Can the Memphis Grizzlies or Houston Rockets Really Win the West?

Are the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets legitimate Western Conference contenders?

Through the first four weeks of the 2014-2015 NBA season, no two teams (maybe other than the Toronto Raptors or Golden State Warriors) have looked as impressive and put the league on notice like the Houston Rockets and Memphis Grizzlies have. Both teams have jumped out the gate quickly and have shown that there more than ready to disrupt things in the always-brutal Western Conference.

The question is: Are both the Grizzlies and Rockets ready and good enough to win the West?

So far, the answer appears to be yes. Will both clubs sustain this kind of lofty play for the rest of the year? Not sure, but both teams early on have put themselves in a good position to do so.

As of right now, the rugged, tough-minded Grizzlies hold the West’s best record at 13-2 and also the league’s top record, while the three-point reliant Rockets possess the third-best mark in the West at 12-3. Both teams have been playoff teams over the past couple of years but no one really believed they could challenge for the Western crown, given that the San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, and Los Angeles Clippers have been the main favorites to come out of the conference. Both teams seem to be making believers out of the media.

The Grizzlies strong suit relies on their physical and skilled big man duo of center Marc Gasol and power forward Zach Randolph. For years the Grizzlies have continuously leaned on these two to carry them offensively and they both have proven to complement each other well. Both big men can post up, face up, knock down 10 to 15 foot jumpers, and command attention in the post.

The high-low game that the two run together has been super effective and has been a tough gimmick for teams to slow down. Gasol (19.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.6 bpg, 50 percent field-goal percentage this season) has never looked better and he’s setting himself up real nice for a big payday next summer when he hits the free agent market. Randolph (16.1 ppg, 11.6 rpg) on the other hand, is looking again like one of the top power forwards in the game and doing what he does best: bullying people in the low post.

The Grizzlies perimeter players in point guard Mike Conley, shooting guards Courtney Lee, Tony Allen, Quincy Pondexter, and small forwards Vince Carter and Tayshaun Prince have all added their own touch of contributions this season. They are again one of the top five defensive teams in the league ranking 3rd in opponent points per game allowed at 92.4. The Grizzlies make-up has always been pound the ball inside to Randolph and Gasol and depend on them to score, defend with a vigorous attitude, and grind teams out and make the game as uneven as can be for the opposing team. They appear to be taking all those qualities and elevating their play even higher then past seasons, however will the Grizzlies flaws show themselves again when postseason time comes.

I mean the obvious flaws of not having a dependable wing scorer and creator, lacking consistent three-point shooting, and being generally a weak offensive team could hurt this team as the year progresses. The NBA now is all about having adept perimeter scoring and long-range shooting and I question if Memphis has enough of it to actually win the West. They’ve had sound playoff results in the past:

2011: Grizzlies as an #8 seed upset the top-seeded Spurs 4-2 in the first round and pushed the #4 seeded Thunder to seven games in a losing effort
2012: Loss a seven games series to the Clippers in the first round.
2013: As a #5 seed, the Grizzlies took out the Clippers 4-2 in the first round, then proceeded to upset the top-seeded Thunder 4-1 in the second round, before being swept by the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
2014: Last year, the Grizzlies gave the Thunder all they could handle as they were knocked out in a tough seven game series in the first round.

For a franchise like the Grizzlies that has had limited success since they’ve been in existence (since 1995), they’ve sure put together a contending playoff team. With the early struggles of title contenders like the Clippers (completely in disarray) and the Thunder (caught the injury-bug to their two best players and others), this is a great opportunity for the Griz to take advantage and get a top three seed for the playoffs, that will give them an easier path to the Finals.

The Rockets on the other hand, have taken advantage of an early weak schedule and have surprisingly defended this season with a purpose (their 1st in opponent points per game allowed at 92.2), unlike last year when they ranked 23rd in that category. The Rockets 1-2 punch of stars James Harden (25.3 ppg, 6.7 apg, 6.4 rpg) and Dwight Howard (18.8 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 2.3 bpg) are obviously the main reason that Houston is playing like a viable title contender, but it has been the defense that has been their x-factor thus far.

If you look at how the Rockets roster is structured, it is a startling how good they’ve been on that side of the floor this year. Yes, they have arguably the best defensive center in the game in Dwight Howard (you can make a case for Joakim Noah, Marc Gasol, and Anthony Davis as well), though D-Howard hasn’t been the same force since his Orlando days due to the injuries to his back and his inability to not be able to cover as much ground as he used too. And for starters, James Harden appears to be taking a keen interest in actually guarding someone on a consistent basis.

You know what they say: Most teams take on the identity of their best player and maybe the Rockets are doing that. They’ve gotten a ton from free agent pickup Trevor Ariza who has been lights out from three-point land and has always been one of the top perimeter defenders in the league. Critcs questioned their fast start and credited due to the lack of respected opponents they’ve played (Lakers twice, Jazz, Celtics, OKC without Westbrook and Durant, 76ers, T-Wolves) and they might have a point. One thing the Rockets have going for them is that they have two of the league’s 15 best players on their side in Harden and Howard, which the Grizzlies can’t stake claim too.

The Clippers, Spurs, and Thunder have been the three teams the last three seasons that we believed had the best and pretty much only chance of coming out of the West and for good reason. Maybe this year will be different. Maybe the Rockets and Grizzlies are here to break the norm and take the next step. Maybe both clubs quick start is a tease. Maybe it isn’t. We won’t know for sure until April gets here.

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