Grizzlies just beat the Pelicans without Marc/ZBo/Conley/Chalmers/Anderson/Wright/Carter (got injured during the game).................a guy coming from the D League at PG for his first NBA game in Weber (who had a excellent game, who is a better defender than any guard on our roster) that's what occurs when you don't have a loser mentality and actually compete.
Three things:
1. Dave Joerger
2. small ball
3. perimeter defense.
Grizzlies struggled this season, while they tried to play as usual. Go big and slow things down.
Without Gasol/Zbo they play Green, who is a prototypical small ball big and surround him with spot up shooters and pick&roll ballhandlers.
And they still have excellent defenders in Allen, Green, Barnes, Stephenson and Hairston. And with some of these guys being more than available this season, it really hurts, that the Kings don't have a perimeter defender of this kind, but are forced to play DC, Ben, Gay or Casspi.
The recent "success" of the Gasol less Grizzlies is not all about winning mentality and the desire to compete - a huge part of it is systematic and it's another hint, that slow post up basketball with bigs, who initiate the offense is a lot more difficult to play in todays NBA, than athletic, fast small ball centered around a good defense and pick&roll.