Links: Previews, Michael Wilbon, Free Damon!

Some quick notes for you as you get ready to start your weekend.

There's an......interesting, I guess is the word, preview from Dave over on Blazer's Edge about both the Grizzlies and the Hornets. I'll let you take a look at it because I'm not sure I can really say that much about it without laughing out loud.

Speaking of previews, yesterday Michael Wilbon predicted that the Grizzlies would win 50 games. While I recognize Wilbon as more of a sports expert than I am, I think everyone wants to know what he was smoking when he came to that conclusion. I believe that some of the mid-tier teams in the West will falter, allowing the Grizzlies to improve significantly from last season's disaster, but more than doubling their win total? That's a lot to expect.

This is especially true if you are already seeing the same problems creep up yet again, as they have season after season in Memphis. That's what MemphisX sees in his review of the team's two preseason games on Grizzlies Nation.

This is going to be the 7th season in Memphis and not once have we been considered a playoff lock and we are still left to hope for potential and talk about what ifs. Frankly, I don't think I can stomach another 82 games of watching a team in which the majority of the playing rotation does not understand what it takes to make game winning plays on a nightly basis.

Finally, it appears that Damon's legal issues are no longer hanging over his head. Kim Smith of the Arizona Daily Star reports that a deal was reached in Stoudamire's Tucson marijuana possession case that stemmed from an incident in July 2003.

The marijuana and paraphernalia charges will be dismissed against Stoudamire if he does four things within the next six months. First, Stoudamire must give the
University of Arizona’s athletic department $45,000 in scholarship funds for needy and at-risk youth who want to participate in Lute Olson’s and Joan Bonvicini's basketball camps.In addition, Stoudamire must submit two negative drug tests, avoid any criminal convictions and report any arrests, Chalk said.

Of course, if the Kim Smith reporting this looked like the Kim Smith I immediately thought of, this would probably be a bigger story. It would definitely be on ESPN News.

There's your news for this Friday morning. Check back later when I'll post the first installment of our Roundtable Discussion from two weeks ago. Also, don't forget about the Grizzlies' Annual Open Practice, which will be held at the FedEx Forum tomorrow (Saturday) at noon. Admission is free, so this is one more great opportunity to see the Boys in Beale Street Blue before they see NBA action on Monday night.