Best Players in Memphis Grizzlies History

The Memphis Grizzlies were founded in 1995, but they were initially a Vancouver expansion team during the NBA's mid-90s push into Canada. The club was transferred to Memphis in 2001, making the NBA the only major sports league with a presence in the city.

The Memphis Grizzlies have never won an NBA title, but they have had some excellent times, most notably the Marc Gasol era, and they reached the conference finals in 2012/13 when they were upset by the San Antonio Spurs.

With such a brief history, the Memphis Grizzlies have had some incredible players play for them. Let's take a look at

The Best Memphis Grizzlies Players of All Time

.

Best Players in Memphis Grizzlies History

Now it's time to take a look at the list of the best players in Memphis Grizzlies history, but before that, let's take a brief look at the history of the Memphis Grizzlies club.

A short history about Memphis Grizzlies Club

It'll be hard to find a club in a small market like Memphis with the level of fan support that we have. While the Grizzlies haven't won any conference titles or NBA championships since the turn of the century, they have made 10 playoff appearances. However, even though the Grizzlies have had some success, they haven't always been the flashiest team.

They've assembled strong teams with excellent coaching and even better upper management, resulting in the sustained success that is uncommon in professional sports. The last several years have demonstrated this perfectly: a squad with modest expectations that consistently develops and competes at a high level.

Memphis coaching staff has done an excellent job of extracting every ounce of skill from their players. This will come up on my list, as there are a few really underappreciated folks on there. The Memphis Grizzlies are also known for their domination on the low block.

Grizzlies squads have featured some of the game's most frightening big men and some outstanding defensive skill over the years, but it doesn't rule out the presence of top scorers on this list.

Some of the names you'll find on this list may astound you. Memphis has been the home of several great NBA stars since the franchise's beginning, as it is with each NBA team.

When their careers are over, several of the players on this list could be inducted into the Hall of Fame. The Grizzlies have compiled an outstanding top ten after barely a quarter-century of existence. Here are the

Top Ten Players of the Memphis Grizzlies

.

Top ten Players of Memphis Grizzlies History

This list includes the Top ten Players of Memphis Grizzlies, such as Zach Randolph and Tony Allen. The first name in the list of

Best Players in Memphis Grizzlies History

is Rudy Gay.

Rudy Gay

• Born

  : August 17, 1986 (age 35)

• Birthplace

  : Brooklyn, New York

• Nationality

  : American

• Listed height

  : 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)

• Listed weight

  : 250 lb (113 kg)

• Position

  : Small forward / Power forward

One of the NBA's sharpest players is trailed by a player whose numbers are abysmal. Rudy Gay was the fourth-leading scorer in Grizzlies history (17.9 points per game), but he didn't do so efficiently.

From his second to sixth years, Gay averaged 18.9 to 20.1 points per game, but only once shot better than 36 percent from beyond the arc and more than 80 percent from the line. In 2009-10, he set a career-high with 109 points per 100 possessions, but he wasn't close to the league leaders. He did, after all, lead the squad in scoring four of the previous six seasons. His effective field-goal percentage (48.5 percent) ranks 10th in his career.

While playing alongside Tony Allen, he steadily improved his defensive numbers, rising from 110 points allowed per 100 possessions in 2009-10 to 101 in the first half of 2012-13. For the Grizzlies, he had three seasons in which he averaged 1.5 steals per game or more. He is one of

the Memphis Grizzlies' all-time best players

. The next player on the list is Lorenzen Wright.

Lorenzen Wright

• Born

  : November 4, 1975

• Birthplace

  : Oxford, Mississippi

• Died

  : July 19, 2010 (aged 34)

• Death place

  : Memphis, Tennessee

• Nationality

  : American

• Listed height:

  6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)

• Listed weight:

  255 lb (116 kg)

• Position

  : Center

Lorenzen Wright is placed between Marc Gasol and Bryant Reeves as the Grizzlies' two most recognizable centers. Wright is the team's second-best center, considerably ahead of Reeves, in the team's brief history.

Wright was a significantly better rebounder than the rest of the team. He grabbed 0.2 more rebounds per game than Reeves. He averaged 9.7 minutes per 36 minutes, compared to 8.2 minutes per 36 minutes for Reeves.

Wright is seventh in offensive rebounding percentage (10%) and fourth in defensive rebounding percentage (21.1%) in total rebounding percentage among career leaders (15.6 percent). In the meantime, Reeves isn't in the top ten in any of those categories. He was also a lot better on defense.

The Memphis native produced 102.3 points per 100 possessions, which is nearly seven points less than Reeves. Wright also had 11.8 defensive win shares, up 5.2 from the previous season while playing 59 fewer games. Reeves wasn't any better than Wright when it came to shooting.

Only 1.7 percent lower than Reeves, the five-year starter shot 45.8% from the field. The next player in the list of Best Players in Memphis Grizzlies History is O.J. Mayo. 

O.J. Mayo

• Born

  : November 5, 1987 (age 33)

• Birthplace

  : Huntington, West Virginia

• Nationality

  : American

• Listed height:

  6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)

• Listed weight

  : 210 lb (95 kg)

• Position

  : Shooting guard

O.J. Mayo was a great scorer for the Grizzlies during his four years in the "Grindhouse." With 15.2 points per game, he ranks sixth all-time. With 18.5 points per game in 2008-09, he was named to the All-Rookie First Team. Mayo became one of the league's top bench scorers when Tony Allen surpassed him as the team's starting 2-guard.

Mayo averaged 11.3 points per game and 15.5 points per 36 minutes in 2010-11. In 2011-12, the USC product averaged 12.6 points per game and 16.9 points per 36 minutes. He pushed himself through it all. In three of his four Memphis seasons, Mayo appeared in every game.

He was third in the league in minutes played in his debut season (3,120). Mayo was also a standout long-range shooter for the Grizzlies, finishing 10th with a 37.5 percent clip. In his first year, he shot 38.4 percent, and in his second, he shot 38.3 percent. In the majority of his postseason games, he performed admirably.

Mayo averaged 11.3 points per game during its 2011 run, hitting 40.8 percent from beyond the arc. With four games scoring more than 15 points in the conference semifinals, he helped rouse the club.

With 20 points in the first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers in 2012, he led the team to victory. The next player in the list of

Best Players in Memphis Grizzlies History

in our opinion is Mike Miller.

Mike Miller

• Born

  : February 19, 1980 (age 41)

• Birthplace

  : Mitchell, South Dakota

• Nationality

  : American

• Listed height

  : 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)

• Listed weight

  : 218 lb (99 kg)

• Position

  : Small forward / Shooting guard

Mike Miller scrapped his way to one of the most glorious Memphis careers. He is one of the Memphis Grizzlies' all-time best players. Miller stated in Ron Higgins' book Tales from the Memphis Grizzlies Hardwood that throughout the summer, he took 500 to 600 shots each day.

That hard attitude helped him become the greatest Grizz shooter of all time, dubbed "the shooting machine" by Higgins in a headline. With a 59.4 percent true shooting percentage and a 56.6 percent effective field-goal clip, he maintains team records. In the latter categories, he holds four of the top five-year-long marks.

He finished third in true shooting and effective field-goal percentage in 2004-05. With a career percentage of 41.4 percent, the No. 10 three-point shooter in the NBA (40.6 percent) leads all Grizzlies. Also, One of The Best Memphis Grizzlies players of All Time is Shane Battier. join us to know him better.

Shane Battier

• Born

  : September 9, 1978 (age 43)

• Birthplace

  : Birmingham, Michigan

• Nationality

  : American

• Listed height

  : 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)

• Listed weight

  : 220 lb (100 kg)

• Position

  : Small forward

While a detailed examination of his game is required, the "No Stats All-Star" ranks among the top Grizzlies players of all time. Shane Battier was named to the All-Rookie First Team after averaging 14.4 points and 1.6 steals per game, but he doesn't need such high totals to improve his game.

Battier improved his shooting percentages in all areas, posting a 59.7% true-shooting percentage, seventh in the NBA, and 120.3 points per 100 possessions, third in the NBA and the No. 2 mark in team history.

Battier only needed two double-digit scoring seasons to become one of Beale Street's most prolific players. In terms of offensive rating (113.2 points per 100 possessions) and effective field-goal percentage, he ranks third in his career (51.3 percent).

Battier also contributed on the defensive end of the floor, averaging 14.3 defensive win shares and one-shot block a game. He allowed 102 to 103 points per 100 possessions in the Grizzlies' first three playoff seasons. The next player in the list of Best Players in Memphis Grizzlies History is Tony Allen. 

Tony Allen

• Born

  : January 11, 1982 (age 39)

• Birthplace

  : Chicago, Illinois

• Nationality

  : American

• Listed height:

  6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)

• Listed weight

  : 213 lb (97 kg)

• Position

  : Shooting guard / Small forward

Without Tony Allen, the Grizzlies would have no "grit 'n grind" defense to speak of. On that end of the floor, Allen is the franchise's banner-bearer. With 99.6 points allowed per 100 possessions, the three-time All-Defensive team member owns the franchise record. 

He set a team record with a defensive rating of 98.4, which was fourth in the league, last season. With 1.7 steals per game and a 3.6 percent steals rate, he is second on the lifetime list.

Because of his limited playing time, Allen has the ninth-best field-goal percentage (47.2 percent) among the Grizzlies. Even though his offense isn't particularly outstanding, the "Grindfather" is one of the franchise's most valued players.

He ranks fifth on the career list with.131 win shares per 48 minutes. The next player in the list of Best Players in Memphis Grizzlies History in our opinion is Mike Conley.

Mike Conley

• Born

  : October 11, 1987 (age 33)

• Birthplace

  : Fayetteville, Arkansas

• Nationality

  : American

• Listed height

  : 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)

• Listed weight

  : 175 lb (79 kg)

• Position

  : Point guard

When comparing Grizzlies point guards, the ordinary fan would be fooled by assist stats, which is why one needs to dig deeper to realize why Mike Conley is the best. He's never punched in more than 6.5 per game in his career, and he's fourth all-time in that metric (5.5).

However, he is more productive than Mike Bibby, Jason Williams, and Greg Anthony. Conley has a 14.9 percent career turnover rate. Conley's second-highest mark was higher than three of Williams' four. Bibby's turnover rate was as high as 17%.

In 1995-96, Anthony's had a 14.9 percent market share, and in 1996-97, it had an 18.1 percent market share. Conley, who had been averaging between 12 and 14 points per game for three and a half years, suddenly became a shooter in the second half of last season.

For this emerging lead guard, who sees his team's complexion remain the same, that 16.9 points-per-game average in the last 38 games is expected to continue. Defensively, the Indianapolis native is a rising star.

He leads the Grizzlies in career steals, having set the mark in a league-leading season (174). He has averaged 2.2 points per game over the past two years, which is a franchise high. Last season, he allowed 100.3 points per 100 possessions.

Conley is the Grizzlies' all-time leading long-range shooter, with a 37.5 percent success rate. In 2008-09, he had a 40.6 percent shooting percentage. The next player on the list is Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim

• Born

  : December 11, 1976 (age 44)

• Birthplace

  : Marietta, Georgia

• Nationality

  : American

• Listed height

  : 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)

• Listed weight

  : 225 lb (102 kg)

• Position

  : Power forward / Small forward

In the early years of the franchise, Grizzlies supporters didn't have much to cheer for, but they did have Shareef Abdur-Rahim. From year to year, the California native was Vancouver's lone consistent scorer.

Abdur-Rahim is the all-time leading scorer for the Grizzlies. Rudy Gay is two points ahead of him with 20.8 points per game. He has three of the top five season scoring averages and retains the season scoring record (23 per game in 1999).

Abdur-Rahim was a good rebounder as well. Apart from Randolph, he is the only Grizzly who has averaged double digits in rebounds, with 10.1 per game in 1999-00. With 8.2 boards per game, he ranks third among lifetime leaders.

He played more minutes per game than any other Grizz player, averaging 38 minutes per game and a usage rate of 26.7 percent. He is the only player to have averaged 40 minutes per game in 1999 and 2000-01. The next player in the list of Best Players in Memphis Grizzlies History is Marc Gasol. 

Marc Gasol

• Born

  : January 29, 1985 (age 36)

• Birthplace

  : Barcelona, Spain

• Nationality

  : Spanish

• Listed height

  : 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)

• Listed weight

  : 255 lb (116 kg)

• Position

  : Center

Marc Gasol, like Shane Battier, is a savvy player. He's a good rebounder, a good passer, a good shooter, and a tough defender. He knows exactly when to pass it on to a colleague. Last season, his awareness earned him 4.1 assists per game.

While allowing 98.5 points per 100 possessions, he was named Defensive Player of the Year. On the career totem, he ranks 10th, allowing 103.3 per 100 possessions. Gasol ranks fourth in rebounds per game (8.0), but sixth in defensive rebounding percentage (20.3%) and tenth in overall rebounding percentage (10.3%).

That puts him ahead of Pau and Shareef Abdur-Rahim. He has the highest field-goal percentage (52%) and is second in effective field-goal percentage among Grizzly career leaders (52.1 percent). That's incredible for a player who deals most of his damage from distances more than 10 feet.

With an offensive rating of 114.6 points per 100 possessions, he also owns the team record. This season, the 28-year-old established himself as a playoff terror, averaging 17.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game to tie Zach Randolph, with six 20-point outings in eight games.

Gasol's surge, however, hasn't quite brought him up to speed with his interior counterpart's frenetic output. The next player in the list of

Best Players in Memphis Grizzlies History

is Zach Randolph.

Zach Randolph

• Born

  : July 16, 1981 (age 40)

• Birthplace

  : Marion, Indiana

• Nationality

  : American

• Listed height

  : 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)

• Listed weight

  : 250 lb (113 kg)

• Position

  : Power forward

Zach Randolph soon established himself as the Grizzlies' best player. In his first two seasons with the Grizzlies, he had the two finest season performances by a player wearing a Grizzly jersey.

He topped the team in scoring average and rebounds per game in 2009-10 and 2010-11, averaging 20.8 and 11.7 points per game and 20.1 and 12.2 points per game, respectively. Randolph has been the team's best rebounder by along by. His average of 11.3 rebounds per game is 2.7 more than Pau Gasol's.

In each of his three full seasons, he has led the league in rebounds per game. He's also the team's third-highest scorer, averaging 18 points a game. In 2009-10, he had the third-highest scoring average among all Grizzlies.

Randolph is also the most productive Grizzly in history. He has a 10.5 percent turnover rate and the fourth-highest usage rate in the league (24.1 percent). He scored 22.2 points per game and grabbed 10.8 rebounds per game in 2011.

He knocked off the San Antonio Spurs by scoring 17 of Memphis' 29 fourth-quarter points to help the Grizzlies win their first postseason series. In the postseason, he averaged 17.4 points and 10 rebounds per game, with seven double-doubles. The last player on the list is Pau Gasol Sáez.

Pau Gasol

• Born

  : July 6, 1980 (age 41)

• Birthplace

  : Barcelona, Spain

• Nationality

  : Spanish

• Listed height

  : 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)

• Listed weight

  : 250 lb (113 kg)

• Position

  : Center / Power forward

Pau Gasol was a huge star for Memphis throughout his time there. He ranks second in scoring average (18.8) and rebounds per game (8.6) in his career, and first in blocks per game (1.8). Six and five times, he led the club in scoring and rebounds, respectively.

He also led the squad in blocks on five occasions. However, while his stats are great, they don't rank as high on the franchise list as those fundamental numbers. He has the eighth-best offensive rating (110.5 points per 100 possessions) and the seventh-best defensive rebounding rate on the team (19.8 percent).

His outstanding contribution to the franchise is demonstrated by his. 153 win shares per 48 minutes, although that and other numbers put him below his younger brother and the other Grizz frontcourt leader in the past.

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