While there has been a ton of hours logged discussing the various aspects of the draft night trade that saw O.J. Mayo and Kevin Love change franchises, most of it has focused on those two players and sharpshooter Mike Miller while ignoring the other pieces in the transaction. Jason Collins should be a solid backup for the T'Wolves, while Brian Cardinal fills the need for a "token white guy" at the end of the bench. Just kidding BC -- you know we love you and think that you'll make a great coach after your playing career is over. For Memphis, Greg Buckner will supply solid defense on the perimeter and Marko Jaric will bring one of the hottest women on the planet to our fair city. What's that? Jaric can play 3 positions? Bonus!!!
The one guy that seems to have slipped through the cracks as nothing more than a throw-in salary that will likely be unceremoniously bought out and left to the winds of free agency is Antoine Devon Walker.
You remember this guy, right? Talented, easy-going, fun-loving.....and in shape. Now just think about what could happen if he showed up in Memphis with that same mindset, that same hunger and desire to win. A tantalizing dream, isn't it? Not only could he start at PF, but he could also be a veteran influence who knows how to win on the biggest of stages. That would be quite a coup for a team full of young players that need someone who has already been through the pains and struggles of climbing the mountain. I'm not saying that 'Toine will turn into a shining example of leadership overnight, but if he wants to play in the NBA beyond this season, then he's going to have to prove to the league that he hasn't become satisfied since winning a title with the Miami Heat in 2006.
Of course, perhaps he has reached the top of the mountain and feels that there is nothing left to accomplish. Even people who know him well have hinted that Walker isn't focused on playing and just seems to be going through the motions -- coasting, as it were.
The reason I bring this up is because Walker's mindset and approach to this season will probably determine who truly got the better end of the trade. Minnesota received two starters (Miller and Love) and one contributing role player (Collins). Memphis got one starter (Mayo), two contributing role players (Buckner and Jaric) and one big question mark (Walker). If that question mark becomes an exclamation point, then the Grizzlies can confidently say that they "won" the trade. It's your move 'Toine -- will it be a Shimmy or a slow dance?
Thursday, July 10, 2008
The 'Toine Factor
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Breaking News: O.J. Mayo to Memphis
Just came across ESPN.
Memphis gets:
O.J. Mayo
Marko Jaric
Antoine Walker
Greg Buckner
Minnesota gets:
Kevin Love
Mike Miller
Brian Cardinal
Jason Collins
Nothing confirmed, but we will keep you updated.
This could be a precursor to a second move that nets Michael Beasley. Perhaps Mayo/Warrick for Beasley/Banks?
Also, I would expect that if this deal goes through that Walker is bought out, as might Buckner, given that neither of their contracts are guaranteed beyond the 2008/09 season according to ESPN, although Buckner's perimeter defense could be very useful.
Update: According to the Commercial Appeal's Ron Tillery, the draft rights to Donte Greene have been sent to Portland for the draft rights to Darrell Arthur. This will help fill that hole at PF. According to Chris Vernon, Arthur was ranked at #11 on the Grizzlies' draft board.
As of right now, the Mayo trade is simply pending league approval, which means that it should be a done deal.
Update 2: Chris Herrington is reporting that a 2nd deal is being finalized that doesn't involve Michael Beasley. No other details at this point.
Update 3: Herrington now says that he misunderstood and that there isn't a 2nd deal. Good night everyone!
Chip's Take: Chad Ford said that Minnesota wins the trade in the short run but in a few years you may look back and say that it was a no-brainer for Memphis.
I have to agree with that if we can keep Mayo happy here. O.J. is the type of player Memphis has always desired. He is a big name player who won't choke under pressure. Combine that with Arthur and Gasol and you have dramatically increased the talent at three positions. If Antoine Walker decides to take advantage of his opportunity and play like he is capable of playing then he could be a real steal in this trade as well. Memphis may also be moving Mayo to go for Beasley which should be very interesting if true. Remember that Miami wanted Rudy Gay before plus the #5 pick so don't get your hopes up too high that Beasley will be here when you wake up in the morning.
Jaric is not a big help but he should be able to help mature the young guns in the backcourt. Bucker brings defensive perimeter help and could be the closest thing Memphis has to a shut down defender. The big question mark is how well the veterans act. If Jaric and Buckner don't provide leadership this team could implode with the egos in the locker room. If they take a roll in being leaders then it could be a great deal. The team won't make the playoffs this season and maybe not next year but the team has made a bold statement that they are wanting to be players again.
If Antoine Walker is bought out then that should ease some of my concerns about team chemistry too. By the way, I think this proves that Heisley was telling the truth when he said there was no reason to believe he wouldn't spend money to improve the team. A buyout of Walker's contract won't come cheaply but it is probably the smart move.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
News and Notes: Captains, Inactive List
A couple of newsworthy items to inform everyone about.
First, the Grizzlies have named their captains for this upcoming season. From Graham Kendrick's blog today:
Marc Iavaroni announced that the team has named three captains for the upcoming season: Pau Gasol, Mike Miller and Damon Stoudamire.
That is great to hear, as I love the fact that they are putting Gasol in a visible leadership role, rather than simply calling him a leader and expecting it to mean something.
The other item is that Brian Cardinal and Tarence Kinsey will both begin the season on the Inactive List. (NBA.com)
A lot of fans are puzzled by this, given how well TK played last year, but I think it is probably a combination of some lingering issues from his shoulder injury (suffered during Summer League), as well as how well Casey Jacobsen played in preseason. The most common complaint of fans has been that Andre Brown should have been on the list instead, but given that we open the season against the San Antonio Spurs, I want as many frontcourt players available as possible. With Cardinal going on the list, it made sense to make the other player a swingman.
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Links: Buying Lunch, The Custodian, Kinsey
Mike Conley Jr. returns to his home state of Indiana to play the Pacers tonight. Jeff Rabjohns of the Indianapolis Star covers Conley's homecoming and talks about him spending time with his former high school coach, Jack Keefer, in Memphis last weekend.
Mike Conley Jr. has purchased a house on a golf course, is driving a Range Rover and even has enough spare cash to take his former high school coach out to lunch.
"The bill came and I started to reach for it, and he said, 'Coach, let me take care of that,' " Keefer said. "I said, 'Since you're a millionaire, go ahead.' He sheepishly paid for it and said, 'I think that's the first time I bought a meal for anybody.'
Conley's famous former teammate, Greg Oden, is sidelined while recovering from knee surgery. This is Conley's first season since junior high without the 7-foot center as a teammate.
"I don't think people gave him his due as a high school player because they always saw Greg out there and all that," Keefer said. "I think he's gained respect from everybody, and people will enjoy seeing him come back."
Brian Cardinal, Janitor Memphis Grizzlies ($5,850,000): During one of the dark years I actually heard a fellow Warrior fan say that the Warriors need to build around Brian Cardinal. I'm worried adding him to the crew might result in some more delusional projections, so we'll pass.
Jason Williams, PG Miami Heat ($8,937,500): White chocolate used to be one of the most entertaining players in the league, but I'm a big fan of milk chocolate. I keep it brown.
Griz head coach Marc Iavaroni seems convinced, evoking "The Custodian" when talking about a goal the team should have while shaping its identity.
"We should be scrapping," Iavaroni said. "That's why I've liked Brian Cardinal. He's done a good job of getting us extra possessions and extra shots. So he'll be in the rotation again. He's a guy who makes other players better. He's a facilitator. He's just a really heady basketball player."
After the dream month Tarence Kinsey had last April, it's understandable why he wasn't in a hurry for the 2006-07 season to end, even though the rest of the Grizzlies were ready to put their 22-win season behind them.
''He's just got some good competition,'' Iavaroni said. ''He's been working very hard, though. Right now, it's finding a format so I can get everybody quality minutes so they can be evaluated. I've been pleased with his effort. And his defense has been a very strong suit.
"I think he's similar to most of the other twos in that they're settling into that style that I'm going to be running a lot and then shooting a jump shot. That takes a little getting used to, even though he did it pretty well last year.''
Saturday, September 29, 2007
News and Notes
Over on Grizzlies.com they have a write-up about Media Day, which was held yesterday. There are also plenty of photos and player portraits to peruse, including the one shown here. Rudy Gay caught a fish "this big".
The Grizzlies announced that they signed two free agents to the training camp roster yesterday -- Kasib Powell and Dontell Jefferson.
Dontell Jefferson is a 23-year old 6'4", 195-pound guard who played two seasons with Atlanta Metropolitan College, then transferred to the University of Arkansas for his final two seasons. He then played professionally last season with the NBADL champion Dakota Wizards, where he averaged 9.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg and 3.7 apg and 1.37 spg. He was coached there by David Joerger, who was recently hired as a Grizzlies assistant.
Kasib Powell is a 26-year old 6'7', 215-pound forward who attended Texas Tech for 4 years. Powell played professionally overseas in Bosnia, Greece, Russia and Greece. Last year, Powell averaged 9.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 2.0 apg and 1.4 spg for Spartak (St. Petersburg, Russia) in the Russian Superleague. He attended the training camps of three different teams the past three years: Orlando Magic (2006), Chicago Bulls (2005) and Minnesota Timberwolves (2004).
In other news, it looks like the rest of the sports world has caught on to the story we reported here on Shades of Blue four days ago -- Mark Price is the shooting coach for the Memphis Grizzlies. When news breaks, we're first on the scene with the duct tape.
Marlon Morgan has a nice column in the Commercial Appeal, detailing the fact that the team is actually healthy for this season's training camp -- a big difference from last year's disastrous start. He's got quotes from Brian Cardinal, Damon Stoudamire, Marc Iavaroni and Tarence Kinsey, all of whom are ready to prove that last season was an aberration and that this team was a lot better than their record indicated. Damon, in particular, seems to have a chip on his shoulder going into this season, which could result in him playing a lot more minutes than many fans would have expected after the selection of Mike Conley Jr. on draft night.
Finally, I urge all of you to read Geoff Calkins' column in this morning's Commercial Appeal titled "There's nothing hopeless about the Grizzlies this season". In it, Calkins details just how much things have changed from the standoffish, keep-at-arm's-length approach the organization had employed for the previous few seasons when dealing with its fanbase. The column is highlighted by President of Business Operations Andy Dolich offering his parking space so that a longtime season ticket holder would renew for this season. It is a new era in Memphis for the Grizzlies, so I think everyone should be willing to give them a chance to prove themselves to the community at large.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Position Battles - Interior Players
Sorry to take so long to get around to this article but frankly it is the most difficult and with the Chris Wallace meeting and the Joey Crawford story I was somewhat distracted.
Why some may ask are the interior players a more difficult section to write than the Point Guards or Wing Players? Surely this area is the most experienced a pre-determined of the lot.
Actually it isn't that simple. After Pau Gasol there is a lot of confusion on who will play and where. Darko Milicic was the big free agent signing of the summer and at 7 feet, 285 pounds the first legitimately sized big man the team has had to put next to Gasol. Hakim Warrick is more of a tweener forward than a true interior player, Stromile has never lived up to his potential, Brian Cardinal is a broken down shell of the player who was over-paid three years ago and who in heck is Andre Brown anyway?
Well there is a lot more confusion than people expect at first glance. Can Darko play an all-out up tempo game? Can Warrick control the ball well enough to to run the break? Has Stro matured? Has Cardinal's most recent knee surgery cured what ailed him for the last two seasons? Is Andre Brown a diamond in the rough or just a dirty rock?
So many questions and so few answers.
The Interior Players-
Pau Gasol: The Bearded One had a strong summer performance in front of the home crowd until the FIBA Finals against Russia. A turnover, 4-9 FT shooting and a missed shot in the last 5 minutes killed Spain's chances for their first European Championship. Another meltdown in the final minutes of a big game for the Spaniard is tough to swallow. Real stars don't collapse in the pressure of the bright lights. How emotionally frustrated Pau will be this year should be interesting to watch. The good news for Pau is that, despite never having a true big man to relieve pressure under the basket, he has been remarkably consistent and now he is joined by his good friend Juan Carlos Navarro. With the combination of two new Europeans one -of whom is a legitimate big- should help this be Gasol's best season ever. Throw on top a return to the fast paced game he prefers with new coach Marc Iavaroni and a return to the all-star game may not be outside the realm of possibilities.
Darko Milicic: He has had a troublesome summer as I talked about previously. What I didn't talk about previously was his previous season and playoff performances. Darko was never able to wrest full time duty away from Tony Battie last year averaging only 23.9 mpg. He did use that time efficiently however scoring 8 ppg, grabbing 5.5 rpg and getting 1.8 bpg. In the playoffs those numbers changed to 28.8 mpg, 12.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 1.0 bpg. So he played more, scored more, rebounded less and blocked fewer shots. Now granted, he was playing the Pistons in the playoffs. Darko's best month of the year was in February when he averaged 30.3 mpg, 11.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg and 2.1 bpg. However, his minutes fell in March and April when Orlando made their push to the playoffs averaging fewer than 24 mpg over that time. Why? What is it about Darko, a former #2 pick in the draft, that he can show so much potential but fail to deliver on a consistent basis?
Stromile Swift: Speaking of a former second pick in the draft failing to deliver on a consistent basis, I present you Stromile Swift. Who has been a bigger disappointment in his career, Darko or Stro? Stromile is in an option year of his contract. He can opt out next summer and play the free agent game again. That alone should suggest a bigger year from him than last seasons dysfunctional 54 games. Stro somehow managed to average 7.8 ppg and grab 4.6 rpg last year while blocking 1.1 shots in only 19 mpg but the lack of production seemed far worse during the year. Stro is emotional and maybe the shock of playing for the Grizz again combined with Mike Fratello and his mother's stroke was too much to handle. None of that explains the falloff in February, March and April last season when he should have adjusted to being back, his mom was healthy and Fratello was gone. This could be near the end for Stro as he has a coach who should bring out all the positives of his game. Up-tempo should really benefit Stro, but the crowded rotation means inconsistency won't be tolerated any more.
Hakim Warrick: He is facing the all important 3rd year of his NBA career. If a major step forward is going to be taken this is statistically the year he should show it. And it isn't like Hakim didn't start making those steps last season. His scoring improved from 4.1 ppg to 12.7. His rebounding improved from 2.1 to 5.1 per game. His minutes improved from 10.6 to 26.2 mpg. So basically his scoring tripled, his rebounding doubled and his minutes improved by 2.5. What does this tell us? If you play more you will get more stats but it doesn't mean you really improved your play. Hakim needs to really improve his play this season and that means improved defense, better understanding and functioning in the offense and a more physical play. Most important is defense. Much of the criticism of Gasol's defense last year was when Warrick lost his man and Gasol came over to help, only to have his man left wide open. That cannot continue. Warrick also was the final option offensively too often. Not because he was the last option but when he got his hands on the ball he never let go. Warrick has to prove he can play the 4 similar to Boris Diaw who included everyone in the offense while playing good defense.
Brian Cardinal: Did you hear that TV is bringing back the Bionic Woman...and Memphis is bringing back their $6 million Dollar Man. Unfortunately our man is not any better than the show. Many people forget that Brian Cardinal had another knee surgery last spring. Will this surgery finally cure what has ailed him since his first year in Memphis or is the damage too severe? At this point no one knows for sure. One thing for sure, Cardinal may be able to be rebuilt, but he won't be faster, jump higher or shoot more accurately than before. At best Brian will be the 5th interior player on the team or the 3rd small forward. He definitely is smart enough to play the game, but physically I don't believe they can give him the ability to stay up with the speed and height of the game today.
Andre Brown: If Cardinal is the $6 million dollar man, then Andre Brown is The Shadow. Everyone has heard of him but no one knows what he looks like, has seen him play or know anything about his past other than wild rumors of his dominating lesser talent in South America (actually the NBADL but what's is the difference). At 6-9 Brown should push Swift as the backup big man and could actually pass an uninspired Swift. Brown was described by Chris Wallace as being a hard worker who is content with his role on the team. In other words he won't complain if he sits on the bench in street clothes but has to workout with the team every morning. Apparently that role didn't sit well with Alexander Johnson. If Brown outplays Stro then we could have a physical player to band underneath with a bargain basement price. If he doesn't then we have a hard worker who appreciates the opportunity.
So what is going to happen? Gasol and Darko will become the Ivory Towers on opening night. Warrick could be in the running for sixth man of the year if he improves his defense and his passing. Swift is a big question mark while Cardinal and Brown should rarely appear in anything beside street clothes and warmup suits. I would go so far as to say that if anyone sees what number is on Andre Brown's jersey this season then something has gone terribly wrong.
The big picture depends on Darko. Can he finally break out of his underperformance and become a valuable contributor on a team. The Grizzlies paid him to be there big man. Gasol will do about 20 and 10 like he always does and Warrick should excel in the running offense so whether or not the team can win will depend on Darko being the big man that the city has longed for since 2001. If Darko averages 10+ ppg and grabs 7+ rpg to go along with his shot blocking then Memphis will be tough to stop inside and probably much tougher to score on as well. That frees up the perimeter players to press more on the perimeter which means more opportunities to run. If Darko isn't able to provide that type of production then it will be more difficult to play the pressing defense Iavaroni has said he wants to play and everything else slows down.
Slowing down is not something that most Grizzlies fans want to hear about this team.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Brian Cardinal - Unlikely Success Story
Jeff Washburn has a nice article on Brian Cardinal in the Journal & Courier today titled "Cardinal continues to realize NBA dream". According to Cardinal, his expectations were met when he made the varsity basketball team in Tolono, Illinois. Needless to say, he has achieved much more than that accomplishment.
"I've succeeded just by being myself ... working hard and being proactive," Cardinal said. "I've improved as the years have gone on. I'm not getting younger, and it seems like the kids coming into the league are getting younger and younger.
"Those guys are much more athletic than what I am. In my position, I'm just trying to stay ahead of the game by continuing to work out and stay in shape. I always try to get after it."
Cardinal and his wife, Danielle, live in Memphis and have a 10-month-old son, Bryson. Cardinal's wife is former Purdue women's basketball player Danielle Bird.
"We enjoy living in Memphis," Cardinal said. "It's a great city. I have a lot of good friends there. There are several Purdue grads that we have befriended. We love it."
And barbecue connoisseur Cardinal couldn't have picked a better city to satisfy his dining habits. He is a frequent visitor to The Rendezvous and Interstate Barbecue -- each a Memphis staple."I probably get there too often," Cardinal said. "It's great ... some of the best barbecue. It's good living down there."
It's a nice piece about where hard work and determination can lead you to, and it was nice to hear about one of our less-heralded team members for a change. Who knows, maybe I'll get an Andre Brown or Casey Jacobsen story later this week to top this one.
I know that a lot of people complain rather vociferously about Cardinal's contract and his continual stints on the disabled list the past few seasons. It is true that he hasn't fully lived up to the deal he signed in terms of presence or performance. However, after reading something like this and then recalling how his play in the 2004/05 season helped propel the Grizzlies into the playoffs despite Pau Gasol's absence in several games due to plantar fasciitis, it makes me realize that we, as fans, can be incredibly heartless and critical of guys who are just like us in reality...only a little bit taller. I'm sure none of these players want to get injured after signing these big contracts -- that's just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes. And, for all the offbase talk about how "bad" Cardinal's contract is, it isn't like we're dealing with a contract the size of Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill or Allan Houston, is it?
With all that said, I believe that Cardinal can be a valuable contributor for this team, even with the uptempo style they are sure to play. He won't play 24 mpg as he did in 2004/05, but the hustle and perimeter shooting he can likely provide for 8-12 mpg (if needed) should be enough to give Pau, Hakim and Rudy some much needed rest at the forward positions. For me, this is just one more reason to get excited about Memphis Grizzlies basketball as the season draws ever closer.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Memphis and West: A Lesson in Failure
“Leaders establish the vision for the future and set the strategy for getting there; they cause change. They motivate and inspire others to go in the right direction and they, along with everyone else, sacrifice to get there.”
-John Kotter
Jerry West has tendered his resignation effective July 1st, 2007. After 6 years at the head of the franchise West has decided the team needs a new voice to lead the franchise going forward.
When West arrived in Memphis he stated his vision to make this a model franchise. While few people really knew what that meant he changed the way the franchise was viewed by the fans and the league with just his presence. He made his first major move when he fired Sydney Lowe only 8 games into the new season. Hubie Brown was hired. Brown brought discipline and a mentality that winning is a process not an end result. He coached the Grizzlies to a 28-46 record that year.
When Brown succeeded the crowds supported Brown not because anyone bought into Jerry West’s vision or even understood what his vision was. They bought into Brown’s vision because he communicated this every night in the press conferences. Jerry West was given credit for being behind everything if Brown was this successful as the coach. Who cares if no one knew what West was thinking in his box in the sky, the success on the court meant he had a plan and we should trust him.
‘Trust in Jerry’ became a popular phrase around Memphis.
The next season the Grizzlies caught fire and during a beautiful 50 win year the Grizzlies could do no wrong. West was a genius winning the league’s Executive of the Year. Hubie Brown won Coach of the Year. Things couldn’t have been better in Memphis. Who cares if no one knew what West’s vision was for the future, the Grizzlies were on the right path.
Then things started to go wrong. First, Brian Cardinal was signed to a free agent contract larger than James Posey’s, the previous year’s team MVP. West paid far over market value for Cardinal and it raised a lot of eyebrows. Players began to express unhappiness with the lack of playing time under Brown’s system that had 10 players basically playing for 24 minutes a game. It really got weird when Brown complained that West was spying on him with an equipment manager. Even though the team was moving into a new arena and coming off a 50 win season and the first playoff appearance in franchise history, it seemed no one was happy. No one was on the same page. There was no shared vision of the future that everyone was working toward.
Then suddenly Brown was gone.
Thanksgiving Day he told the team he was retiring effective immediately due to health problems. In 2 months the Grizzlies had gone from an up and coming NBA team ready to take their place in the upper echelon of the NBA to a team in disarray without leadership and without cohesion. Within 8 days West brought in another old school coach, Mike Fratello, to take over the team. The rumor was that West wanted a disciplinarian coaching the team to control the egos and to get the players to focus on team and not individuals. What was left unanswered was the question of how Fratello fit into Jerry’s vision. Granted Fratello had a reputation as a disciplinarian but how would his coaching philosophy mesh with the vision West had for the team?
Fratello won a lot of games with the Grizzlies but also upset players and fans. West sat alone in his suite watching intensely. Fratello seemed to be the anti-thesis of Brown. He was short and curt in press conferences compared to Brown’s rolling monologues on the game. While Brown seemed to enjoy educating the press about the game, Fratello seemed to be irritated. Gone was the personality on TV that had him called the “Czar of the Telestrator.”
Fratello totally changed the manner of play on the court as well. The Grizzlies went from an up-tempo team that attempted to wear down their opponents with pressure and the depth of their bench to the slowest team in the league that apparently wanted to lull their opponents to sleep. Still West was stoic. The strong man behind his Forum suite’s glass partition never came out and explained how this move was getting us closer to his vision of the ‘Model Franchise.’
The termination of Fratello and hiring of Barone brought along a pronouncement that the team would be changing again to a running up-tempo style and true to his word Barone did give the fans that. He played the youngsters and the team ran the ball. Barone joked with the media, with the refs and even his own players. West barely said a word about how this move fit into his vision of the future.
And no one knows yet what West saw as the future of the franchise.
West has always been quiet, reserved and shy. His press conferences rambled from point to point and he often left people with no idea what he really meant. He did not express his vision of the future of the franchise. No one knew his strategy to get the team there. He motivated people in the short run by reputation but by being too closed and guarded in his plans for the team he didn’t have anyone buy into his vision of the future. People didn’t work together because very few understood what direction they were going.
Hubie Brown coached the team to run and use their athleticism to outscore the opponents. He didn’t run just to run. Everyone had a place on the court and Brown expected them to be in the right place at the right time but pressure and speed were valuable keys to the team’s success. Fratello wanted to control every aspect of the team. He preferred to slow the game down to make sure that he controlled what was happening. The Grizzlies went from one of the higher scoring teams in the league to one of the best defensive teams in two seasons. Under Barone the team became one of the highest scoring teams again in a matter of weeks. At no time were the fans involved or educated about the reason for these moves. What was the vision? West had 4 coaches in 5 seasons (Lowe, Brown, Fratello and Barone-and that isn’t including the 4 game stint of Lionel Hollins) and another one on the way this summer. Where is the plan? One minute the team is running the next they are taking the air out of the ball only to have it refilled with Helium. Is it any wonder the fans turned away?
If leadership is establishing a vision of the future and establishing a path to get you there then West failed to lead this team. A lot of things can be blamed on the owner but the failure to communicate a vision of the future lies at one man’s feet. He may have had that vision (and I suspect he did) but he failed to get the players to buy into it. He didn’t communicate this vision so the fans and the players had a hard time buying into it. Without that commitment and motivation the sacrifices weren’t made to help it succeed.
West is right about the team needing a new voice. Hopefully this time it will be one people can hear both on the team and in the community. To turn this franchise around it will need sacrifice on a lot of people’s parts. Things must change. The team has to create an identity that everyone can rally behind and all of this comes from the leader’s ability to communicate his goals and visions.
West didn’t fail in Memphis because he didn’t have a vision. He didn’t fail because he didn’t make sacrifices along the way to succeed. He didn’t fail because he didn’t cause change. He failed because he kept the vision to himself. Without the understood vision all the sacrifices and effort, all the attempts to motivate and inspire eventually fall on deaf ears. One man can’t do it alone.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Grizzlies Review: A Season in Hell
It is always painful to write an end of season re-cap of player’s performances since this means the season is actually over. This season is not as painful as some but still hurts just the same. The team failed to live up to the lowest expectations of the fans and yet still managed to play entertaining basketball. Unsuccessful but entertaining just the same.
Pau Gasol: Season- 20.8 ppg, 9.8 RPG, 3.4 apg, 0.5 spg and 2.1 bpg
Career- 18.8 ppg, 8.6 RPG, 3.1 apg, 0.5 spg, 1.8 bpg
Gasol set career highs in scoring, rebounding, FG%, and tied his career high in blocks. He also set a franchise high in times being booed at home. An interesting dichotomy brought about by someone leaking a private conversation between Heisley and Gasol to the media. While definitely not Gasol’s fault for the story being leaked he was definitely made the whipping boy by the local fans who were upset that he was injured while playing basketball for Spain and missing the fist 23 games of the season.
What people seem to forget is that Gasol put up these numbers despite playing his way into game condition. His performance in 2007 was nothing short of impressive despite boos raining down from the rafters every time he made a mistake. Gasol averaged 21.5 ppg, 10.9 RPG, 3.65 apg and 2.3 bpg in 2007 that type of performance is comparable to Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitski and Kevin Garnett. There will always be critics who refuse to give Gasol credit this season but the reality is that he took his game up to another level despite playing 3 fewer minutes a game than he did during his all-star season of 05-06. While Gasol will never be as good as Duncan defensively, he could improve perception of his defense if the Grizz had a Point Guard who could stop dribble penetration which frequently left Gasol in difficult defensive situations.
Mike Miller: Season- 18.5 ppg, 5.4 RPG, 4.3 apg, 40.6 3pt%, 0.8 spg
Career- 14.4 ppg, 4.5 RPG, 2.9 apg, 39.8 3pt%, 0.7 spg
Mike opened the season as the team’s de facto #1 scorer and didn’t look good in that role. With Mike Fratello’s slow ball still the rule of thumb and the opponent’s not having to double team Gasol due to his injury, Miller was forced to play a style that doesn’t emphasize his best traits. His 14.0 ppg average was his season low in November. From that point on a different Miller emerged. With the return of Gasol and the firing of Fratello, Miller exploded out to average 19.7 ppg the rest of the season before knee tendonitis sidelined him at the end of March.
Miller was a long range sharp-shooter as usual but he also drove the lane more effectively than ever before. His confidence blossomed and with Gasol the team had two players capable of scoring 20 points on any given night. Never known as a defensive stopper Miller struggled to defend opposing SGs and was relegated to the SF role where his rebounding skills offset his lack of lateral quickness. While Miller’s season was his best statistically as a pro it also exposed the weaknesses inherent in his game. Those weaknesses may best be covered coming off the bench in the future rather than starting, especially with the rookies looking promising at SF and SG and the team’s desire to improve the backcourt in the off-season. Miller may be needed to be used as bait to get a deal done.
Chucky Atkins: Season- 13.2 ppg, 4.6 apg, 0.7 spg, 37.9 3pt%, 1.69 topg
Career- 10.8 ppg, 3.7 apg, 0.7 spg, 37.0 3pt%, 1.59 topg
Chucky was probably the most unpopular free agent signing this summer. Fans blamed Chucky for Jason Terry’s playoff explosion in the playoff sweep the previous season and didn’t want him back. A year later the attitude has changed dramatically. Now Memphis fans hope Chucky is back but he has more options available now and it is highly doubtful that he will return.
What Chucky did while in Memphis won’t be forgotten quickly however. His arrival in January, 2006 was a life raft to a season that looked to have been sunk when Damon Stoudamire went down with a patella tendon rupture. This season his impact was just as important. His excellent sense of humor and veteran presence insured the team remained upbeat even at the lowest points. His clutch 4th quarter shooting helped win games and his acceptance of his changing role with the team did much to enhance his stature in Memphis. His role was least appreciated at the start of the season but by the end he just may have been the team MVP.
Hakim Warrick: Season- 12.7 ppg, 5.1 RPG, 0.9 apg, 0.52 spg, 0.37 bpg
Career- 8.8 ppg, 3.8 RPG, 0.7 apg, 0.4 spg, 0.3 bpg
Hakim finally got to step on the court as a starter in the NBA when Gasol’s foot broke and he made a noticeable impact right away. He averaged 15.7 ppg in November as well as 6.1 RPG. Then Pau returned and Hakim’s minutes started dropping but his attitude stayed strong. He bided his time and when given a 2nd opportunity in the starting lineup he made sure he stayed there. His rebounding improved and his shooting punished teams intent on doubling Gasol. He became the #3 scoring threat on the team and seemed to grow more and more confident with each game. What Warrick didn’t seem to handle well was man on man defense. His inability to stop his man was one of the main reasons the Grizzlies went to the 2-3 zone that Warrick was familiar with at Syracuse.
With Warrick’s leaping ability there is no reason he should average less than half a block a game either. While his focus on rebounding improved during the season the defense he plays is not up to NBA expectations. He will need to improve his ball handling, his passing and his defense to be anything more than a spot starter in his career.
Rudy Gay: Season- 10.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.3 apg, 0.9 spg, 1.0 bpg, 36.4 3pt%, 42.2 FG%
Career- 10.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.3 apg, 0.9 spg, 1.0 bpg, 36.4 3pt%, 42.2 FG%
Rudy Gay entered the Grizzlies camp with the most fanfare of any rookie since Drew Gooden. He ended the season with as much fanfare as any Grizzlies rookie since Pau Gasol. Not a bad development from the 20 yr old. He opened the month of November with the ROM award for the Western Conference after averaging a paltry 8.7 ppg and shooting a terrible 35.9 FG% and 31.8 3pt%. Surprisingly he improved those numbers almost every month of the season but never won the award again. His best month was February when he averaged 15.0 ppg, 5.1 rpg, shot 47.3% from the field and 47.5% from the arc.
The future is very bright for young Rudy who has admitted the strain of being a rookie in the NBA and having the onus to live up to Jerry West’s pre-season comments made it difficult to relax at first on the court. Rudy Gay struggled all season with playing multiple positions on the court and seems most suited for the SF position where his athleticism often will overwhelm other SFs in the league. His ball handling is a tad week to play the SG and that led many teams to start pressing the Grizzlies when he was playing in the backcourt. The effectiveness of those presses shows how much work needs to be done in this area. Defensively Rudy didn’t struggle nearly as much as would be expected from a rookie which should encourage the fans for next season.
Stromile Swift: Season- 7.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.15 bpg, 46.5 FG%
Career- 8.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.3 bpg, 47.1 FG%
The Stro Show limped into town in shock from the draft day trade that brought him back to the Bluff City with Rudy Gay for Shane Battier. He didn’t seem to come out of the funk except for two periods all season. The first occurred after he returned from being with his mother who had suffered a stroke. He play had been sporadic since the beginning of the season as he complained of knee pain. Apparently his knee recovered nicely during the break with his mother. This time also corresponded with Mike Fratello being released and Barone hired and suddenly Stro was on fire. From Dec. 30 to Jan 9th Stro scored in double figures four times including a season high 26 pts against Golden St and was close to double figures in the other two games. Then another injury sat Stro for 11 more games in a row and when he returned he was not in the rotation (or out of doghouse). The last 4 games Stro scored in double figures in every game.
This is not what Jerry West envisioned when he reacquired Stro on draft day. Stro never looked comfortable this season either from injury or general dissatisfaction. His best friend on the team (Gasol) demanded a trade with management. For Stro that wasn’t necessary since the team was trying to trade him as hard as they could. No one seems interested in a MLE player who misses games with ‘phantom’ injuries and is moody. Not surprising really.
Tarence Kinsey: Season- 7.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.9 apg, 1.1 spg, 45.7 FG%
Career- 7.7 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.9 apg, 1.1 spg, 45.7 FG%
In a season filled with bad news and unhappy scenes, TK was a breath of fresh air to end the season. The 2nd rookie for the Grizzlies this season to win the Rookie of the Month award for the Western Conference, TK came out of nowhere to shock the league with his deadly accurate mid-range shooting and his on court intensity. Rookies aren’t supposed to play good defense. Undrafted rookies aren’t supposed to even play! TK took advantage of every opportunity he was given the year to suddenly be a serious contender for the starting SG role next season. Not bad for a player who had to fight thru a broken orbital socket suffered in training camp to even make the team.
Kinsey isn’t without his faults of course and the most glaring is his lack of a consistent outside shot. His mid-range game is excellent but when he gets to the arc his percentages drop like a rock averaging 18.8% from behind the arc in April alone. Very similar in appearance to a young Richard Hamilton without the pressure of being Michael Jordan’s first draft pick, TK really brought it the last month of the season averaging 18.8 ppg despite his long range woes. His play after Miller went down leads one to ask ‘just how invaluable is Mike Miller?’
Dahntay Jones: Season- 7.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.9 apg, 0.5 spg, 41.7 3pt%
Career- 5.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 0.6 apg, 0.4 spg, 33.0 3pt%
Dahntay Jones looked to have a real chance of showing the Grizzlies what he was capable of this season. Eddie Jones was injured to start the season and no one else seemed ready to fill the role of defensive SG on the roster and if he could improve his shooting the future starting role seemed to be his. 78 games later, with improvement in nearly every statistical category, there is a question whether the Grizzlies will even offer him his qualifying offer. After all, Tony Barone said Dahntay was the player most likely to give him an ulcer. Dahntay had his opportunity in December when he started 15 of 16 games, played 30 minutes a night and was given the tough assignments while covering for Miller defensively.
Unfortunately, while playing well it wasn’t enough to keep Rudy Gay on the bench when Barone took over. Dahntay’s minutes dropped from 30 to 20 immediately after Barone took over and eventually bottomed at 12 mpg in March before rising back to 29 mpg in April. With the de-emphasis on defense and the need for more scoring in the up-tempo offense Dahntay was cast aside and may not return despite the excellent play down the stretch.
Damon Stoudamire: Season- 7.5 ppg, 4.8 apg, 2.2 rpg, 0.8 spg, 39.1 FG%, 33.7 3pt%
Career- 14.0 ppg, 6.4 apg, 3.6 rpg, 1.1 spg, 40.8 FG%, 35.8 3pt%
Damon’s play after recovering from patella tendon surgery is nothing short of remarkable. Too bad that alone isn’t what people are judged for in the NBA. While he made significant progress toward regaining the use of his knee he regressed as a ball player and at 34 yrs old at the beginning of the season it may be a situation of too little too late. He simply may not be able to regain the strength robbed by the surgery in time to prevent the loss from age. From the beginning it was known that this would be a 2 yr recovery process but Damon also knew it was a race against time. At the end of the season it looked like time won.
Damon was unable to average 10 ppg in any single month this season. His shooting percentages are some of the worst of his career His assists only approached his career average in February. The up-tempo style only exposed the weakness in Damon’s leg. Without a shot, without an ability to break down defenders and without the height to stop people on the defensive end, Damon was merely a 5’10” aging PG with a bad wheel. Chucky and even Junior Harrington outplayed him down the stretch and we may have seen the end of Damon in Memphis, and possibly the end of Damon in the NBA. If the Grizz bring in a veteran PG via free agency then he is gone. If not then he has a chance for one more year.
Kyle Lowry: Season- 5.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.2 apg, 36.8 FG%, 37.5 3pt%, 1.4 spg
Career- 5.6 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.2 apg, 36.8 FG%, 37.5 3pt%, 1.4 spg
Quick, which rookie for the Grizzlies this season didn’t start a single game and was the most popular rookie for the year? If you remembered to say Kyle Lowry you would be correct. Rudy Gay started 43 games, Alexander Johnson started 19 games, Tarence Kinsey started 12 games and Kyle Lowry played in a total of 9 games all season but still everyone from Barone down to the fans of the team see Kyle Lowry as being a key component to the Grizzlies returning to respectability. Barone said at media day that Lowry may even be able to start the season at the point. Incredibly optimistic feelings from the fans and coaches for a player will almost no NBA experience.
Of course the broken wrist that robbed him of his rookie year is reportedly mended and the rehab has begun. He should be ready for summer camp and hopefully will get plenty of burn in the summer leagues as well. How well Kyle performs could determine how hard the Grizzlies search for a new PG. It is a dangerous play this way but one that could pay great dividends if Lowry is ready to go.
Lawrence Roberts: Season- 5.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 45.2 FG%, 0.67 spg, 0.24 bpg
Career- 3.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 45.2 FG%, 0.5 spg, 0.1 bpg
LRob is another player in a precarious situation with the Grizzlies. Since the Grizzlies have rights to match any offer, LRob may have to wait until the end of free agency to know where he will be playing next year if in the NBA at all. On the bright side are games like he had in Boston when he set a career high of 18 pts and the Charlotte game when he grabbed 11 rebounds in only 25 minutes and the 14 rebounds in only 26 minutes against Sacramento. On the dark side is the knee surgery to repair the meniscus in his knee following the Boston game and the cyst that developed on his other knee to prematurely end the season.
If Roberts can avoid the injury bug then the Grizzlies would definitely want him back but the risk is so high for a revenue strapped franchise. With Cardinal already guaranteed and sidelined with knee pain can the Grizzlies afford to resign another player with questionable knees no matter how high the potential seems to be. One aspect favoring a return by Roberts is that he was purchased with two 2nd rd draft picks. One of those picks is to be paid this season. That means the 1st pick in the 2nd rd won’t belong to the Grizzlies because of Roberts. That may be enough of a reason to keep him around a year or two more.
Junior Harrington: Season- 5.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 41.6 FG%, 26.9 3pt%, 0.72 spg
Career- 5.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 3.1 apg, 37.1 FG%, 27.4 3pt%, 0.9 spg
Junior was the last player cut from the team before the season began. He wasn’t the first point guard brought in after the team realized they needed help. He also started 8 games at the point this season. That tells you how weak the PG position has been this year. Actually Junior brought something to the point position that the team hadn’t had since their game in Cleveland. That is the ability to deny the opposing PG’s easy access to the lane. His defense helped the Grizzlies lower their team defensive scoring dramatically.
Brian Cardinal: Season- 4.5 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 40.9 3pt%, 49.4 FG%, 0.8 spg
Career- 6.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg. 39.7 3pt%, 42.5 FG%, 0.9 spg
Brian came out of camp being called the most impressive player of the camp. That either meant that the camp was really bad or that BC failed to live up to his pre-season play because he wasn’t the most impressive on the court during the season. BC’s knees are shot and it is doubtful that the season ending surgery he underwent is going to change that. If he comes back next season at anything less than 100% then he may become a target of fan dissatisfaction.
Alexander Johnson: Season 4.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.6 bpg, 53.8 FG%, 0.42 apg
Career: 4.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 0.6 bpg, 53.8 FG%, 0.42 apg
AJ was the shocking starting PF for 19 games in November and December. Then we became the forgotten man for the rest of the season. Most disturbing about this was his apparent lack of understanding on why that was the case. AJ averaged nearly 3 fouls every 13 minutes of court time. That means he couldn’t play half the game because of foul trouble alone. Once AJ learns how to play defense without fouling his future looks very bright in Memphis. He should know that is what he needs to work on this summer.
Eddie Jones: Grizz - 5.6 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 0.8 spg, 37.7 FG%, 29.7 3pt%
Season- 7.7 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.1 spg, 42.2 FG%, 35.1 3pt%
Career- 15.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.3 spg, 43.8 FG%, 37.5 3pt%
Eddie was apparently disappointed to be traded from a world class team like the Heat to Memphis last year. He was not going to play hard this season when it became apparent to him that this team wasn't even going to be competitive and he quit on the team. I can't blame him except he wore the C on his jersey. A team can't have the highest paid player and their captain quit so blatantly like Eddie Jones did.
Scott Padgett: Grizz - 0.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.14 spg, 14.3 FG%
Season- 1.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.16 spg, 28.6 FG%
Career- 4.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.70 spg, 41.0 FG%
The only question one has to ask about Scott Padgett is why does he have stats for the Grizzlies at all. Obviously a cost cutting move, one has to wonder why he got on the court 7 times for the Grizzlies.
Jake Tsakalidis: Grizz - 2.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.5 bpg, 40.0 FG%
Season- 2.3 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.3 bpg, 40.3 FG%
Career- 4.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 0.7 bpg, 49.0 FG%
Jake heard the Grizzlies were going to be running more this season than in the past, so he decided to lose about 30 pounds from his bulk for the new game. Unfortuantly he didn't get any quicker in the process. Nor could he jump higher, hold his position in the lane as well or set picks as strongly. His move was an obvious statement that the team doesn't see him in their future and the money they saved didn't hurt either.
Will Conroy- Grizz – 3 games, 0.0 ppg, 0.3 apg, 0.7 rpg
Season- 7 games, 0.0 ppg, 1.3 apg, 1.0 rpg
Career- 7 games, 0.0 ppg, 1.3 apg, 1.0 rpg
Will wasn’t here long enough to form an opinion. We hardly knew you and didn’t fall in love with what we saw.
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