NBA Power Rankings: Listing the 10-Best Defensive Teams

1. Memphis Grizzlies

Jan. 28, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen on the court against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Grizzlies 86-84. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Grizzlies are a scary defensive team. They posted a defensive rating of 100.3 (2nd) in 2012-13. They boasted an NBA All-Defensive First Team selection in Tony Allen, an NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection in Mike Conley, and the Defensive Player of the Year/NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection in Marc Gasol.

So for 10 spots given to the best defensive players in the league, the Grizzlies took three.

Like Indiana, the Grizzlies are an incredibly slow paced basketball team that loves to play physically. Other NBA teams love to initiate their offense on the high screen or pick-and-rolls. The Grizzlies are a team that look low as their first option.

The Grizzlies are a defensive-minded group that rely on team-defense and physicality to grind out wins. After losing Rudy Gay to Toronto, the Grizzlies found themselves without an offensive star. Zach Randolph does a decent job as filling the shoes of a leading scorer but by no means is he capable of scoring at will. The Grizzlies rely on their defense to outscore their opponents, not the other way around.

In the 2013-14 season, the Grizzlies are going to be looking to bounce back from an embarrassing sweep by the Spurs. On a team without offensive firepower, the only way to bounce back will be to increase the defensive intensity over the course of the season. Conley, Allen and Gasol all could put up repeat performances so expect to see more defensive magic from the Grizzlies next year.