The Memphis Grizzlies have shown their ability to win despite missing some of their most talented players. Recently their two “Max contract” players Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons have been injured. Mike Conley has shown his overall importance to the team, and Chandler Parsons is a great scoring forward. We would expect the Grizzlies to play worse without these two players, but somehow the team is continuing to win games consistently.
Their winning can be most credited to their defensive play which was especially displayed in their 110-89 win against the Golden State Warriors who could have the greatest offensive unit in NBA history. But their wins are also due to different players stepping up and playing huge on certain nights (Usually Marc Gasol) and their classic grit and grind mentality. They are a team that will never quit, and because so they are regularly underestimated by their competition.
They are on a six game winning streak and currently sit half a game behind the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers (17-7) for the fifth seed in the western conference at 17-8. If the team can keep up their winning ways until early January when both Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons are expected to have returned they could become a seriously intimidating team and could challenge for the third seed in the western conference.