The Memphis Grizzlies had an eventful year. There were moments of turmoil and others of jubilee. Let’s take a look at some of the best moments in 2016 for the Grizz.
If you were to describe 2016 in one word for the Memphis Grizzlies, what would you choose? Hobbled? Rollercoaster? Evolving?
Yeah, there’s not one hand-in-glove fit.
Their 2015-16 season was a lost cause after losing Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Mario Chalmers and Brandan Wright to injury. By the end of the season, Jordan Farmar was the starting point guard in a 2016 playoff series, and Matt Barnes was a go-to scorer. YIKES.
Now, as 2016 draws to a close, the Memphis Grizzlies have evolved into a semi-modern basketball team.
They replaced Dave Joerger with Dave Fizdale, a coach known for player development. Furthermore, Fizdale looked to revamp the offense by pushing the tempo and shooting more three-pointers.
In order to fulfill the vision, the Memphis Grizzlies made their biggest free agent splash in franchise history, when they signed small forward Chandler Parsons to a 4-year, $94 million contract. Shortly after, Mike Conley re-signed for a record-breaking (for now … bless CBA) 5-year, $153 million contract.
Fizdale shocked Grizz Nation when he chose to start a younger, more athletic JaMychal Green over franchise cornerstone Zach Randolph.
As 2017 is approaching, the Memphis Grizzlies are 21-14, tied with Utah and Oklahoma City for 5th place. The Grizzlies have blessed their fans with crunch-time heroics and stunning victories, thus far.
Let’s reminisce on some of the best Grizzly moments in 2016.