Are the Memphis Grizzlies legit?

[bondom34]

I've said it before, but pretty much agree exactly w/ Moneytalks, I see them as possibly the 4 in the west, and could beat anyone. Their defense alone keeps them in games, and a close game in the 4th is up for grabs.

[SlowPaced]

I think they're THE team that matches up well with anyone. Don't know how far they're going to go but I know they won't be easy to beat.

[NBAfan3024]

Scoring will be their issue again.

[Scalabrine]

Wanna echo everyone elses sentiments that it comes down to health.

I think they are the 3rd best team in the West if everyone was healthy so that could put them anywhere between 1-10 if any of their key guys go down for an extended period of time.

If Gasol and Conley stay healthy all year and play 75+ games, I would be very surprised if they didnt going into the playoffs with home court advantage.

[Notanoob]

They're legit contenders. They should have had an excellent record last year, but lost Gasol for an extended period of time. They've also added a pair of wings who might be able to give them some more bench scoring and spacing to grease the wheels of that offense in Carter and Adams (although both come with risks, Adams is only a rookie and Carter might decline heavily any time now, hopefully he won't). I can see a fully healthy Grizzlies team going to the Finals, and potentially winning, like a new-age 04 Pistons.

[Rasheeed!!!]

All comes down to health. If the Grizz roll into the playoffs healthy, they'll be a force.

That simple.

This

The only team I feel they can’t beat is SAS, though not sure what the Spurs will look like this year. But against any other team they can win.

[Prospect Dong]

I think they're a fringe contender, same as for the last few years.

Key offseason changes:

swap Miller for Carter: On paper this makes them slightly worse, since they got a throwback season out of Miller last year, and it probably hurts them a little in the regular season, but I think gives them a small boost for the playoffs.

swap Jamaal Franklin for Jordan Adams: They got nothing out of Franklin last year and probably get a little something out of Adams. Slight improvement

swap Ed Davis for Jarnell Stokes: Davis' minutes probably go in part to Leuer and Koufos, but this clearly hurts their depth. Davis was decent and Stokes is a promising second rounder who hasn't played an NBA game.

Get Poindexter and Udrih for the whole season: These guys are both proven playoff rotation players when they're healthy and on. Odds are this helps a bit.

Age: Conley may improve a little, Calathes should be better, Gasol will likely be unchanged, Prince doesn't have much room to decline further, Z Bo will decline a little but seems to have plateuaed, as you'd expect from his old man game, and Allen should decline a little more during the regular season but be ready to go for 25mpg come the playoffs. Small net negative overall, IMO.

Overall I think they got just a tiny bit better for both the regular season and the playoffs, where they were a handful for any team. I think the (healthy) Thunder should be clearly favored over them and everyone else out west is pretty close to a coin flip or better - the spurs only because age has to catch up with them at some point...

[NBAfan3024]

I think Conley is as good as most PG's in the playoffs. I hope to see him develop and be in the top PG's convo.

[blind prophet]

Dangerous team in any single series, I don't like their chances however to to be able to endure for the entire playoffs. So I would not be surprised to see them make it to the second round, but I would be surprised to see them go deeper than that.

[southern wolf]

They're legitimately a 5-8 seed.