The Warriors had lost 11 straight to the Grizzlies, including nine in a row at Memphis, when on Dec. 7, 2013 former coach Mark Jackson made a very reasonable move that changed everything.
He put 7-foot center Andrew Bogut on 6-9 Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph.
Bullied for so many years, the Warriors that night fought back and didn't stop swinging until the horn sounded. They beat the Grizzlies, in Memphis, by 26.
Bogut's presence is Reason No. 1 why the Warriors will win this Western Conference semifinal. His muzzling of Randolph began a stretch in which the Warriors beat Memphis four of five times, with an average win margin of 15 points. The lone loss, last Dec. 16, was with Bogut on the sideline with a tender knee.
Reason No. 2 is that the Grizzlies can't score enough to keep up.
They lack the necessary offensive firepower. Only Utah and Minnesota among teams in the West scored fewer points in the regular season than Memphis' 98.3 per game. Only the Timberwolves, among all teams, shot and made fewer 3-pointers.
Memphis' best player, center Marc Gasol, rarely lights up the scoreboard. Their second-best player, Mike Conley, had surgery on his face this week and his return is uncertain. Their third-best player, Randolph, faces a wall named Bogut.
It's up to the likes of Jeff Green, Courtney Lee and 94-year-old Vince Carter. Uh-huh.
The Grizzlies made only one 3-pointer in winning Game 5 of their series with Portland. Good luck with that against the Warriors.
Reason No. 3 is the status of Conley. He could not have single-handedly swung the series, but his absence means his teammates have no chance.
Conley is a terrific defender, enough of an irritant to make Curry resort to his full catalog of moves. Conley's absence leaves a gaping hole in the Memphis perimeter D.
Seeing Portland guard C. J. McCollom score 33 points in 38 minutes against the Grizz led me to one thought: Curry wishes the series could start immediately.
