Once seen as a fixture among playoff contenders, the Memphis Grizzlies have dipped below that threshold. Last year, injuries to Marc Gasol and Mike Conley Jr. were the main reason behind Memphis watching the postseason from home for the first time in seven years.
During that seven-year stretch, the Grizzlies became synonymous with a slowed down, defense-first, approach that drove opposing teams mad but became a staple of the franchise and the city of Memphis.
“Grit ‘N’ Grind” became the nickname for Memphis’ style of play. Spearheaded by the lunch pail attitudes of Tony Allen and Zach Randolph, the Grizzlies were a physical team that didn’t let up regardless of the opponent or the score.
Sparked by a first-round upset of the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in 2010, the “Grit ‘N’ Grind” mantra really took hold in 2013 when Memphis advanced all the way to the Western Conference Finals where they faced off with the Spurs again, but were swept. Back-to-back opening round defeats at the hands of the — you guessed it — Spurs in 2016 and 2017 made it clear that “Grit ‘N’ Grind” was now a thing of the past.
On the 2018-19 roster, only Gasol and Conley Jr. remain from the glory days of “Grit ‘N’ Grind”. This offseason, Memphis underwent a drastic transformation. Out were the one-way players and post behemoths that once made the Grizzlies into the perennial playoff nuisances. In were two-way, lineup versatile, and switchable wings that have become staples of the modern NBA.
In a couple months, Memphis’ roster composition went from outdated to revitalized. Players like Omri Casspi and Garrett Temple were brought in to help ensure that this roster revamp hit its target. Yet, the one offseason addition that could be the piece to bridge the “Grit ‘N’ Grind” era with Grizzlies 2.0 is former Spurs wing, Kyle Anderson.
Anderson, nicknamed Slow-Mo, brings the methodical, “death by a thousand cuts” philosophy that helped define “Grit ‘N’ Grind” with the actions and plays that are critical to success in the new-age offenses.
He’s a change-of-pace guard in the most literal of terms. Coming off of San Antonio’s bench, Anderson was a player that defenders could never adjust too. In last year’s postseason, he was moved into the starting lineup due to injuries and his ability to play a beat slower gave Kevin Durant and other members of the Golden State Warriors fits.
Deceleration has often been cited when referencing James Harden’s rise to offensive dominance, but with Anderson, there’s really never a burst for him to decelerate from. He never gets sped up and in a game built off pace Anderson’s ability to excel at one speed is something truly spectacular to watch.
Memphis fans got an early taste of it in the Grizzlies preseason opener against the Houston Rockets. Anderson scored or assisted on six straight points. Inching his way slowly, but surely to the rim on his drives and lofting the ball in the air into the waiting arms of an open teammate as if placed by a giant’s hand.
The beauty in Anderson’s game–speed, or lack thereof, aside–is the simplicity of it all. You’ll never see him do more than what is necessary to get the result he wants. One dribble to get from the top of the arc to the rim. One pass to move the ball from halfcourt to the rim. One pump fake to get a defender away from the basket. Everything is done at it’s most fundamental level with Anderson.
It’s back to the basics for the Grizzlies and Anderson is as basic as it gets.
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