The Memphis Grizzlies have a culture problem

Things are likely going to only get worse before they get better for the Memphis Grizzlies.

If your intramural basketball team got the chance to play an NBA team, it would probably go better for you than it did for the Memphis Grizzlies in their 61 point loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night.

A 61 point loss, however, is not the real problem for the Grizzlies. Bad losses happen all the time in the NBA (alright, maybe not this bad), especially to really bad teams. But a 61 point loss to a non-playoff team is just symptomatic of a much larger problem.

The Memphis Grizzlies have a culture problem, and they have had one for a long time.

Now make no mistake, this culture problem largely has never involved the players. After all, the Grizzlies had the third longest playoff steak in the NBA. It takes a special group of players to accomplish a feat like that, and the Core Four were definitely special group of players.

But think of all the organizational incompetence that Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, and Tony Allen had to overcome during their time in Memphis. Management wasted draft picks again and again. There was very little player development, and their one marquee free agent has not panned out. They had to carry this franchise on their shoulders with very little outside help. We should commend the Grizzlies for how excellent they were even as the front office continued to shoot them in the foot.

Four coaches in 6 years.

No clear idea of who is actually selecting players on draft night.

A completely absent owner who seems to have little awareness of his team.

To put it nicely, this is not what a healthy organization culture looks like. And now, as the talent on team has decreased, that disgraceful culture has started to involve the players. After the Grizzlies lost by 61 to the Hornets, players were reportedly laughing.

I do not find that funny.

There is still time for the Memphis Grizzlies to save their culture, or at least they can on the players’ end. One season of “tanking” doesn’t ruin what a team has built in the past. However, if the Grizzlies continue on this path into next season, things could get ugly–Sacramento Kings level of ugly.

It will be up to the leadership of Mike Conley and Marc Gasol to help right the ship next season. Because as the last decade has shown, they probably won’t get any help.