Fansided

30 biggest questions for the 2018-19 NBA season

By Hunter Kuffel

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors holds up the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy during the Golden State Warriors Victory Parade on June 12, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 12: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors holds up the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy during the Golden State Warriors Victory Parade on June 12, 2018 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
9 of 31
Next
NBA Season
MEMPHIS, TN – OCTOBER 26: Marc Gasol /

23. Can Memphis recapture the Conley-Gasol magic?

The Grizzlies are one of several teams in the West this season who seem to be expressing playoff ambitions that just aren’t realistic. When teams like Portland, Denver, New Orleans and Minnesota battling it out for the final seeds, the Grizzlies odds are slim to none.

The NBA is a crazy league though, and teams surprise us every year. I don’t think Memphis will be one of those teams, but they did make some encouraging moves this season. They signed Kyle Anderson to a four-year contract, hoping that the strides he took last season were more than just San Antonio smoke and mirrors. They also brought in Shelvin Mack and Garrett Temple, both of whom can shore up a bench that struggled going back further than last season.

The true bellwether of the Grizzlies chances come down to Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, just like they have for years at this point. Conley has withstood numerous injuries in recent seasons and is staring at the wrong side of 30, but he’s been an unbelievable playmaker and a “would be an All-Star in the East” kind of player when healthy. Gasol is a whip-smart defender who has showcased new and improved offensive chops with his corner-3 shooting, and his pick-and-roll chemistry with Conley is an excellent offensive foundation.

There’s absolutely a scenario where this a scary team that no one wants to play. Conley and Gasol playing a two-man game with shooters abound, Gasol anchoring a top-10 defense with help from Wayne Selden, Dillon Brooks, JaMychal Green and Jaren Jackson Jr. It’s easy to envision. It’s also a bit too easy to see things derailed by December. Conley or Gasol goes down with another injury. The offense loses all firepower without one of the two stars on the court. J.B. Bickerstaff is unable to craft something greater than the sum of its parts.

It will be fascinating to see what happens with this team because if they manage to stay healthy and gel together, they could cause problems for a lot of teams.