Links: Lifeboat Edition (Makin' It Rain!)

My Google Alerts have been on the fritz, so I got flooded with a ton of things today -- some old, some new. Hope you enjoy.

Graham Kendrick is reporting that Mike Miller returned to practice today and is hoping to play on Wednesday against the Nets. The question for many fans now is "Should he start or return to his former role as 6th man?" -- or at least it should be.

Last week, Mike Conley sat down with Sam Amico (ProBasketballNews.com) for a great interview. Amico came away impressed, which is saying something. Here's one question and answer that I particularly liked:

PBN: Do you have faith the current situation -- your own and that of the Grizzlies -- will eventually turn around?

Conley: “I do. You can’t stop believing in that, because once you do, you become that player who just starts thinking you’re going to lose all the time. You have to look into the future with a team as young as this one. We have a lot of talent, we really do. And this (summer) we’ll possibly get a high draft pick, so we’ll have another young, talented player next season. We’re about as low as you can get right now. It’s only going to get better.”

Speaking of interviews, Hakim Warrick had an impromptu one with Dave McMenamin (NBA.com) via IM about his exclusion from the "All-Big East in the NBA" group back in December. Dave decided that an apology was in order. We concur.

USA Today is allowing NBA fans to vote for the "All-Time Five" on each team, so head on over and vote for your favorite Grizzlies.

Now for the fun portion of the program, where I pit the idiots against the people who know what they are talking about. Today's subject: Relocation of the Grizzlies.

Idiots: Bill Simmons & Ron Sims, both looking at the Grizzlies moving to Seattle to replace the departing Sonics.

Smart Guy: Geoff Calkins, explaining the details of the Grizzlies' lease with the city of Memphis. Actually, "Smart Guy" doesn't even begin to describe it. I should replace that with Supremely Intelligent Being. (Hat tip to Latty and Chip for talking about this subject endlessly on the message boards.) According to Calkins:

There's a separate non-relocation agreement, for starters, stating that "during the first 10" seasons in FedExForum, the team "shall not relocate from the City of Memphis."

So that should settle it....for a little while anyways. So go find something else to worry about.

Here's a couple of great articles about Marc Iavaroni: Grizz Coach Stays Sharp (Ross Siler, Salt Lake Tribune) & Sloan hopes Grizz stick with Iavaroni (Tim Buckley, Deseret Morning News).

NY Sun: Knicks fans worry that other "losers" (like the Grizzlies) will cost their team draft position.

Here's an interesting comparison: The Grizzlies' current season vs. the 1976 horror film Grizzly.

Finally, Basketbawful has decided to skewer the Grizz once again. I'd object, but I can't stop laughing long enough to do so.

Blog/Website of the Day: The Blowtorch