AARP

The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the NBA’s most pesky teams. The Grizzlies have made the the playoffs in each of the last six seasons which was highlighted by their only trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2013. Since 2013, the Grizzlies have had three different head coaches with Dave Fizdale being the man who currently has a crack at leading this team. But no matter the changes in who is the leading the Grizzlies, they continue to generate positive results on the court in spite of the fact that their squad is led by players who’ve battled in the NBA for a long time.

Three of the Grizzlies top four scorers this season are at least 32-years of age, but this has not stopped them from possessing a record of 29-21 which is seventh in the Western Conference.

Center Marc Gasol is in his ninth season with the Grizzlies, and at the age of 32 he is having one of his best campaigns. This season Gasol is averaging a career-high in points (20.7) which leads the team, and assists (4.2). Gasol is also averaging 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as he is one of the best all-around big men in the NBA. Gasol displays tremendous passing ability for a man that stands 7’1″ as he can find an open teammate from anywhere on the court. The same can be said about Gasol’s ability to score as his versatility gives Memphis an edge.

Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph has been a part of the battles in the paint in the NBA for nearly 16 seasons. Randolph entered the NBA as a 20-year old kid in 2001 when he was Rasheed Wallace’s backup with the Portland Trail Blazers. Randolph has also gone on to play for the Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks, but he has found a home in Memphis. Randolph is in his eighth season with the Grizz, and although that he may no longer be an All-Star caliber player, he is still highly productive for the Grizzlies.

For Randolph’s career he has averaged 16.9 points and 9.3 rebounds as he and Gasol have provided Memphis with a tough combination to defend in the paint. But upon Fizdale taking over in Memphis, he decided that Randolph would actually be more effective coming off of the bench. Randolph has only started two games this season for the Grizzlies, but he has still managed to average 14.2 and 8.3 rebounds coming off of the bench. And just because Randolph is coming off of the bench doesn’t mean that he’s not important to the Grizzlies as he’s typically on the court to finish out contests.

But in Fizdale having Randolph come off the bench it has enhanced his effectiveness as he is 35-years of age. Randolph is only averaging 24.2 minutes this season which has allowed him to remain fresh for the riggers of the 82-game NBA campaign.

Like Randolph, guard Tony Allen is also 35-years of age. Allen developed his reputation at the defensive end of court where he has held his own against some the NBA’s great players over the years which includes former Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant. Allen was key in helping the Boston Celtics when the NBA Championship in 2008 as he was responsible for guarding Bryant during the finals.

Allen has brought that same defensive intensity to Memphis where he has played for the last seven NBA seasons which has helped the Grizzlies in the Western Conference against the likes of San Antonio Spurs small forward Kawhi Leonard and Houston Rockets point guard James Harden as his 1.8 steals per game this season are fifth in the league.

But the undisputed king of the Grizzlies over the hill gang is small forward Vince Carter.

Carter was the fifth overall pick of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors. And after a draft night trade sent him to the Toronto Raptors, he may have saved NBA basketball in Canada. Prior to Carter joining the Raptors, the team never had a winning season. The Raptors would go 23-27 in Carter’s first season, but he served notice as he averaged 18.3 points per game to be named as the NBA’s Rookie of the Year. And by 2001, Carter would lead the Raptors to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the first time in franchise history. In the process Carter would become a household name as he brought high flying acrobatics that were primarily saved for the NBA’s Slam Dunk Contest to regular games. Carter has gone on to amaze basketball fans for nearly two decades, and even at the age of 40, he continues to be a contributor off of the bench for the Grizzlies.

Carter is no longer a player that is going to score 20 points per game, but he is still a valuable veteran off of the Memphis bench as he’s averaging 8 points per game this season. And what is truly amazing about Carter is that he continues to defy gravity at his age.

But all of the Grizzlies key contributors are not on the other side of 30 as point guard Mike Conley Jr. is attempting to live up to his controversial contract. Over the summer Conley re-signed with the Grizzlies to the tune of $153 million over five years which is the largest contract in NBA history. Conley is never going to be a player that will average 30 points and 12 assists per game, but this season he is averaging a career-high in points with 19.2, while he’s also managed to average 6.3 assists.

And once you add all of this up, you get a Grizzlies team that will more than likely make the NBA Playoffs for the seventh consecutive year. When Fizdale took over, he didn’t attempt to completely overhaul what the Grizzlies had done under their previous head coach in Dave Joerger as he merely made a tweak here and there. The Grizzlies do have one of the oldest teams in the NBA, and Fizdale done a good job of keeping them fresh, while they’ve also made the most out of beating up on some of the league’s also-rans.

The Grizzlies might also be overshadowed in the Western Conference by the likes of the Spurs and Warriors. But of the Warriors seven losses this season, two have come against the Grizzlies which is something that won’t be lost on either team should they meet in the playoffs.

This season will more than likely end with the Grizzlies not being NBA Champions, but they are definitely going to being a tough out for whomever they’ll face in the playoffs.