MEMPHIS – Peeking over his shoulder at the No. 50 hanging high above FedExForum, Zach Randolph searched deep when asked what advice he’d offer his former team as the surging young Grizzlies embark on the start of the NBA playoffs.
“Stick together, and protect the Grindhouse,” the retired Grizzlies legend offered. “The playoffs are different. You work hard all year long to get yourself in position for homecourt advantage. (Opponents) gotta come through Memphis. Protect the Grindhouse, stick together as a team, and I like our chances with these guys.”
Randolph offered his postseason blessings to these NXTGen Grizzlies during promotional appearances in recent days as the franchise capped a historic regular season. Memphis enters the playoffs with the NBA’s second-best record at 56-26 and owns the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoffs.
When the Grizzlies open Game 1 Saturday against the Timberwolves, it will mark the first time they’ll host the start of a playoff series since Randolph’s Grit’N’Grind Grizzlies were in their heyday a decade ago amid seven straight postseason trips.
The playoffs are different. You work hard all year long to get yourself in position for homecourt advantage. (Opponents) gotta come through Memphis. Protect the Grindhouse, stick together as a team, and I like our chances with these guys.
Those Grizzlies did it with hard-nosed defense, physical play, rugged toughness and veteran leadership. This version of the Grizzlies set franchise records for scoring, three-pointers, highlight-reel athleticism and a youthful energy that drove them to shocking the NBA as this season’s breakout team.
Memphis is banking on homecourt advantage to provide a boost that offsets its relative youth and postseason inexperience with the league’s second-youngest roster. This time a year ago, the Grizzlies advanced through the NBA’s Play-In Tournament to secure the No. 8 seed before falling to the top-seeded Jazz in five games during the first round.
This time around, the Grizzlies didn’t leave much to chance in snagging one of the top seeds in the league. Memphis won 19 of its final 22 games at FedExForum and was one of only three NBA teams to finish with at least 30 home victories.
In essence, the road through at least two rounds of the playoffs runs through Memphis.
“It’s especially great when you can make a deep run, you can get out of the West and have homecourt advantage throughout,” Grizzlies swingman Dillon Brooks said as the Grizzlies opened playoff preparations at Tuesday’s practice. “We’ve earned it, we can relish in it and really give our fans something to feel good about. We love our crowd and feel they’re the best in this whole thing. We’re back in the playoffs consistently, and I can’t wait to see all those (rally) towels flinging around.”
Those rally towels and raucous fans were a staples at FedExForum the last time the Grizzlies were this good. This team’s 56 victories this season were tied for the most in franchise history, and the Grizzlies finished 30 games above .500 for the first time since the 2012-13 season when they made their only trip to the Western Conference finals.
Randolph remembers everything it took for that team to defy the odds along that postseason run. He’s seen some of the same characteristics in this season’s team, although they play a completely different style that is every bit as distinctive.
With point guard Ja Morant ranking among the NBA’s top scorers at 27.4 points, forward Jaren Jackson Jr. leading the league with 177 total blocks and guard Desmond Bane’s franchise record 228 made 3-pointers, the Grizzlies ranked in the top five in the NBA in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
And they’ve solidified their game with dominant performances at home during the season’s stretch run despite juggling lineups because of injury issues.
We’ve earned it, we can relish in it and really give our fans something to feel good about. We love our crowd and feel they’re the best in this whole thing. We’re back in the playoffs consistently, and I can’t wait to see all those (rally) towels flinging around.
“We’ve been able to control what we can control, and all the way we’ve had guys in and out of the lineup,” Bane said of the Grizzlies, who have had their primary starting unit together for only 11 games this season. “When guys go down, other guys have stepped up in comfortable roles, and we’ve been handling business. We’ve put ourselves in good position going into the playoffs.”
They’ve put themselves in position to reestablish the Grindhouse as one of the toughest places for opposing teams to play this season. The stretch run into the playoffs has seen the Grizzlies knock off the Suns, Warriors, Nets and Bucks in Memphis. All four of those teams are considered NBA title contenders with far more experience.
Building on that momentum is the goal as playoff preparations continue this week.
“When the season was over last year, we couldn’t wait to come back, but we knew it was going to be months and months,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said of returning to the playoffs for a second consecutive season. “Give our guys a lot of credit; we’ve been working really hard for a really long time to get to our best basketball. And we won’t know until we tip off Saturday, are we taking those steps we need? There’s going to be anxiousness for sure. But we’ve earned this schedule.”
Brooks insists the Grizzlies can act like they’ve been here before. That’s partly because they can draw from experiences of former Grizzlies who indeed have been here before.
Like the man whose No. 50 jersey number hangs high above the FedExForum court.
Give our guys a lot of credit; we’ve been working really hard for a really long time to get to our best basketball. And we won’t know until we tip off Saturday, are we taking those steps we need? There’s going to be anxiousness for sure. But we’ve earned this schedule.
“Guys can bounce stuff off him,” Brooks said of Randolph’s occasional presence around the team. “He knows the meaning of physicality and willingness to win, doing anything at all costs. It’s amazing for him to be here, give knowledge and be a supporter. We don’t get enough of that, so I’m glad he’s been around and able to watch us grow.”
No team has experienced a greater growth spurt over the past year than the Grizzlies.
As these playoffs loom, they’re positioned at home to stretch out even further.
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