange thanks to Rudy Gay’s dependable game.
Gay averaged 18.9 points per game over the next five seasons after scoring 10.8 points per game as a rookie in 2006–07.
Having said that, the small forward was unable to help Memphis reach the playoffs.
As a result of his shoulder injury in 2011, the Grizzlies were unable to participate in their historic first-ever playoff series victory over the Spurs. In 2012–13, the Grizzlies traded Gay to the Raptors before Memphis’s run to the Western Conference finals.
Jaren Jackson Jr. makes a compelling case for this position compared to Gay, even though JJJ is typically categorised as a centre.
Zach Randolph (2009 to 2017)
Although Zach Randolph had played in the NBA for eight seasons prior to his arrival in Memphis, his best years were during his tenure with the Grizzlies, which lasted for the same amount of time.
Randolph was nominated to the All-Star team in 2009–10 after averaging a career-high 20.8 points per game.
He played a key role in the Grizzlies’ seven consecutive playoff appearances and earned another All-Star call in 2012–13.
The Grizzlies saw 16.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game from the power forward known as Z-Bo.
Marc Gasol (2008 to 2019)
When it comes to the team’s all-time records, Marc Gasol is right up there with Conley.
He is second in games played, points scored, and assists, and he also holds the franchise records for rebounds with 5,942 and blocks with 1,135.
When it came to steals, Gasol had to settle for third place, behind Mike Conley and long-time teammate Tony Allen.
These four players—Gasol, Conley, Randolph, and Allen—were there for the first four playoff series victories for the club in 2011, 2013, and 2015. Gasol, who was named the Grizzlies’ Defensive Player of the Year in 2012–13 and a three-time All Star, has more accomplishments than any other player in franchise history.
The Grizzlies were good to the Spaniard because he was the rock of the top defence that maintained Memphis in the postseason hunt for over a decade.
After being dealt to the Raptors by the Grizzlies at the 2019 trade deadline, Gasol went on to win a championship with Toronto.
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