NBA Playoffs: 5 ways Grizzlies can upset Spurs

5) Experience

Injuries or not, the Grizzlies’ roster features a healthy dose of veterans with previous playoff experience. That matters once the NBA calendar flips over to late April, May and, eventually, June.

Allen won a title with the Boston Celtics in 2008. Chris Andersen won a championship with the Miami Heat in 2013. Jordan Farmar has a pair of rings from his time with the Los Angeles Lakers. Randolph, Carter and Barnes all have years of playoff experience. Chalmers, a two-time champion with the Heat, also fit the bill until he was waived in a necessary move to create additional roster space.

Six players on the Grizzlies’ roster are over the age of 30. That might not normally be thought of as a positive in a young man’s game, but it further illustrates the team’s level of experience. There isn’t an on-court situation Memphis’ core hasn’t faced before. And for the slower, defense-first style the Grizzlies play, the veterans fit in well.

The counterargument here, of course, is that no team has more top-to-bottom playoff experience than the Spurs, who have won five NBA titles in the Tim Duncan era. But that won’t intimidate a veteran, battle-tested team like the Grizzlies.

Next: No. 4: Defense