Have the Memphis Grizzlies gone ‘soft’ since going Green?

The Grizzlies are in trouble, and we’re not talking about the bears in Yellowstone.

After allowing 66 points on 61 percent shooting in the second half and blowing a 17-point lead in a 105-95 loss to a Pistons team that had dropped its previous 10 outings, Memphis forward Zach Randolph voiced his displeasure in the locker room. For frame of reference, here’s the heart of a postgame rant that included at least one word not fit for print, courtesy of the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Ronald Tillery.

“We’ve got to get tough,” Randolph said before nearly pushing the locker room door off its hinges upon his exit. “It’s not just one thing. It’s a lot. We were soft, and we didn’t stick to what we were doing. It’s a disappointing loss, especially with what we’re talking about doing. We’ve got to do something to fix this.”

Indeed, the Grizzlies fancy themselves championship contenders, but more than a month of .500 basketball has loosened their once firm grasp of the Western Conference’s No. 2 seed. After winning three-quarters of their first 52 games, the Grizz are 8-8 since Feb. 11, including losses to the Timberwolves, Kings, Jazz, Celtics and now Pistons, and now just five games separate them from the Spurs in seventh.

As for Randolph’s characterization of the Grizzlies as “soft,” the statistical measures normally associated with such a state —points scored and allowed in the paint, defensive rebounding, second-chance points allowed and overall defensive rating — don’t support that theory, as Memphis has ranked among the league’s 10 best teams in all those categories since Feb. 11, just as they did for the first 52 games.

Instead, the offense has sputtered from the NBA’s 10th-best unit (104.9 points per 100 possessions) to its fourth-worst (97.4 points per 100 possessions) since the start of that 8-8 stretch, according to NBA.com’s stat tool. And while Memphis coach Dave Joerger has insisted, “Jeff Green is the least of our problems,” it’s hard not to point to the former Celtics forward’s arrival in mid-January as part of the problem.

Per Basketball Reference, the Grizzlies have been 8.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Green on the floor, the roster’s largest on/off discrepancy by a significant margin, excluding D-League call-ups. (Memphis has been 10.0 points per 100 possessions better than their opponents with Randolph, for example.)

Blessed with tremendous athleticism for his 6-foot-9 frame, Green’s wavering effort had been a constant topic of conversation for both Doc Rivers and Brad Stevens during three seasons in Boston, and the 28-year-old’s inconsistent performance on the Grizz has reflected a similar issue in Memphis. When he’s good, he’s almost omnipresent, and when he’s bad, he’s practically absent in 29 minutes per game.

Meanwhile, Green’s arrival shifted defensive standout Tony Allen to the bench, and more efficient offensive players Marc Gasol, Mike Conley and Randolph are attempting a combined five fewer shots since Memphis acquired their new starting forward in exchange for Tayshaun Prince, Quincy Pondexter and picks.

The starting lineup of Courtney Lee, Conley, Allen, Randolph and Gasol outscored opponents by 59 points over 420 minutes this season, but that group with Green in Allen’s stead has been outscored by five over 340 minutes. So, while Randolph believes his Grizz have gone soft, their real issue might be going Green.

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Ben Rohrbach is a contributor for Ball Don’t Lie and Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach