Should the Memphis Grizzlies finally hit the reset button and start over?

With a loss to the Cavaliers, the Memphis Grizzlies have their longest losing streak of the last decade. Should they consider hitting the reset button?

The twilight of the Memphis Grizzlies has come at last.

Saturday, I had the agonizing privilege of watching one of the most unbelievable college football games ever. With an American Athletic Conference championship on the line, the Memphis Tigers took the UCF Knights to two overtimes. Like most Memphians, I had my heart broken. However, that heartbreak is what makes sports and fandom so special. That beautiful, agonizing feeling of being right on the line between ecstasy and agony…it makes us feel alive. Even though the Tigers didn’t win the championship, there was still the chance that they could and still can in the future.

Right now, that possibility doesn’t exist for the Memphis Grizzlies. Right now, there’s no joy or even agony around the team. There’s just indifference.

For most of the “Grit ‘N’ Grind” era, the Memphis Grizzlies were a good, sometimes elite, team that frustrated the rest of the league. They weren’t just good — they were captivating. There’ll never be another Zach Randolph or Tony Allen in the NBA; personalities like theirs come around only once in a lifetime. Even when it became obvious over the last few years that the Grizzlies weren’t true contenders, they still were able to be fun and thrilling.

This raises an obvious question: What do you do when no one is having fun anymore? As painful as it is to say, the answer in this case is obvious: It’s time to hit the reset button.

A Joyless Nightmare

Regardless of the reasons for it, the Grizzlies are a dumpster fire right now. After a close loss to the Cavaliers, they have now lost 11 (!!!) games in a row. Atlanta, Dallas and Chicago are the only teams in the NBA that currently have fewer wins than the Grizzlies. After a long toxic relationship with Marc Gasol, David Fizdale was fired, much to the chagrin of the rest of the NBA. Half of the roster, including Mike Conley, are dealing with persistent injuries, and it certainly doesn’t help that the roster is mediocre even when healthy. Stephen Jackson is roasting Chandler Parsons.

Over the last week, many people, especially Chris Wallace, have argued that the Grizzlies can still rally and save this season. To me personally, this is not a season–or team–that is worth saving. Maybe Memphis can end up winning 41 or 42 games and make the playoffs (although it’s very unlikely). Is a sweep at the hands of Golden State good enough for these fans and this franchise? Will anyone have fun under those circumstances? Everyone involved deserves better than that.

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace won't consider rebuilding by trading stars Marc Gasol or Mike Conley: "We’re bringing a number of young guys along, and we think we have two guys that are big-timers and we think are going to be big-timers for years to come. So why back off of that?"
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) November 30, 2017

The Memphis Grizzlies are never going to win a championship with their current core, and that’s completely fine. Sometimes a team can mean more to a city through its culture and identity rather than just its wins and losses. Unfortunately, that identity and swagger just isn’t there anymore.

As a fan of this team, let me share some thoughts with you. When I turn on a Grizzlies’ game and I’m reminded that the team is on a 10-game losing streak, I’m not having fun. When I check my Twitter timeline and I see the resentment that has been shown to Marc Gasol, a franchise cornerstone, I’m not having fun. Fans were sending bitter and mean-sprited comments about Mike Conley, a man who has given his body on numerous occasions for this franchise. No one is having fun anymore, and something has to change.

Making Memphis Great Again

The Memphis Grizzlies should explore trading both Marc Gasol and Mike Conley for picks, young players and other assets.

Did I really just type that?

This team is failing, and Mike Conley and Marc Gasol are 30 and 32 years old. There is no point in trying to stay in the past any longer.

Some believe that Memphis should try to keep Gasol and Conley for as long as they possibly can. The argument is basically that it’ll likely take the Grizzlies a very long time to get players of their caliber again. A total rebuild would put a small market like Memphis in a very difficult spot. Admittedly, the Grizzlies’ front office doesn’t have a good track-record in its decisions.

However, what this argument fails to account for is inevitability. For the last few years, this team has been trending downward. There are many similarities between Marc Gasol right now and Pau Gasol in his final year in Memphis. He has been unhappy for a long time now. If I were a betting man, I would bet that Marc Gasol quietly requests a trade to a contender before the season is over. If the Grizzlies trade Gasol, then his best friend Mike Conley will be gone as well. A rebuild is inevitable in Memphis; it would be best to be proactive about it.

Especially with this front office, rebuilding through the draft could be a long, difficult process. Regardless, it would give this franchise direction, which is something that it currently lacks. Trusting the Process, as hard as it may be, has shown clear results. Patience would have to be shown by both the city and the fans. Most of all, rebuilding gives this franchise the chance to be something new, exciting and different — a chance to be fun once again.

An Unfortunate Reality

The writing is on the wall for this current version of the Memphis Grizzlies. Prime Zach Randolph and Tony Allen aren’t walking through that door to rally this team to 50 wins. The fun and excitement simply aren’t there anymore. A total rebuild may be in the cards for this franchise.

Rebuilding a team that I have grown to love isn’t an easy thing about which to talk. I love Marc Gasol and Mike Conley; that’s why I don’t want to see them go out like this. They deserve to finish their careers with a real chance of winning a championship. The fans’ last memory of them in Memphis shouldn’t be them leading a team that’s fighting for the 9th or 10th spot in the West.

Letting go of things we love is never an easy thing to do. Sometimes, difficult decisions have to be made to allow growth to occur. It’s risky to for an NBA franchise to hit the reset button and start over. However, it’s a risk that the Memphis Grizzlies should take to avoid the eternal cycle of mediocrity.

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