With the Memphis Grizzlies falling fast in the Western Conference standings, it would help if one of their seasoned veterans stepped forward and provided the team with a calming influence.

Enter Marc Gasol.

Following the Grizzlies' loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night, Gasol told David Cobb of The Commercial Appeal that he is going to be “a lot more vocal” with his teammates:

“I think it’s needed, and guys expect that,” said Gasol. “I’ve worked on not being that critical with my teammates, because in the past it creates some problems. But now it’s going to change a little bit.”

Memphis also held a meeting after the game, which made head coach J.B. Bickerstaff a half-hour late for his postgame press conference. Bickerstaff would not go into detail about the meeting, only saying that it was a conversation that needed to be had.

The Grizzlies got off to a surprising 12-5 start this season, but since then, they have slumped to a 6-14 record. More recently, they have lost 10 of their last 13 games, which is more of what people expected from Memphis going into the year.

On the season, Gasol is averaging 16.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals over 34.5 minutes per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the floor, 37.4 percent from 3-point range and 77.3 percent from the free-throw line.

The 33-year-old was originally selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round of the 2007 NBA Draft, but was traded to the Grizzlies in a deal for his brother, Pau Gasol, during the 2007-08 campaign.

Memphis is currently 18-19.