As the Memphis Grizzlies continue to struggle, they now look like a shell of themselves and no longer a Western Conference powerhouse that most teams fear.
They've had a disappointing start this season as they were blown out by multiple teams in their first few games.
According to sbnation.com, age has finally affected the team as the Grizzlies' leaders Zach Randolph and Tony Allen are having an inefficient season. As per the report, "Tony Allen, the Grindfather himself, saw pine for the first time this season on Sunday, as well."
"He's already playing as few minutes per game as he has since his first season in Memphis, and is having the worst shooting and scoring seasons of his career. He's 33. And as noted, the team defense sure isn't lighting it up with Allen on the court," the article continued.
Marc Stein of espn.com stated the head coach Dave Joerger was already on the hot seat as the team's owner Robert Pera is known to have had conflicts with the coach prior to this season.
Stein reported that the team's initial losses "has led to fears within the organization that owner Robert Pera won't wait long to make a drastic change. The Grizzlies lost their home opener to the Cavs by 30, got blitzed soon thereafter by Cleveland's conquerors in the NBA Finals by an unfathomable 50, then fell behind by 26 points in the Pacific Northwest before settling for a 19-point defeat to the Blazers."
With the team's struggles, experts believe that the Grizzlies could decide to make their roster younger by trading the defensive specialist Tony Allen. Rumors have surfaced that the Los Angeles Clippers could offer draft picks and Lance Stephenson for Allen.
According to Yahoo! Sports, Stephenson has been averaging 5.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 19 minutes per game. He was a starter for 10 games, but has fallen out of favor with head coach Doc Rivers.
The Clippers head coach has been known for acquiring members of his former Celtics championship team. He has previously signed former Celtics Glen Davis and Paul Pierce. It would not be a surprise if Rivers did pull the trigger to get Allen.
