Can Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a championship title this year?
When the Memphis Grizzlies qualified for the play-offs after securing the eighth spot in the Western Conference, not many people gave them the chance against the West-leading San Antonio Spurs. However, the Grizzlies stood solemn against all the odds and orchestrated some startling performances to topple the Spurs with a 4-2 margin. In that series, they not only won their first play-off game in 12 attempts, but also advanced to the conference semi-finals to set up a date with the powerful Oklahoma City Thunder.
The incredible success story of the Memphis Grizzlies this post season has been based on the exploits of their duo of bigs, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.
When you consider the best players in the league today, the names of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Derrick Rose immediately ring bells. However, despite being less celebrated, the Grizzlies' superstars have gradually become a primary threat for any team. Now the question is how far these two can carry Memphis in the upcoming showdowns.
After lurking on the sidelines during the early part of his career, Randolph has matured into one of the most prolific rebounders and post scorers in the league. Randolph is having a phenomenal season on the court . The 29-year-old power forward has absolutely dominated the proceedings in the play-offs with an average of 22.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.1 assist per game. Zach has intensified his play to a greater extent this post-season and it seems that the Grizzlies have finally found a player that can turn them into a championship contender team.
Randolph posted his best performance of the post-season during the game-6 of the first round when he single-handedly thrashed San Antonio’s play-off hopes. The All-Star notched up a game-high 31 points and gathered 11 rebounds to lead his team for a historic win as Memphis became only the fourth eighth seeded team ever to knock out the number one seed in the first round.
On the other hand, 7 ft 1 in Gasol provides a substantial support with his incredibly ability to dominate both the ends of the court. Marc is averaging 14.8 points, 12.10 rebounds and 2.5 assist this post-season and together with Randolph, he forms the very foundation of the Grizzlies defence.
At the moment, the Memphis Grizzlies are tied at 2-all in the best-of-seven Western Conference semi-final series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Randolph and Gasol have been instrumental in this series as well. Randolph was so explosive in the first game that the league leading scorer, Kevin Durant, branded him as the best power forward in the league.
"You can't stop him (Randolph). We've got to make him shoot tough shots but even when he missed he'd be there to get his own rebound and the tip-in. He's an animal. I think he's the best power forward in the league."
The Grizzlies however have been the slightly superior side in the semi-final series and have a good chance to advance into the Western Conference finals.
Considering Randolph and Marc’s recent form, they duo has the potential to spark the Grizzlies even into the NBA finals. However, to go that deep into the playoffs and overcome a team of Dallas Mavericks’ calibre, they will have to play out of their skins.
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