The Zach Randolph-Marc Gasol-Rudy Gay combo in Memphis is as good any other one you can think of around the League, and the Grizzlies know they could be in store for a very special season (even if they feel they don’t get quite enough respect.) From the Commercial Appeal: “The dynamic between Randolph and Gasol provides as much symmetry as you will find in basketball. Each player can yield to the other in the post and play on the elbow with deft passing ability. Their overall savvy seems to make up for a lack of athleticism and defensive toughness. ‘The team lets us have that role, playing inside-outside,’ Gasol said, adding that he meshed with Randolph instantly. ‘We knew how to play. We have the same mentality.’ Randolph took exception to Hall-of-Famer Magic Johnson recently touting New York’s combination of Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler as the best front line in the NBA. ‘We don’t always get the respect, but we’re tough to deal with,’ Randolph said. ‘Rudy is one of the best small forwards in the game hands down after LeBron (James) and ‘Melo. Me and Marc take pride in rebounding the ball and scoring in the paint. We play off each other pretty good. Teams aren’t going to be able to contain all three of us.’ Memphis has led the NBA in points in the paint for the past two seasons. The Griz have also ranked among the top five teams in rebounding during that span. While the league has clearly shifted toward trying to succeed with dynamic guard play, the Griz proudly subscribe to the adage that bigger is better. ‘To go inside and post up is a luxury in this league,’ [Lionel] Hollins said. ‘There are not a lot of post-up players. But we can get the ball inside and play inside-out, and get foul shots and offensive rebounds because of it. And then to have a player like Rudy who can post up and come off screens on the perimeter is important. That’s who we are. When we have all three of those guys clicking we’re pretty good.’”

If the NBA is able to end its lockout before the scheduled start of the 2011-12 season, the Grizzlies will open up with a two-game trip out west, beginning Nov. 2 at the Los Angeles Clippers.

Following a game the next night in Utah, the Grizzlies return to FedExForum and what figures to be an enthusiastic home crowd where they will play their home opener Nov. 5 against Charlotte.

The Grizzlies are coming off a dramatic playoff run that saw them reach the Western Conference semifinals where they lost in seven games to Oklahoma City. That miraculous run has the Grizzlies featured on national television a franchise-record 13 times.

The Grizzlies will appear on ESPN four times and TNT once, while the rest are on NBATV.

The ESPN games are Dec. 13 against Denver, Jan. 6 at Portland, Jan. 16 against Derrick Rose and Chicago in their annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Game, and April 4 at the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks. They will appear on TNT Jan. 12 against Carmelo Anthony and the New York Knicks.

The Los Angeles Lakers come to FedExForum Nov. 22 and March 13 and the Miami Heat are in town Dec. 30, while they only home game against Oklahoma City is set for Jan. 10.

The regular season will conclude with a home-and-home series with the New Orleans Hornets on April 15 at New Orleans Arena and April 18 at FedExForum.

Overall, the Grizzlies will play 17 of their 41 home games on the weekend – including 10 on Saturday, five on Friday and two on Sunday – and have 19 back-to-back sets, down two from last season.