The Memphis Grizzlies are like an old phoenix, rising from the ashes of their last, horrible season, as a bigger and better version of their old selves. Under coach JB Bickerstaff they have re-found their identity as a defence focused team. But the biggest thing that has driven this occurrence is the revitalisation of Marc Gasol. Gasol struggled last year under David Fizdale and saw a drop in his production, shooting, and overall level of play. There was allegedly a big confrontation between Fizdale and Gasol and this left the Spanish big man frustrated and without the drive and motivation he needed to be the star of a playoff team. But perhaps the bigger reason for Gasol and the Grizzlies struggle was the injuries to Mike Conley that saw him play only 12 games. Conley is the best offensive player on the Grizzlies by quite some stretch, and he drives a lot of creation on the team and knows how to best set up his team mates. This video will cover all of these things, but will focus in on the strong play of Marc Gasol. It will then take a look at the Grizzlies chances of making the playoffs and what their future holds with an ageing roster. But lets start with Marc Gasol. The seven footer from Spain has been the epitome of what the Grizzlies franchise is about for the last ten years. Marc began as a throw in to the trade the Lakers made for his brother Pau Gasol. He would join a struggling Memphis team that had a second year point guard in the young Mike Conley. But the two would grow together to form one of the leagues most consistent teams. Alongside Tony Allen and Zac Randolph the Grizzlies would be a playoff mainstay through their tough defence and interior play. But after seven years of playoffs, they would miss out last year and many thought they were over the hump. Gasol was 34, Conley had bad injuries and a lot of fans thought it was time to blow it up and tank for young stars. But the Grizzlies stuck to the plan and ran back their team. I think this is partially due to their belief in the team and partially due to the big contracts that Gasol and Conley have and therefore they weren’t able to get fair trade value back for them. But whatever the reason, Marc has rewarded them. His stats may look similar to last year, but he looks fitter, more nimble, and is a whole lot more active on both ends of the court. Marc has never been the most athletic guy in the NBA - he has almost always carried extra weight and this has made it tough for him to stay engaged and active every possession. But over the last three years he has lost some weight and is able to expend more energy on the court.