Time for the Beanstalk to Grow - Reaction to the Pau Gasol trade

Wow! Who would have known that so soon after my call for action that Memphis Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace would finally listen to me. Ok, he didn't actually consult with me but I am sure he has been reading 3 Shades of Blue and unfortunately I did not include the Los Angeles Lakes in my Five Bags of Magic Beans article. However, this is the exact type trade I expected for Gasol. It is not a reflection of Gasol's talent, it is just where the NBA is right now in terms of economics. There was a very limited market for a player on the back end of an escalating MAX contract that cannot lead a team. Yes, Gasol will thrive in LA. Heck, the Lakers can plug him in and have the exact same things around him every Grizzlies fan has been wanting for 7 years (a big bruising center and one of the best closers in NBA history). However, the Grizzlies were going nowhere with Gasol and his contract on the roster. Not enough flexibility financially, indifference in the fanbase, and just not enough talent to surround Gasol.

Now what do we make of the haul the Grizzlies got from the Lakers. There is one prize...Javaris Crittenton or J. Crit. For a team that wants to play uptempo, Crittenton is almost the perfect combo guard. He has size (6'4.75 in shoes at the predraft camp), he is athletic, he attacks the basket, and can switch deftly between point guard and shooting guard both offensively and defensively. Think Monta Ellis of Golden State plus 2 inches and 20 pounds without losing the quickness. If he would have stayed another year in college, he would have easily been a lottery pick this year. Do you think national reaction to this trade would have been different if we had gotten Ellis, two 1st round picks, Marc Gasol and MAX cap space? In Chris Wallace's new game, three men enter-two men leave, I expect J. Crit to beat out Lowry mainly due to his size and ability to come off the bench and play next to Conley.

The two draft picks and the draft rights to Marc Gasol will be used as sweetner. Either to get someone to take somebody off our roster (Collins, Brian Cardinal) or to get someone to give us their restricted free agent that they do not want to pay. At worst they will be dice rolls in the draft. Maybe Chris Wallace can catch "lightning in a bottle" at the end of the 1st round.

There is still work to be done obviously. I think they need to complete the clean sweep and get Mike Miller out of the locker room. This not to see he is a bad influence, a malcontent, or a bad player but the young guys need to be able to establish a pecking order going into the offseason. Even though it might not be feasible into the offseason, I think Mike Miller has very good value due to his relatively modest contract and his shooting stroke. However, I don't think Miller is as much of of "got to get rid of" as Pau Gasol.

Now it is time for the Grizzlies to see exactly what they have in Rudy Gay. Is he Corey Maggette, Antawn Jamison, or Paul Pierce? Heck, will he exceed expectations and become an All NBA type of player? Gay definitely has the tools to become a bonafide super star. However, the question is does he have the mentality to lead the Grizzlies to team success? The former we got from Pau Gasol, the latter is what we are looking for to take this franchise to the next level.

It is now the turning point for the Grizzlies and the decisions made in the next 6 months will be critical to this team finally becoming a contender. There is no room for mistakes. We must get the best player available with our draft pick, we need to get some type of future rotation player with the Lakers 1st rounder, we must get an impact player with our cap space, and we must either keep Mike Miller or get a valuable player in trade.

I will go out and say that this season will continue as expected and we will end up with around 24 wins. I expect us to get to the level we thought we would be at this season, next season. I am predicting about 35 wins even if we do not use our cap space for next season. I expect us to get back to the playoffs in 2010 and to be as good or better than the Lakers the following season before Pau Gasol's contract expires.

More on the Gasol-Gasol Trade

From Zack


Just thought I'd put up some more reaction to the Gasol-Lakers trade.

-- I would have liked to seen one (or both) of these modifications to the trade:

1. Include Ronnie Turiaf.
2. Include Brian Cardinal and then make Aaron McKie's 1 year sign/trade contract worth more.

-- The big question(s). Will more or less people attend Grizzlies games for the rest of the year? Will more or less people buy/renew their season tickets in the offseason?

-- It looks like Rudy and Hak will be playing all the available minutes at the PF spot from now on. Of course, Rudy will see some time at the 3 too, but I don't see anyone outside of Hak playing at the 4 when Rudy isn't.

-- I feel particularly cursed with Darko and Kwame on the same team. The first time they are both on the court on the same time - which i don't think will happen much, see above - lightning might just strike the arena down. The Basketball Gods will not look favorably upon this. This also explains the urgency to trade Stro as soon as possible. Stro, Darko, and Kwame together would be too much for the basketball universe to survive through.

-- We have a traffic jam of elite PG prospects. That is of course if Javaris Crittenton isn't also a SG. My impression so far this season was that he would be a good SG too. Either way, Wallace implied one of the three would be used as a trade asset later on down the road to improve another spot. Lowry, the lesser player of the three, is the obvious one to go (Conley is a better passer, Javaris is a better shooter and taller and can play SG). However the counterpoint to trading Lowry is that he has the lowest trade value of the three as well. I mean, in a trade by himself, how is someone like a Rodney Carney going to help us. Our 2008 Lakers pick could get us a player as good or better than someone Lowry could be traded for straight up. So the other avenue is as sweetener in a bigger trade. Great, then we can brag that trading Pau helped us use Lowry as a sweetener'. Anyway, I think this also makes it less likely we re-sign Navarro next year, and something in me sees a possible Sasha Pavlovich saga occurring next year with JC.

-- That trade for Rudy is looking more and more important to this franchise. Would anyone argue that we got more in return for Shane than we did for Pau?

-- Time for Rudy step up and seize control of the team.

-- I will admit I am pretty excited to watch Jarvaris Crittenton play.

-- I was wrong about Pau and Navarro being handcuffed. I was also wrong about Wallace waiting until the offseason to trade Pau.

-- Marc Gasol? Really? Marc Gasol?

-- Looks like we need to get MemphisX to devote more time to informing us about the upcoming draft class. No reason to stop at the top 10 anymore. We need to know about the top 30 picks.

-- Time to watch those inverted standings!

-- Wallace acknowledged (or should that be admitted?) to changing his mind about only getting expiring contracts in return to Pau. I'm sure the obvious conclusion is that Heisley forced that change of heart, but I'm not so sure. Interesting turn of events, nonetheless. Check back here all weekend long for more Gasol commentary.

Some random links about the trade

Basketball Prospectus
ESPN - Marc Stein
Fox - Rosen
SI - Burns
SI - Scouts Take
CBS - Mejia
Herrington Quick Press Conference Notes (more analysis promised to be coming later...looking forward to it)
Wallace on Chris Vernon Show (audio)
Verno's Original Cryptic Post from Last Night
Verno's Full Trade Details
Tillery's Original Breaking News of Deal
Tillery's Follow-up
AOL Fanhouse Roundtable
AOL Fanhouse on the Big Summer for the Griz
AOL Fanhouse on Original Gasol News
AOL Fanhouse on Verno's Post
Kelly Dwyer on Trade
NBA.com on the Trade (and with a link back to us)
Forum Blue and Gold
Marcus Camby on Trade
RealGM Grades the Trade

Gasol vs. Kwame Brown + 2 in Stats

The franchise players is gone!  Here is what the Grizz got in return!
See full stats onGriz Board here.

Kwame Brown      #54   Center
									2007-08 Statistics
									PPG    5.7
									RPG    5.70
									APG    1.2
									EFF     + 8.74
									Born: Mar 10, 1982
									Height:  6-11 / 2,11
									Weight:  270 lbs. / 122,5 kg.
									High Sch: Glynn Academy (GA)
									Years Pro: 6
Career Season Averages
Yr	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
07-08	23	14	22.1	0.515	0.000	0.406	1.3	4.3	5.7	1.2	0.7	0.8	1.61	2.50	5.7
Car	389	185	24.1	0.484	0.125	0.602	1.9	3.8	5.7	1.1	0.6	0.7	1.47	2.30	7.6

 

Pau Gasol      #16     Forward - Center
									2007-08 Statistics
									PPG     18.9
									RPG     8.80
									APG    3.0
									EFF     + 22.33
									Born: Jul 6, 1980
									Height:  7-0 / 2,13
									Weight:  260 lbs. / 117,9 kg.
									From: Spain
									Years Pro: 6
Career Season Averages
Yr	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
07-08	39	39	36.7	0.501	0.267	0.819	2.4	6.4	8.8	3.0	0.4	1.4	2.05	2.20	18.9
Car	476	470	35.5	0.509	0.230	0.730	2.5	6.1	8.6	3.1	0.5	1.8	2.60	2.40	18.8

                 +

Javaris Crittenton    #1   Guard

2007-08 Statistics

PPG     3.3

RPG     1.00

APG    0.8

EFF     + 2.73

Born: Dec 31, 1987

Height:   6-5 / 1,96

Weight:   200 lbs. / 90,7 kg.

College: Georgia Tech

Years Pro: Rookie

Career Season Averages

Yr

G

GS

MPG

FG%

3P%

FT%

OFF

DEF

RPG

APG

SPG

BPG

TO

PF

PPG

07-08

22

0

7.8

0.491

0.333

0.679

0.3

0.6

1.0

0.8

0.3

0.0

1.00

0.50

3.3

Aaron McKie      #2   Guard
									2007-08 Statistics
									PPG     0.0
									RPG     0.0
									APG    0.0
									EFF     + ?
									Born: Oct 2, 1972
									Height:   6-5 / 1,96
									Weight:   209 lbs. / 94,8 kg.
									College: Temple
									Years Pro: 13
Career Season Averages
Yr	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
05-06	1	0	8.0	0.000	0.000	0.000	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.00	0.00	0.0
Car	75	26	28.5	0.437	0.385	0.801	0.6	3.0	3.6	3.2	1.1	0.2	1.35	2.50	9.5

Still Seeking the Sunshine through the Clouds

Most people say I am a leader of the Sunshine Patrol of Grizzlies fans. I try to always look to the bright side of situations and remind people of the positives no matter what is happening.

I guess it is just part of my character.

While I must admit, at first glance, it is hard to not be depressed by the clouds of this situation. Pau Gasol had his faults but he was the best player ever to don a Memphis Grizzlies uniform. To lose him for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton and two draft picks seems hard to understand, especially when you consider that the draft picks come from one of the top teams in the Western Conference who just got stronger thanks to the trade. Can anyone anticipate great picks coming from that late in the draft?

However my normal state of mind has taken over and I am starting to see the brighter future that this trade provides.

First off, the team isn't going to be dramatically worse this season because of the trade. Memphis was 3-3 this season in games Gasol didn't play in. It doesn't seem likely that the team will fall that much off the pace because we no longer have Gasol or Swift.

Second, the team is free of a definately negative element in re-associating with the fans by not having Gasol on the team. I don't want to belabor this point but the fact is that Gasol was not popular in Memphis. Many fans simply couldn't relate to the team with Gasol on it. I wouldn't be surprised if the attendance doesn't rise for the rest of the season simply because Gasol is gone.

Third, Javaris Crittenton is a seriously good player. The 6-4 swing guard probably rose further up the draft board than any other player from the beginning of the year until the draft. At 6-4 he is taller than Conley, Lowry or Navarro. He has excellent court vision and a lightning fast first step. His defense is questionable but not because he doesn't provide effort. The question has always been about him being too aggressive (how often have you heard that said about a Grizzlies player?). While it may seem excessive to have 4 rookie point guard eligible players Crittenton can play shooting guard without the team suffering a drop in defense that they have had to do with Lowry or Navarro playing there. The main question mark about Javaris Crittenton is his outside shot but the mechanics look good there as well. Don't be surprised to see Mark Price on the sidelines more the rest of this year.

Fourth, defensively the Grizzlies should also be improved in the interior. Kwame Brown, Jason Collins and Darko Milicic are all adequate to superior defenders. While all have limitations on offense this team has plenty of scoring from Gay, Miller, Navarro and the rookie guards. Memphis will not rely so much on interior scoring but all can finish when left alone.

Finally, and this is the most important reason to be optomistic, the team has an excellent talent evaluator in Chris Wallace and free cash to put to use. Chris Wallace is a man who built his reputation on being an excellent judge of players who can play in the NBA. With cap space, draft picks and a very young team Chris is being given a blank canvas to build a team that he wants.

The top 8 players for the Grizzlies will be among the youngest in the league. With Navarro and Miller as the only players over 25 yrs old among the regular rotation the team will be more easily integrated into Iavaroni's system simply because they don't have to unlearn anything. With 5 #1 picks potentially in the next three drafts (Memphis still owes Washington a #1 pick until 2012) the team has a great opportunity to upgrade the talent on the bench.

While it is sad to lose a player of Gasol's quality - and he won't be replaced easily - the team is more able to spread the court now and force teams to guard them all over the court. The players remaining won't be looking to Gasol first so the uptempo offense should be more on display. Defensively the team should be improved after a period of adjustment as well.

So the clouds are still overhead but there is a silver lining and the sun is waiting to shine through. It may not be immediately but better times are on the horizon.

Collins vs. Swift in Stats

Here is what the Grizzlies get comparing stats.
Is this a gain, a loss or just a neutral sway?
I guess the answer will be in the motivation and effort he gives!
Full Stats onGriz Board here

Jason Collins      #35   Center - Forward  Injury note on Jan 30, 2008 (Bruised right knee)
									2007-08 Statistics
									PPG     1.3
									RPG     2.10
									APG    0.4
									EFF     + 2.54
									Born: Dec 2, 1978
									Height: 7-0 /  2,13
									Weight: 255  lbs. / 115,7  kg
									College: Stanford
									Years Pro: 6
Career Season Averages
Yr	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
07-08	41	22	16.0	0.426	0.000	0.353	0.8	1.3	2.1	0.4	0.3	0.2	0.54	2.60	1.3
Car	508	403	24.5	0.411	0.214	0.657	1.5	3.0	4.5	1.1	0.6	0.6	0.99	3.20	4.4

 

Stromile Swift      #4     Center - Forward
									2007-08 Statistics
									PPG     6.83
									RPG     3.70
									APG    0.6
									EFF     + 8.09
									Born: Nov 21, 1979
									Height: 6-10 /  2,08
									Weight: 220  lbs. / 99,8  kg.
									College: Louisiana State
									Years Pro: 7
Career Season Averages
Yr	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
07-08	35	4	15.7	0.525	0.000	0.642	1.3	2.4	3.7	0.6	0.3	1.0	1.11	2.10	6.8
Car	507	97	20.4	0.473	0.038	0.702	1.7	3.1	4.8	0.5	0.7	1.3	1.31	2.50	8.7

GASOL TRADED

Gasol Traded
The Griz just traded Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers for Kwame Brown, Jarvis Crittendon and two first-round draft picks — one in 2008 and the other in 2010.

Stromile Swift will be sent to New Jersey for Jason Collins in a deal that is expected to be announced soon. Swift was sent home today and didn’t practice with the Griz. He won’t play tomorrow against the Utah Jazz.

Memphis Edge report by Ron Tillery

Kwame Brown is an expiring contract at $9,075,000. Javaris Crittendon is a rookie PG from Georgia Tech who is making $1,250,000. The two draft picks do not appear to be lottery protected. The problem with this preliminary report is that the deal doesn't appear to work. The salaries don't match up so I expect there will be more news to come clarifying this deal (and don't rule out LA just paying cash to balance the deal).

In another deal Stromile Swift has apparently been traded to New Jersey for Jason Collins.

On a personal note, Congratulations to Ron Tillery for getting the story first! I have given him a hard time in the past about not breaking stories. While Chris Vernon first reported on the LA trade possibility Tillery was the first in print with the details. Good job Ron.

UPDATE I:

The missing player is Aaron McKee.

Actually Chris Vernon swoops in and has the whole trade...and it involves 2 Gasol's!!!!!

Pau Gasol and a second round pick will be sent to Los Angeles for Kwame Brown (and his expiring contract), a first rounder in '08 and '10, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie and rights to Marc Gasol

One Gasol for another. Pretty funny.

From Zack:

Wow! I can't believe they actually traded Gasol. I'm beside myself in disbelief. Word is that Heisley sent down word to do this trade.

Am I giddy about what we are getting back? Not really.

Do I think we will be better off in the long term? Yes.

How is another rookie PG going to fit in? I don't know, but I think he may be seen as more of a SG than a PG, but I don't know yet.

I do wish that Brian Cardinal was involved though.

More impressions from the SoB crew later, particularly over the weekend. Make sure and keep checking back, because I don't think there will be a time this season with more Griz stuff going on than right now.

From ChipC3:
I wonder if the Grizzlies insisted on Marc Gasol? I bet that the Lakers did that to make sure Gasol couldn't try and force the Lakers to sign him like he forced us to sign Navarro. Does anyone believe Navarro will stay here now that his best friend is gone? And Memphis is still on the hook for that #1 pick for a long time.

The one bright spot in this deal is that Crittendon could be very good. Of course, with Lowry, Conley, Navarro and Miller, I don't know when we will get to see him this season unless another move is brewing. Something in the pit of my stomach tells me that Mike is gone before the all-star break as well. I wonder when his action figurine is supposed to be given away?

Kwame Brown is a bad joke but at least his contract ends this year. We will have cap room to get rejected from FA's this summer with. Aaron McKie is a smaller player but a bigger joke. The draft picks will be mid teens to high 20s and that becomes a crap shoot for talent but if anyone is going to find it, I have faith in Wallace to do so.

It isn't easy to see the positives right now but teams have resurrected themselves before. Perhaps Memphis will get lucky and be the Hornets in two years.

Swift for Collins Almost Done?

A New Jersey Paper is reporting that a Stromile Swift for Jason Collins trade could be finalized as early as today or this weekend.

They (the Nets) are set to acquire athletic 6-foot-10 forward Stromile Swift from the Memphis Grizzlies for Jason Collins, league sources said. The deal was being worked on Thursday night and could be finalized today or sometime over the weekend.

This follows numerous reports yesterday where Ron Tillery, Yahoo, CBSsports, and Chris Vernon all mentioned the possible trade of Swift for Collins.

Collins and Swift have nearly identical contracts, both expire next year, with the big difference being that Stro has a player option for next year. This comes after Stro was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. He may be getting traded for locker room/chemistry reasons.

Also, check out the Chris Vernon post, where he says that some big changes could be coming for the Grizzlies (firesale?!?), and that a less than desirable Pau Gasol trade could be done where expiring contracts (like Kwame Brown) would be coming to Memphis. The purpose of such a firesale could revolve around Heisley looking to sell the team, possibly by the summer.

Kwame and Darko on the same team can't be good for baskeball karma, can it?

Five Bags of Magic Beans for Pau Gasol

In my article earlier this week, I once again called for the need to trade Pau Gasol. However, one of our great readers (hooba) called my attention to the lack of continuity between my trade of the week and the idea suggested in the article. Although the two were not meant to be related, I do understand the confusion. For clarity's sake, I am now going to give suggestions on what type of trades I was referring to in the article. Here are my Five Bags of Magic Beans for Pau Gasol:

1. The first deal is a three way trade that has some nuggets that have been in the news.

Pau Gasol to Philadelphia

Andre Miller to Cleveland

Ira Newble, Donyell Marshall, Thaddeus Young, Jason Smith, and Cleveland's 2008 1st rounder to Memphis

Now everyone knows the Cleveland is in desperate need of a point guard and although Andre Miller does not shoot like Mike Bibby, his contract is a lot more attractive. Philadelphia has already expressed a need to get some post scoring next to Dalembert and Sam along with bulky Reggie Evans would be good compliments to Gasol. For Memphis, we get to clear some capspace over the next two seasons but more importantly we add three young peices to Rudy Gay, Mike Conley and Darko. Thad and Rudy are very similar and both have the length, athleticism and quickness to play the forward positions next to each other. Jason Smith gives us a good mobile big off the bench capable of backing up Darko and playing alongside him. The 1st round pick is gravy.

2. Supposedly Billy Knight is still enamored with his first draft coup and would like him in Atlanta.

Pau Gasol to Atlanta

Marvin Williams, Tyronn Lue, Lorenzen Wright and a 2010 Lottery protected pick to Memphis

This move gives the Hawks a 7 foot post option to push them into the Eastern conference playoffs while keeping Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford. Gives them one of the best and most versatile frontlines in the NBA. Memphis gets immediate cap relief without the need to make a decision on Williams until next offseason if we want. Williams adds more athleticism to the starting lineup and a good midrange game.

3. This one is the Sam Smith special.

Pau Gasol and Brian Cardinal to Chicago

Tyrus Thomas, Joe Smith, Chris Duhon, Viktor Khryapa, Adrian Griffin, JamesOn Curry, 2008 Lottery protected 1st rounder and enough cash to buyout Griffin to Memphis.

The Chicago Bulls finally get their post option and without having to give up anyone in their core. They have to swallow Brian Cardinal like it is Fear Factor but they have the cash reserves to do it. Memphis gets an athletic power forward wrapped in potential and a veteran power forward to hold them until potential is reached. The draft pick should be middle of the draft and could hold value. Everything else if filler.

4. Oh well we have all heard the New Jewrsey chatter. Why settle for Stro when you can get a player that can actually remember your plays.

Pau Gasol to New Jersey

Sean Williams, Bostjan Nachbar, Jason Collins, Malik Allen, Darrell Armstrong, 2008 1st rounder and $3 million cash to Memphis.

Ok, this offer is more like a little charity to New Jersey. However, the Grizzlies do get a young, active big that likes to block shots and rebound. Playing at a fast pace, he would erase a lot of mistakes and start(and finish) a lot of fast breaks. For New Jersey, this is a last ditch effort to cash in on Jason Kidd and also gives me the chance to laugh at the prospect of watching Pau and Vince whimper and whine together for four years.

5. Outside the box?

Pau Gasol to Toronto

Adrea Bargnani, Rasho Nestorivic, Juan Dixon and a 2008 1st round pick to Memphis.

____________________________________________________________________

Now all of these deals would probably be met with doom and gloom in Memphis. However, all of the deals allow the Chris Wallace to retool the roster with players that fit Coach Iavaroni's system. None are ideal and none give the undefined "fair value" but all of them have the potential to look real good for Memphis in two years. At this point, fair value aroung the league and fair value in the eyes of Grizz fans are probably not alligned.

Rebuilding: Building A Contender vs. Blowing It Up

As this disappointing season continues its slow march towards another lottery pick, fans of the Memphis Grizzlies have divided into two camps regarding the future of the team. On one side, you have fans who wish to completely blow up the team, keeping only Rudy Gay, Mike Conley and perhaps Kyle Lowry. One of those fans writes for this very blog under the name MemphisX. I respect his opinion and understand his reasoning for wanting to see the team revamp itself. However, as anyone who has read my posts here or on the Grizzlies message board can attest, I am a member of the other group, which wishes to see this team built up, rather than blown up. My plan would be to build around Rudy/Conley as well, but while keeping Pau Gasol and either Mike Miller or Juan Carlos Navarro, but probably not both. With some help from ChipC3, I think I have compiled some evidence that this is possible and would be in the best interests of the team's chances for future success.

The impetus for this post came about after reading Tom Ziller's great article on Ballhype, that is best described as a study of the relationship between a team's average age and win totals. In the article, Ziller splits the results according to 4 categories: Good, Bad, Young and Old. Then the teams are placed on a simple graph to see how they line up. The Grizzlies not-so-surprisingly fall into the "Bad" category for the past season and a half. However, they also qualify for the "Young" designation, given that their average age is 25.3 -- 24.9 if you don't include non-contributor Brian Cardinal. With Damon Stoudamire on the team, the average age was still only 26, well within the "Young" range. It is Ziller's contention that it is acceptable to be Bad and Young, but being Bad and Old is the "no man's land" that should lead teams to blow things up and start over. The Miami Heat are the ultimate example of this theory according to TZ.

Keep reading....

Memphis vs Utah - 2.1.08

FLAG NIGHT AT THE FORUM!

No not those flags!


It's the Grizzlies Rally Flag Night!!! Don't miss out on your 2007-08 edition.

Memphis plays their fourth consecutive home game and their 8th in their last 10 games Saturday night. So far the home stand can only be described as a mixed bad. Wins over Seattle, Chicago and the LA Clippers, blowout losses to Dallas and Orlando and two close but no cigars losses to Cleveland in OT and Denver after having a 7 pt lead with 3 minutes to play. Saturday nights game gives Memphis chance at a 4-4 record in the last 8 home games but Memphis hasn't beaten a team with a winning record since beating San Antonio on Dec. 19th. With Pau Gasol bothered by back spasms it will be a hard road to climb to change that streak. Darko Milicic had a big game against Denver but will need to repeat that performance again, something Darko has struggled doing this season. Rudy Gay continues to perform at the highest level any perimeter player in Memphis has showing range on his shots, quick hands on defense (1.5 steals per game) and the ability to hit the clutch shots.

Utah is visiting Washington to play the Wizards on Friday night so fatigue may play a part in this game. Utah has stormed past Portland and Denver into 1st place in the Northwest division on the back of a 6 game consecutive game win streak and a 10 game home winning streak. The only two losses in January were to divisional rivals Denver and Portland once each. Utah's frontline of Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer and Mehmet Okur offer size, scoring and defense which will make things difficult for the interior players on the Grizzlies, especially if Stro or Pau don't play. Deron Williams probably won't be named an all-star this year but is playing like one averaging 19.1 ppg on 51.5% FG shooting, 9.5 assists and 1.15 spg. It's tough to make the All-Star game in the West when those numbers only put you in the mix. Utah can't afford to overlook the Grizzlies since despite their excellent record of late the Jazz are still only 1.5 games out of 9th place in the Western Conference and out of the playoffs completely.

Point Guards: Kyle Lowry vs Deron Williams
Kyle has been playing some long minutes lately and would probably be pleased to see Mike Conley back in the lineup for this game. Deron Williams is a pounding PG who, at 6-3 and 205 pounds, uses his size to his advantage to muscle his way inside or to post up opponents. Assuming Lowry is starting expect the two muscular players to really go after each other. The main problem is that Williams can shoot from the field (51.5%) and the arc (39.4%) while Kyle has struggled shooting this season. Also with Utah's pick and roll offense expect to see Lowry taking some mean picks for the team. Still Lowry is a bulldog and can surprise teams with his toughness and tenacity. This should be a great battle.
Advantage: Utah

Shooting Guards: Mike Miller vs Ronnie Brewer
Former Arkansas Razorback Ronnie Brewer has blossomed this season in Utah. After averaging only 12.1 mpg last season Brewer has stepped it up to 28.5 mpg this season on the back of 54.1% FG shooting and a nice all-around game. Brewer is not a 3 pt threat, hitting only 17.9% of his attempts, but his size (6-7) enables him to post up most opposing SGs and to punish teams attempting to put PG's on him instead of Williams. Mike Miller will have to work hard to get his shot off against Brewer but can match him in size and power. Miller's rebounding has suffered in the small ball lineup but at SG he is one of the best in the league. Hitting 50.8% from teh field and 43.4% from the arc makes Mike a dangerous scorer in the half court and if players rush out to guard him on the perimeter Miller has shown the ability to get to the rim with ease as well.
Advantage: Memphis

Small Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Andrei Kirilenko
Rudy Gay is the Grizzlies lead scorer and go to player late in the games despite only being 21 yrs old. His shooting has been respectable at 47% from the floor and nearly 40% from the arc. He has amazing athletic ability and if there is a weakness it his his ball-handling skills. Andrei Kirilenko is one of the best defensive players in the league. AK-47 averages 1.8 bpg and 1.3 spg while shooting 50.3% fro mteh field and 37% from the arc. The lanky 6-9 Russian is a tough guard on both sides of the court. This summer's trade demands seem to have calmed down during the season but with his desire to play PF more than SF it may not be over if the Jazz start to stumble. This battle should be worth the price of admission by itself.
Advantage: Utah

Power Forwards: Pau Gasol vs Carlos Boozer
The man who Memphis didn't get vs the man Memphis can't wait to see leave. Carlos Boozer was on everyone's lips but Jerry West at the 2002 draft. Robert Archibald was the Grizzlies 2nd rd pick and three picks later Cleveland gladly picked him up. He has become an All-Star in Utah averaging 22.4 ppg and 10.6 rpg this season. That may not be enough to get Boozer into the all-star game this season. It should be enough to outperform Gasol however. Before Gasol's back started bothering him he was playing his best this season in January. Gasol averaged 21.8 ppg and 10.5 rpg in the month as well as 3.4 apg and 1.9 bpg. Unfortunately Gasol's back has not allowed him to play at the level he performed in January.
Advantage: Utah

Centers: Darko Milicic vs Mehmet Okur
I don't know how to judge this match. Is the Darko who put 14 and 16 against Marcus Camby or is the 2 point, 5 board Darko against Dallas playing? Is Mehmet the 19 pt 9 baord NBA All-Star playing from past years or the 12 pt 6 rebound player of this year? In January Mehmet played some of his best ball all season averaging 14.5 ppg and 6.9 rpg. he also tossed in 42% of his three point shots.
Advantage: Utah

Benches: Memphis vs Utah
Let's see, Utah has a bench and Memphis doesn't. Against Denver Memphis had Casey Jacobsen, Hakim Warrick and Andre Brown off the bench. Utah has Kyle Korver (who some Grizz fan has proclaimed is as good as Mike Miller), Paul Millsap and Matt Harpring. Even if Stro is back and Conley returns from injury it is a mismatch.
Advantage: Utah

UPDATE:
Join Assistant Coach Ron DuBois in Lexus Lounge promptly at 6pm on February 2nd prior to the Grizzlies vs. Jazz game for insight about the game against the Jazz. Assistant coach Ron DuBois will show a short video covering 3-4 topics on the Jazz and how the Grizzlies will address that team’s obstacles.

Passed out to all in attendance will be a “Game Profile Sheet” which includes a statistical analysis of the opposing team. If time permits, there will be a brief session of Q&A from guests in Lexus Lounge.

A valid ticket with access to Lexus Lounge is all that is needed to attend. While an RSVP is not necessary, space in Lexus Lounge is limited. Reservations for Lexus Lounge can be made by calling 901-205-1830.

Links: Rudy's Dunk Blog, Sam Smith's Backtracking, Mascot News

Rudy Gay has had a pretty big year so far. On his All-Star Dunk Blog, he answered a few questions from the fans and thanked all the fans who have sent in entries for him to use in the dunk contest. He also had a strong statement for MVP candidate Dwight Howard:

Before I go, I have a message for Dwight:

You have that idea about moving the goal to 12 feet? If you want to do it, go ahead and do it. I'm pretty confident in my jumping ability. If you go before me, I'll leave it up there and do my dunk.

That, my friends, takes cajones the size of basketballs, given the known quantity that is Dwight's athletic ability. If anyone can pull it off, I believe that #22 can.

It appears that Sam Smith is reconsidering his well-known obsession with Pau Gasol. In a recent mailbag, he had the following exchange:

Chris Feldman, Dubuque, Iowa: What is with the obsession with Pau Gasol? OK, he's a big who can score. However, he's definitely not a superstar, and he's not tough. The last time the Bulls traded for a mid-level superstar who fit those qualifications (Jalen Rose), it cost them Ron Artest, Brad Miller, and other parts of the core, and the team still floundered. I'd almost rather see the Bulls pick up someone like Jason Kidd, who at least is willing to drive to the basket once in a while and make his teammates better, even though he isn't a big. Am I nuts for thinking that taking the best player off a team with a worse record than the Bulls isn't the answer?

Sam Smith: Not completely. I don't believe there's an obsession since they haven't gotten him. He's a nice piece, but it tells you something when the Bulls won't give up one of their starters. They know Gasol's flaws. Everyone does. After all, it's not easy to be 0-12 in playoff games in your career. That's why no team can give up much for him. He's injury prone and not a big rebounder. Defense isn't a priority. He's hardly well regarded in Memphis. I believe they end up keeping him because they don't get a big offer and maybe do something with him around draft time. As for losing Artest and Miller, it hardly made a difference and perhaps saved plenty of embarrassment. Jalen just didn't care to defend. He was hardly a big problem.

Well, well, well, doesn't Smith sound like the victim of unrequited love? Since there is virtually no way that Pau is headed to the Windy City, ol' Sam is backtracking to make it seem like they didn't lose out on anything now. Pau's 0-12 record in the playoffs will keep as many people away as stopped Danny Ainge from taking on KG's history of postseason failure. Not a big rebounder? He's averaging 8.8 rpg this season and 8.6 rpg for his career. To put that in perspective, the Bulls currently have zero players besting him in that department. That includes the great and powerful Ben Wallace. Pssst.....he also blocks more shots per game than anyone on their team, even though defense isn't a priority. But you couldn't use a guy like that, right Sam? In two years, expect a Rudy Gay to Chicago in exchange for Thabo Sefolosha and a 2nd round pick from him. He's nothing if not predictable.

The Grizzlies are doing something to improve the game experiences by inviting other teams' mascots to perform at games in the absence of Eric McMahon, the man behind the mask of beloved team icon Grizz. From Grizzlies.com:

Beginning with Saturday’s game against Utah, a different mascot will be appearing at almost every Grizzlies home game through the end of the season. The schedule of appearances is listed below.

To show their support for McMahon while he undergoes treatment, each mascot is traveling to Memphis at their own expense or their team’s expense to help entertain Grizzlies fans at FedExForum.

Fans can show their support as well by purchasing a Friends of Grizz wristband for $3 from the Grizzlies Den Team Store at FedExForum. Proceeds from the sale of the wristbands will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The organization is also continuing the Friends of Grizz program, where patients of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and their families are invited on behalf of Grizz to each home game as a show of solidarity for their battle and his.

Fans can send get well wishes to Eric online, by mail: care of Grizz, to 191 Beale Street, Memphis, Tennessee, 38103, or via e-mail. Fans wishing to donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital can log on to www.stjude.org.

Obviously, this is great news for fans and should provide something to help lift the spirits of Eric and his family. Get well soon Eric.

Wallace Said No?

You have got to be kidding me?

File this nugget of information away in the file that contains examples which contradict the old adage of "the best trade is sometimes the one you don't make".

From the Great Ron Tillery:

Past interest (in Stro) indicates New Jersey might emerge as one suitor. Earlier this season, the Griz are said to have turned down a deal that would have sent Swift to the Nets for Jamaal Magloire, who is in the final year of a deal that pays $4million. (emphasis mine)

What? Am I reading this right. Am I not thinking rationally since it is late at night? Has the 27 hours of no power (or heat) at the house drove me delusional?

We were offered Magloire's expiring contract for Stro and turned the deal down??!?!?!?!?!?!!?

On what planet does that make sense?

Stro has a player option this summer and everyone is crossing their fingers that he won't pick it up (and a good conspiracy theory out there is that poor treatment, like no playing time followed by a suspension, could entice him not to pick up that player option). But still, trading Stro for an expiring contract guarantees we won't pay that money next year.

First, we turn down a Damon trade because it wasn't in his best interest. And now this.

To be fair, RealGM Trade Checker tells me Stro for Mags straight up doesn't work, so maybe the filler was what Wallace was concerned with and that caused him to turn it down. Maybe Wallace didn't take the deal because he hadn't had 50 games to fully evaluate Stro (if so, he should have asked Barone, or any Griz fan what kind of player Stro is). Stro has been disappointing during his entire career in Memphis. He has been disappointing this year. He has barely played in the last month. Have I mentioned he is currently suspended? And should I remind you that he is a certified bum!!! Turning down a trade of an expiring contract for Stro seems absolutely crazy to me.

I need Chip or Spartacus to make the case to me why not trading Stro for Magloire is a good idea. Please, guys, I'm open minded and ready to learn why Wallace would turn this trade down. There easily could be a perfectly sound reason why flipping Stromile for an expiring contract isn't a great idea. I hope.

ChipC3's Response:
First, Swift for Magliore is not a legal trade according to RealGM.com and ESPN's Trade Machine. A little bit of investigation would reveal that.

Second, I find it curious that someone who predicted that the Grizzlies would be winning more than 40 games and competing for the playoffs 'early in the season' is now questioning why a deal wasn't made that would severely weaken this season's team 'early in the season.'

I also find it rather curious that Ron Tillery would just happen to drop this nugget in the press after the one game suspension of Stromile Swift. Did he know about this previously and just happened to forget to mention it until this moment? If Tillery knew of this offer does he also know what else was included that would make it a eligible deal? And what the heck does 'early in the season' mean anyway? Was it early November or Mid-December? If he knows of the offer he should know of when the offer was made as well shouldn't he?

This type of reporting irritates me because it appears as if it was done simply to inflame passions of Grizzlies fans. While I have always believed that Swift would be perfect at New Jersey I don't believe this deal was rejected out of hand by Wallace once the season was lost. I imagine that Swift and Magliore may been pieces in a bigger deal that was not attractive to Memphis. That makes a lot more sense.

But then again I am trying to think logically and not emotionally here.

Update by Zack:

A few interesting tidbits...
--Magloire couldn't be traded until mid December because he signed in the summer, so that gives some sort of timeline.
--Assuming that no one else from Memphis was included and only filler from New Jersey was included to make it work (big assumption). New Jersey has no bad contracts under ~2 million. They have something like 5 expiring contracts and 3 good prospects under ~2 million.

Update II by Zack:

Some stuff from Verno...
--Says that a Stro-Magloire deal was never on the table. In other words, Tillery was not telling the truth. Surprise, surprise.
--Says that IF the deal of Stro for expiring contract(s) were offered, Chris Wallace or any NBA GM would be crazy and a moron for not taking that deal.
--Also says that the Nets would be crazy for offering an expiring contract for the opportunity to pay Stro 6.2 Million next year.

Update III by Zack:

Tillery checks back in with the Stro-Nets stuff. Via MemphisEdge:

The New Jersey Nets continue to make a push for Stromile Swift, and have apparently offered center Jason Collins this time. It is not known if this is a straight-up proposal. But it could be (unlike the one Memphis turned down earlier this season involving Jamaal Magloire and other players) because Collins and Swift’s salaries essentially are equal this season and next.

As of this morning, however, the Grizzlies balked at acquiring Collins. The Griz coaching staff is said to be less enamored with Collins, who is not even as athletic as Darko Milicic.

Swift, meanwhile, returned to practice Thursday ready to put his one-game suspension behind him. The 6-9 forward/center did say, however, that it’s time to move on if the Grizzlies don’t intend to play him.

Stay tuned. (emphasis mine)

No one in the right mind would want Collins over Stro. Collins is a bigger bum than Stro, makes the same amount next year for his last year on his deal, but doesn't have the player option which Stro might exercise.

But Tillery is also sticking with his information that Magloire was offered for Stro. Interesting.

And the last bolded part is interesting and could hint that if we don't play Stro he won't take his player option.