Will Grizzlies make playoffs without Marc Gasol?

Will the Memphis Grizzlies make the NBA playoffs after losing center Marc Gasol indefinitely with a fractured foot?

The Memphis Grizzlies announced on Tuesday, that All-Star center Marc Gasol has a fractured right foot and will be out indefinitely.With 30 games in the season left for the Grizzlies, there stands a good chance that Gasol could miss the rest of the season if not longer.

The Grizzlies are currently 30-22 and in the No. 5 seed. While the Grizzlies are firmly in the thick of the playoff race, they’re currently just 4.5 games ahead of the No. 9 seed and with the stretch run ahead of them and the team banged up and an older group, there stands the chance of the Grizzlies dropping back.

The big question going forward is whether or not the Grizzlies can hold on for their playoff lives the rest of the way. Ever since Marc Gasol arrived in Memphis, seeing them in the playoffs has become a staple of every April and May.

They’ve always consistently been a tough out because of their physical style of basketball, but it looks like age is finally catching up to them. They’ve dealt with injuries to star point guard Mike Conley and have relied a ton on Tony Allen over recent years to guard the opposing team’s best player.

The Grizzlies schedule through the rest of February is against some bad teams in the league, but in March and April it gets really difficult for them. They still have two meetings with the Toronto Raptors, two meetings with the San Antonio Spurs, two meetings with the Golden State Warriors and two meetings with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Those eight games could very well be the difference between the Grizzlies making the playoffs and missing the playoffs. The games were already going to be difficult as is, but without Gasol, the task seems daunting at hand for the Grizzlies to hold onto a playoff spot.