10 Players Who Should Have Been Memphis Grizzlies

1. Malik Rose

As the Grizzlies’ division rivals go, few teams were as frustrating to watch as the Spurs mid-dynasty, and few players were more frustrating to watch than Malik Rose bullying the Grizzlies. When the Grizzlies first came to Memphis, and even a few seasons in after they turned the corner and became a winning team, they were not quite ready to compete with San Antonio. Do your best to contain and limit Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, and Tim Duncan, somehow play strong enough defense to force the Spurs to take a bad shot at the end of the shot clock, and then there’s Malik Rose standing on the foot of or grabbing the jersey of Pau Gasol or whatever unfortunate player tried to box him out. Many Grizzlies thought they were in good position only to watch him grab the rebound, get the putback, and probably get a foul call for the and-one. It doesn’t seem fair to call him a dirty player or a goon, so let’s say he was one of the most creative and resourceful tough guys to ever bang around the low post doing whatever his team needed to win. Though it is weird to imagine, Rose would have quickly drawn legions of ride-or-die fans if he had the opportunity to be a Memphis Grizzly.

1. Carl Landry 

November 30, 2014; Sacramento, CA, USA; Sacramento Kings forward Carl Landry (24) looks on during the fourth quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at Sleep Train Arena. The Grizzlies defeated the Kings 97-85. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

We’ll never see him play in an all-star game, but every team in the league could benefit from having a guy like Carl Landry. Early in his career as a Houston Rocket, Landry established himself as a productive force in the post that could give the Grizzlies grief four times a season. The former second round pick has managed to be successful in the league for so long because he’s an efficient scorer, a selfless teammate, and plays with as much heart and toughness as any guy around. When superstar teammates Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady were injured for large parts of the 2007-08 season, Carl Landry and fellow role players like a Shane Battier helped string together a 22-game win streak that earned the Rockets a playoff berth in a deep field of Western Conference contenders. He’s no Zach Randolph, but Carl Landry is the type of relentless grinder the Memphis Grizzlies have grown accustomed to seeing.

1. Anthony Mason

Feb 28, 2015; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks former player Anthony Mason, who died today, is honored with a moment of silence at Madison Square Garden before a game between the New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Many of the league’s most notorious enforcers also gained notoriety for being worthless on offense; liabilities who made their team play 4-on-5 with the ball while praying another illegal screen wouldn’t be called. This was not the case with the late Anthony Mason. While Mason may be best remembered for being Madison Square Garden’s beloved bruiser who didn’t shy from physical confrontation, he also had a well-rounded and versatile game that complemented the play of fellow frontcourt mates like Charles Oakley and Patrick Ewing on the successful New York Knicks’ teams of the early 90’s. He wasn’t awarded the 1995 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award just for being an imposing goon no one wanted to fight. Besides being a valuable presence in the paint because of his ability to rebound and score at the rim, Mason could space the floor for his teammates with his mid-range shooting ability (he shot a 51% field goal average for his career including 46% from between 16 ft and the 3pt line) and his underrated passing ability(career avg of 5.1 assist/36 minutes and a career ast% of 15.1). Though his best years were spent with the Knicks and the Charlotte Hornets prior to Memphis securing an NBA team, Mason was still a valuable and immovable power forward during his last years with the Heat and the Bucks, years that coincided as the first few seasons of the Grizzlies’ existence in Memphis.

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