Editor's note: This is the 15th of Sam Amico's 30 NBA team previews entering the 2014-15 season.
Projected Starters
C Marc Gasol; PF Zach Randolph; SF Tayshaun Prince; SG Tony Allen; PG Mike Conley.
Key Reserves
SG Courtney Lee; G/F Vince Carter; C Kosta Koufas; PG Beno Udrih; SG Jordan Adams; PF Jon Leuer; G Nick Calathes; G/F Quincy Poindexter; F Earl Clark; F Jarnell Stokes.
Coach
Dave Joerger, second year. Joerger was placed in a difficult position, as he was merely promoted following the team's strong run under Lionel Hollins. So what did Joerger do? Well, he kept everything pretty much the same -- as the Grizzlies continued to rely on veterans, familiarity and overall team defense. Most importantly, the players appreciated and respected his laid-back approach and decision to stick with what has proven to work.
Strengths
When it comes to familiarity and staunch defense, the Grizzlies are up there with the best of them. Gasol, Randolph, Conley and Allen have seemingly been together forever. They know each other's tendencies and personalities, and mesh together well. ... While no one on this team is a super-duper star, Gasol and Randolph form one of the league's best center-power forward duos. Both can score and rebound and are willing to do the dirty work near the basket. ... Conley was already pretty good, but made strides last season as an all-around floor general. He does nothing flashy, but can win you games. ... Allen is one of the NBA's top two or three wing defenders and a coach's dream, as he's almost always willing to sacrifice for the good of the team.
Weaknesses
Prince is probably past his prime as an elite defender and athlete. But the Griz don't have many other solid options at perhaps the NBA's most critical position. ... The majority of the bench is inconsistent, particularly when it comes to adding firepower by putting points on the board. ... Overall, the Grizzlies were 27th in scoring. Allen offers little in this area, too. ... Despite the presence of Gasol and Randolph, the Grizzlies are not a good rebounding team. It doesn't appear that much help is on the horizon, so they'll need to be a better job of crashing the boards by committee.
Outlook
You simply cannot rule out the Grizzlies as a potential contender. They have loads of experience and chemistry, and play the type of defense-on-a-string that's needed in the playoffs. Best of all, the Grizzlies play that way all season. With many of the key faces back, and many of those key faces having tasted success, this team can still go very good places. A lot of that depends on how much help the Grizzlies can actually get from the bench.
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