After the departure of Zach Randolph and Tony Allen, two players that exemplified the Grizzlies' “Grit and Grind” culture, only Mike Conley and Marc Gasol remain from that core of players.

Conley has been sidelined most of the season with an Achilles injury. He has played in only 12 games, and his absence has hit the Grizzlies big time. Memphis has an ugly 15-28 record and sits 12th in the tough Western Conference standings. While Gasol and free agent acquisition Tyreke Evans are a big part of why the Grizzlies are not worse, the team is not the same without Z-Bo and Allen.

In the midst of a 6-5 record in their last 11 games, their best record in an 11-game span this season, the Grizzlies host Zach Randolph and the Sacramento Kings tonight at FedEx Forum. This is a very special moment for many people. But few will enjoy it more than Gasol, who has spent the better part of his career playing alongside fellow big man Randolph. According to Michael Wallace from Grizzlies.com, Gasol said “there's someone special” he wants to face on the court tonight. He was, of course, speaking about Randolph:

“He's just on the road now for his job … But he's one of the founding fathers of who we are.”

Gasol could not have said it better. Randolph helped the Grizzlies make the playoffs in all but the first season he spent there. That is a streak of seven straight trips to the playoffs, which will more than likely end this season with the Grizzlies facing many injuries and coaching shakeup.

During his time in Memphis, Randolph averaged 16.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 2 assists on 47.6 percent shooting.