The Memphis Grizzlies play at the NBA's slowest pace and believe operating against the trend of the NBA is to their advantage.
"We want to bring people to the mud and see how comfortable they are in that type of fight," J.B. Bickerstaff said "There's not a ton of practice time anymore, so the games are coming and everybody's playing one way, and then all of a sudden you play us and it's a completely different game. How do you handle that?"
The Grizzlies have a 12-7 record to start the season and are in the middle of the Western Conference playoff chase.
"It's Grit 'n' Grind 2.0," said New York Knicks coach David Fizdale, whose firing last November led to his friend and assistant Bickerstaff becoming the Grizzlies' interim head coach before getting the full-time job over the summer. "They're playing to their strengths. They're playing to what fits them. J.B. has identified exactly what works for this group."