The 2010s will be remembered as the defining decade for professional basketball in Memphis. The decade that saw the rise and fall of Grit and Grind, countless memories at FedExForum and the beginning of the new era of Grizzlies basketball led by Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
The Athletic put together all-decade teams for all 30 NBA teams, so of course we did one too. Omari Sankofa II had the relatively easy task of compiling the starting five, and Peter Edmiston listed the bench.
Point guard: Mike Conley
There’s an argument that Mike Conley is the greatest player in franchise history. No Grizzly has scored more points, dished more assists, played more games or been whistled for fewer technicals per season. To date, Conley’s career total is zero. Conley, or “Captain Clutch,” as fans dotingly called him, played a whopping 788 games from the start of his rookie season in 2007 to his final game this past April. He was involved in numerous historic franchise moments, but his greatest one might’ve been when he scored 22 points while donning a facemask after suffering a blowout fracture to the left side of his face just 10 days prior, helping the Grizzlies tie the Western Conference Finals against the Warriors, 1-1.
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Shooting guard: Tony Allen
Yeah, the man who coined the “Grit and Grind” phrase certainly deserves a spot on this list. But Allen would be here even if he hadn’t uttered the iconic slogan after a game during February 2011. One of the most tenacious perimeter defenders in NBA history, Allen provided much of the attitude that defined the “Grit and Grind” moniker that fans rallied behind. He and Conley might’ve been the best defensive backcourt in the league. Kobe Bryant once said Allen was the toughest defender he ever faced. There’s no higher praise than that.
Small forward: Rudy Gay
Rudy Gay played his last game for the Grizzlies in 2012. It’s a testament to him, and Memphis’ inability to find a capable scoring wing to replace him, that he’s on this list. Prime Rudy Gay was one of the most vicious dunkers in the NBA, and his crown as the most electric athlete in franchise history has yet to be challenged. Maybe Ja Morant will have something to say about it. Beyond his athletic feats, Gay was a capable defender and efficient scorer who could pop off for 20-plus points more nights than not. Or at least he could until his efficiency dipped during the 2012-13 season, spelling his exit from the franchise at the trade deadline. Whether or not the Grizzlies were right to move on from Gay remains a debate. Regardless, he’s the obvious pick for starting small forward on the all-decade list.
Power forward: Zach Randolph
He snarled. He Z-Bounded. He probably led the NBA in jab steps. He hit mid-range jumper after mid-range jumper, post-hook after post-hook. He was fond of flip phones. And no other athlete defines the Grizzlies more than him.
Z-Bo needs no introduction. He’s the most iconic player in franchise history. If a player ever gets a statue outside the arena, he will likely be the favorite. Long live Z-Bo.
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Center: Marc Gasol
In a sense, no Grizzly on this list represented Memphis better than Marc. He moved to Memphis in 2001 after his older brother, Pau, was drafted by the Grizzlies, and he lived in Memphis until his professional career began overseas in 2003. Of course, he returned to Memphis five years later when the Grizzlies traded for his draft rights in exchange for Pau, who became a Laker.
Gasol and Conley are essentially 1-A and 1-B in Grizzlies franchise minutes. Gasol leads the team in minutes played, blocks, rebounds, field goals made and is second in games played. If this were an all-century list, he’d have a great claim for beating his brother as a starter.
Bench
Point guard: Mario Chalmers
Picking the best Grizzlies backup point guard of the decade is, well, it’s a little like shopping at Bargain Hunt. There are a lot of options, most of them inexpensive, but almost all are flawed in some way or another. But if you keep shopping long enough, you’ll find a perfect fit. That was Mario Chalmers. Acquired very early in the 2015-16 season after a trade with Miami, Chalmers stabilized the Grizzlies after a tough start to that season, and was a huge contributor all year long. Sadly, he tore his Achilles tendon in March 2016, missed the rest of the season and the one thereafter, and came back to Memphis in a diminished form in 2017-18. But for those 55 games in 2015-16, he was phenomenal, and no one before or since has been able to match his performance.
Shooting guard: Courtney Lee
If only Courtney Lee would have taken more shots …
That was always the lament in Memphis. Lee was such a steady contributor during his time with the Grizzlies, arriving near the trade deadline in 2014 and making the shooting guard position his own. You could always count on Lee to give you a solid performance, just not one involving a lot of shot attempts. He wasn’t that kind of player. While he was rarely great, he was also rarely poor. Consistency and reliability, those were the terms you associated with Lee while he played for the Grizzlies. And — not that anyone could forget — what about that incredible buzzer-beating layup against the Sacramento Kings? Lee meshed perfectly with the Core Four and is still remembered fondly by Grizzlies fans.
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Small forward: Tayshaun Prince
Tayshaun Prince was part of the Western Conference Finals run in 2012-13, having arrived as part of the three-team trade that sent Gay to Toronto. Like Lee, Prince wasn’t a guy that would score 20 points on a regular basis, but his defense and leadership were a perfect fit in Memphis. Though Prince was born in Compton, Calif., it became clear that he appreciated the city the way a long-time resident would have, and the fans picked up on that. It’s one of the reasons he’s now an executive in the Grizzlies’ front office. Prince’s playmaking and facilitation from the wing were terrific, and he was a lockdown defender for a long time.
Power forward: JaMychal Green
One of the best rags-to-riches success stories in the NBA, JaMychal Green is now a key part of the Clippers’ deep bench. But it all started in Memphis, where the Grizzlies picked him up after he showed some good signs during a 10-day contract with the San Antonio Spurs. Green had been playing primarily in Austin for the Spurs’ G League team, but after his NBA stint, the Grizzlies decided to sign him to a 10-day of their own. The rest was history. Green’s ability to rebound and play tenacious defense endeared him to the Grizzlies’ rabid fans, and he continued to develop an outside shot during his time in Memphis. Few guys played harder than Green, and few guys built their own career from the ground up the way he did.
Center: Jaren Jackson, Jr.
Though he’s young and has played fewer than 70 games for the Grizzlies, Jackson has to make this team. There may not have been any player to play for the Grizzlies who had as much talent as Jackson has. He can do almost anything asked of him on a basketball court, and at the tender age of 20, he’s got a lot of basketball ahead of him. Jackson lit up the league during his rookie season, easily making the NBA All-Rookie team despite missing the final third of the season. He is the future of the team, and, along with Morant, the cornerstone of the franchise. Foul trouble, rebounding trouble, sure, he’s got a few things to work on. But if it all works out, he could end up being the best player in Grizzlies history. He was a lock for the all-decade squad.
(Photo of Mike Conley and Zach Randolph: Justin Ford / USA Today)
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