The Memphis Grizzlies are not the most storied franchise in the NBA. They may find themselves as one of the youngest franchises in the NBA today, but that doesn't mean they haven't had their fair share of success. This organization has had a number of great, iconic teams through the years and they've had players come through their pipeline who have made an impact.

From 2003-06, Memphis had a three-year run of making the postseason, marking the first time in franchise history they had made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons. Then came the grit-and-grind teams that stamped Memphis as a true NBA franchise and city. After that run ended and after they had some draft luck, the next generation of the Grizzlies are here and they're not going away any time soon.

While not necessarily known to be a historic franchise, the Grizzlies are definitely a unique one. Their list of top ten players won't be as gaudy as others, but almost every player listed will be a beloved fan favorite. It's time to break down who cracks the top ten Memphis Grizzlies players of all time.

10) Mike Miller

Mike Miller played with the Grizzlies for five full seasons from 2003-08, as he was traded to them from the Orlando Magic during the 2002-03 season. He also re-joined the team and played in all 82 games during the 2013-14 season.

Overall, Miller was productive in Memphis and made a name for himself as a deadly three-point shooter. He ranks seventh in team history in scoring, sixth in win shares, third in three-point shooting percentage and second in made threes, according to Basketball-Reference. He also won the 2005-06 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award as a member of the Grizzlies.

A very underrated player who turned out to be a really solid rotational piece for Memphis, Miller is absolutely deserving of a spot on this list.

9) Shareef Abdur-Rahim

Shareef Abdur-Rahim spent the first five seasons of his 12-year career with the Vancouver Grizzlies. Yes, the Grizzlies were in Vancouver before moving to Memphis.

That time in their franchise deserves adulation as well, even though they were not necessarily the best team in the league then. Abdur-Rahim was a All-Rookie First-Team performer for Vancouver in 1997, averaging 18.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game during his first year in the NBA. He averaged over 20 points per game in all five seasons as a Grizzly, except for this rookie season.

It's unfortunate circumstances prevented him from playing on a good Grizzlies team, but he did play well as a member of the franchise.

8) Desmond Bane

Desmond Bane does not have the accolades his current teammates in Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. have. He's never been an All-Star, let alone an All-NBA talent, but Bane has improved ever since he entered the NBA.

His field goal attempts per game and usage rate have increased every season, yet his efficiency has largely been the same. His effective field goal percentages has remained constant around 57 percent, as have his true shooting splits around 60 percent.

This is all while his usage rate has gone from 16.1% as a rookie to 23.2% in Year 2 to 26.1% this past year. During the 2022-23 season, Bane averaged 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, all of which were career-highs. Bumping up efficiency as one's volume increases is very hard to do, but Bane pulled it off. That is why he received a max extension from the Grizzlies this summer.

7) Tony Allen

Marc Gasol was the anchor, Zach Randolph was the hammer, Mike Conley was the steady hand and Tony Allen was the heart of the Grizzlies from 2010-2017. If a guy is nicknamed ā€˜The Grindfather' in honor of his ā€˜Grit-and-Grind' team moniker, then of course he is going to be named among the top ten players of his franchise!

Allen was named to six All-Defensive teams as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, three being All-Defensive First Team selections and the three others being second team selections. He is one of 31 players in league history to earn All-Defensive honors at least six times.

Nothing more really needs to be said. Allen came into the league at the right time and while his lack of reliable three-point shooting prohibited him from earning a significant amount of playing time, he made the most of his opportunities defensively. When he was on the floor, everyone was able to see one of the best perimeter stoppers of this generation. If he's got the respect of late, great Kobe Bryant, then Allen definitely earned his spot as one of the best in Grizzlies' history.

6) Jaren Jackson Jr.

Jaren Jackson Jr. has a case to be higher on this list. He recently won the 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year award and made his first All-Star appearance this past year as well. An All-Defensive First Team performer in back-to-back seasons now, Jackson recently led the league in blocks per game (3.0). He's also elevated his offensive game, posting a career-high 18.6 points per game while shooting a career-best 50.6 percent from the floor.

Compared to other greats in team history though, Jackson just doesn't have the same aggressiveness that those grit-and-grind teams had. Still just 23 years old, there is plenty of room for Jackson to grow into a multi-time All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year candidate. For now, he's sixth on this list behind some of the legends that put this franchise on the map.

5) Mike Conley

During the era of the grit-and-grind Grizzlies teams, Mike Conley was the guiding hand. Conley's assist-to-turnover ratio has never dipped below 2.0 in his entire career and it was even at 3.0 during his prime in Memphis. Known to be more of a facilitator than a scoring weapon, it wasn't until his 10th season in the NBA that he averaged over 20 points per game. That came during the 2016-17 season. That was really the grit-and-grind team's one last push, as they gave the Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge San Antonio Spurs team all they could handle.

Mike Conley could've done more but he played his role to perfection for the better of the team. He also could've been a multi-time All-Star had he not played in a loaded Western Conference. Conley absolutely belongs in Memphis' top five.

4) Pau Gasol

Pau Gasol wasn't just an All-Star in Los Angeles with the Lakers. He became one for the first time in his career during the 2005-06 with the Grizzlies after averaging 20.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 50.3 percent from the floor.

Gasol was the best player on the Grizzlies' first-ever playoff teams back in 2004, 2005, and 2006. They may have lost in the first-round all three years and Gasol was eventually traded to facilitate a rebuild, but the bones of what was to be built in Memphis was laid by Pau Gasol.

For that, he earns the number four nod in the Grizzlies' top ten.

3) Ja Morant

If it weren't for sentimentality, longevity, and off-court mishaps, Ja Morant has a case to already be the greatest Grizzly of all-time. He's already a two-time All-Star at just 23 years old and he made the All-NBA Second Team in his third season. In fact, Morant probably would've made the All-NBA list again for the 2022-23 season had he not gotten injured and suspended.

Morant has already delivered spectacular postseason performances too. In Game 2 aof Memphis' first-round series against the Utah Jazz in 2021, the young star dropped 47 points on 15-26 shooting in the.

The very next season, he scored another 47 points in the playoffs, this time with eight rebounds and eight assists on 15-31 shooting against the eventual champion Golden State Warriors.

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Then in the 2023 playoffs, he recorded 45 points against the Los Angeles Lakers on 15-26 shooting and scored 22 straight Grizzlies' points. Only LeBron James and Kobe Bryant have scored that many consecutive points for their team in a single playoff game.

There is no doubt that Morant is on the path to being an all-time great. He will likely be the greatest Grizzly of all time when all is said and done. If he isn't, it'll be because of either an injury or him continuing to be his own worst enemy off the floor.

2) Zach Randolph

Zach Randolph needed the Grizzlies and the Grizzlies needed Randolph. This was a fit made in heaven.

After roaming from team to team, it wasn't until Z-Bo got to Memphis that he finally found a home. The Grizzlies were still reeling from trading Pau Gasol and had a gaping hole at power forward position when Randolph arrived. Maybe the biggest fan favorite in team history, Randolph played with energy, heart and passion. He recently became the first player in Grizzlies' history to have his jersey retired.

We can add five seasons of averaging a double-double, two of which were 20-point, 10-rebound seasons, two All-Star appearances and an All-NBA team appearance in the 2010-11 season to his resume as well.Ā  Randolph is a lock for a top-two spot.

1) Marc Gasol

It's hard to not list Marc Gasol as the greatest Grizzlies player of all time. He was named an All-Star in three different seasons with the organization and also made the All-NBA list twice, earning First Team honors in 2015.

The anchor of Memphis' defense through the years, Gasol also won the 2012-13 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award. During his prime, he was one of the best defensive centers in the league and averaged 1.5 blocks per game during his time with the Grizzlies.

On the opposite side of the floor, Gasol provided the Grizzlies with about 15.2 points per game in his 11 seasons with the team. Evolving over time into a stretch big man who could play either out on the perimeter or in the paint, Gasol was efficient and he had one of the prettiest give-and-go games with Mike Conley. The two-way big man holds many team records, most notably leading the franchise in minutes played, field goals made, total rebounds and blocked shots.

Gasol is absolutely worthy of wearing the crown as the best player in franchise history.