It was believed that the Memphis Grizzlies would benefit significantly from someone like Mario Chalmers and the 29-year-old guard is proving just that.
From someone who was practically taken out of the rotation of the Miami Heat, Chalmers has been putting up pretty good numbers, including a 29-point effort which is perhaps the most from the veteran guard who has two championship titles tucked under his belt.
Since joining the Grizzlies, Chalmers seems to be what the doctor ordered. The Grizzlies were 3–5 before Chalmers arrived; now, with the veteran guard somehow settling in, the team has improved to a 6–6 record, pushing them up to the eighth spot in the Western Conference standings. Currently, they're in a tie with the Denver Nuggets.
Chalmers has found it comfortable playing alongside Mike Conley, playing off ball the same way he did while with the Heat opposite Dwyane Wade and LeBron James when the latter was still in South Beach.
Apparently, the confidence is back and Chalmers is expected to flourish even more with his new lease on life. He has somehow taken the monkey off his back, the same one that stood there when he was still trying to grope for playing time against the new blood the Heat infused in recent months.
Of course, the season is still in its early stages, but the fact remains that he has been fitting perfectly. Hopefully, he becomes a consistent contributor as the Grizzlies try to climb farther in the Western Conference standings.
Aside from Conley, Chalmers' rise should be a welcome development as well to the vaunted frontline of the Grizzlies (Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph) who now get a whole lot more of breathing space when they do their stuff inside the paint.
Has Chalmers finally found a team that he can call home? Well, it seems that he is a perfect fit and hopefully, he can sustain the momentum until, perhaps, the playoffs, a destination the Grizzlies had originally been expected to reach.
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