Zach Randolph on Ja Morant for NBA MVP and if the Memphis Grizzlies can win NBA title
If anyone understands the community impact when the Memphis Grizzlies are riding high, it's Zach Randolph.
With this season's team locked as in the Western Conference's No. 2 seed, Randolph expects the city to rally behind the Grizzlies even more when the playoffs begin next week.
"They brings that energy so we need the community. That's how it was when we went to the playoffs," Randolph said Friday after the Grizzlies unveiled several renovations at Rozelle Elementary School. "We had our community behind us and we felt it."
A refurbished dance studio, fresh paint inside the auditorium and a new basketball court were among the improvements the Grizzlies helped with as part of the NBA's 75th anniversary celebration.
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Randolph, whose jersey was retired by the Grizzlies in December, has attended several games this season
He also predicted the Grizzlies can make a deep playoff run like the 2012-13 team he played for and t reached the Western Conference Finals.
"I think we can go real far. With Ja (Morant), Jaren (Jackson Jr.), Dillon (Brooks), (Desmond) Bane and those guys, it's going to be interesting. We're going to be ready," Randolph said.
Randolph's 2012-13 team also set the franchise single-season record of 56 wins. With two regular season games left, Randolph wants the Grizzlies, who are at 55 wins, to break the record.
"I'm about growth and development so I love seeing it from the young guys. Ja's my MVP. Jaren's my Defensive Player of the Year. That's how it goes," he said. "Records are meant to be broken. That's how it goes and you pass the torch."
He also thinks last season's playoff run will help the Grizzlies be more comfortable dealing with higher expectations. But most of all, he's looking forward to FedExForum being loud and raucous when it was dubbed the "Grindhouse" from 2010-17.
Randolph attended Game 4 of last season's first-round Western Conference series with the Utah Jazz when the arena wasn't at full capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions. With that no longer in place, he expects a great atmosphere and more attention on the Grizzlies' chemistry and fun brand of basketball.
"They're getting bigger and better. They're getting comfortable. They're playing for each other and they genuinely like each other," Randolph said. "That's big because those guys are like brothers like we were."
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This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Zach Randolph on Ja Morant for NBA MVP and if the Memphis Grizzlies can win NBA title
