Previewing the Centers

By Joshua Coleman

Year after year since they arrived in Memphis, the Grizzlies have run out a ragtag group to man the pivot. Other than Lorenzen Wright, who performed admirably the majority of his time in his hometown, the other players have either been undersized (Stromile Swift, Alexander Johnson, Lawrence Roberts, Andre Brown) or undertalented (Jake Tsakalidis, Ike Austin, Cezary Trybanski) or both (Mike Batiste). So the fact that they will be trotting out not one, not two, but three legitimate 7-footers is practically a miracle of epic proportions. The additional thought that at least two of them are worthy rotational players and the third is a worthwhile project makes me all tingly inside.

The primary job of the center in the modern NBA is that of a rebounder and defensive presence. Other than the players of Yao Ming and Al Jefferson's offensive skill or Amare Stoudemire and Dwight Howard's athletic prowess, centers just aren't looked to as scorers nowadays. The Sameuel Dalembert's, Tyson Chandler's and Andrew Bogut's are the norm for the position now. When looking at Darko Milicic, Marc Gasol and Hamed Haddadi, it seems apparent that they favor the latter grouping more than the former. All three are known for their hard-nosed defense, physicality in the paint and solid rebounding. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

The Players:

Darko Milicic - As I said previously when talking about the Power Forwards, Darko isn't likely to ever reach the expectations that certain people had for him when he was drafted #2 overall in 2003, but that doesn't mean that he cannot be a quality NBA starter. After all, he's only 23 years old and has limited mileage on him considering that he barely played while in Detroit for two and a half seasons. Darko's strengths are in his positional defense and shot-blocking, although he did exhibit a deft passing touch last year from the high and low post positions. With the thumb on his shooting hand finally healed, we might get to see more of the player that posted 6 games of double-digit scoring in his first 15 appearances as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. If he winds up splitting time between the PF and C positions, his offense will definitely need to be raised to a new level. The bigger question for The Dark One is where his confidence level is at, since that has been the biggest road block to greater success in his career. If he ever gets out of his own head, the rest of the league should be very worried.

Marc Gasol - Pau's little brother is no stranger to Memphis. After his performance in the Olympics, he's probably not a stranger to the rest of the NBA now either. If Grizzlies fans had any doubt, Marc proved that he wasn't his much maligned sibling by putting Chris Bosh squarely on his backside when Spain met Team USA. The reigning MVP of the ACB League in Spain comes across the pond with a chip on his shoulder after not garnering a scholarship offer from any big name schools after graduating high school here in Memphis. While he doesn't have the offensive skillset of Pau, he has already displayed that he is much tougher and more physical in the paint, along with growing far superior facial hair, which is important to me since I'm also bearded on occasion. If what he has shown in Spain translates well to the NBA, then Gasol could find himself with a substantial amount of playing time this year.

Hamed Haddadi - The final member of the international trio manning the pivot is the Iranian import who recently got clearance to enter the United States. Although there might be a few communication issues that have to be overcome (such as GM Chris Wallace accidentally giving Haddadi the equivalent of "the bird" by displaying a thumbs up in practice) and he should definitely be classified as a project, but as the saying goes, 7-footers don't grow on trees. He displayed plenty of raw ability in the Olympics, leading all players in rebounding and shot-blocking. His new teammates have been very complimentary of his skill level over the past week, giving hope that he might be able to contribute as soon as this season if the necessity should arise.

(And you thought that I couldn't do that without a camel joke.)

CONCLUSION: While the Grizzlies undoubtedly have more potential than ever before at the center position, it is anyone's guess how well the two newest additions will transition to the NBA and whether or not Darko will finally "get it". If the Grizzlies manage to get an average of 15-17 ppg, 13-15 rpg and 3-4 bpg each and every night from their centers, then it will take a lot of pressure off the rest of the team who will have the knowledge that they have a capable shot-blocker behind them on defense, as well as a solid rebounder and space eater. The Grizzlies will finally have some intimidators in the paint this season -- something that is long overdue.

Shot in the Darko

By Kirk


After a years performance in the Darko-Grizzlies era, many still believe that THIS is the year Darko will truly live up to the hype, and become the player that many experts predicted him to become.

After a paltry season as a Grizz "rookie", where he posted a stat line of 7.2 points/6.1 rebounds/0.8 assists/1.6 bpg in 24 mpg, is Darko poised to "breakout" this season?

There were rumors swirling over the past few weeks of a deal proposing a Darko/Marko for Zach Randolph swap. Now, thankfully, this deal appears to be as dead as Pauly Shore's acting career.

There has been talk of Darko possibly getting extensive minutes at the PF position this year, courtesy of our man Chip here at 3ShadesofBlue and his interview with head coach Mark Iavaroni.

On that note, would Darko be able to produce at the 4 spot? Many experts pegged him as a player who would never be a true NBA center, and that his natural NBA position was better suited at the 4, rather than the 5. Having played center for the Grizzlies last year, and having watched many excruciating performances at said position, I am beginning to believe these so called "experts".

The main knock on Darko in the past (other than being a bust) is that he has the confidence level of a pimple faced 9th grader asking the head cheerleader to prom. There were many games in which Darko would start early, hit some quick shots, get into a flow, and then seemingly disappear from the game. The disappearance usually coincided with either missing a few straight shots, or when getting a breather. Darko never seemed to close a game out on a positive note, rather he seemed to duck away when crunch time arrived. Sometimes he would disappear so quickly that you would have had an easier time finding the remains of Jimmy Hoffa.

With this being said, and the jury is still out, this IS Darko's year to prove his worthiness or unworthiness of being an NBA player. There is NO Pau this year, virtually noone standing in his own way. Darko controls his own destiny. He is the veteran big man this year, with 3 rookies in Marc Gasol, Hamed Haddadi, and Darrell Arthur looking to him as the "man". The only other big man veteran we have is a #2 pencil...........I mean Hakim Warrick.

Lets face it, Darko will most likely never "light it up", but will he finally break free from the stigma surrounding him? Can he prove the naysayers wrong? Can he finally string together performances to prove otherwise?

The judge shall reserve sentencing until all evidence is in, and I am able to weigh said evidence.

Until then, court dismissed.


Usually good travel deals include hotels as well as facility of car rental.

Who's Your Haddadi? Grizzlies Sign Iranian Big Man

Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images

Via Grizzlies.com:

The Memphis Grizzlies signed free-agent center Hamed Haddadi pronounced (ha-MED ha-DAHD-dee), who led all 2008 Olympians in rebounding and blocks, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

So Haddadi will join the internationally flavored frontcourt pairing of Marc Gasol (Spain) and Darko Milicic (Serbia) at the center position this season.

This is a solid signing, even if it will be viewed as Wallace attempting to "catch lightning in a bottle" once more from some of the more pessimistic fans. At the very least, it provides Memphis with another big body to throw out there in case Darko's Achilles injury is more serious than anyone thinks or if either Milicic or Gasol suffer an injury this season. His shotblocking and rebounding skills make him a worthwhile gamble for this young, up-and-coming team.

No word on whether or not he's bringing a camel with him though. I'll keep you updated on that front as information becomes available.



RUMOR: It has come to the attention of the bloggers at 3 Shades of Blue that Hamed Hadadi's contract is multi-year and similiar in nature to a 1st rd draft pick's contract (no idea where in the first round that contract would fit but it probably is somewhere between 20 and 30. This has not been confirmed yet but the source is reliable. It is believed that Ron Tillery will have the details more precise in print very soon.

This makes sense to lock him up for at least 3 years. If he develops at all then the Grizzlies have his Bird Rights. If he doesn't then someone else will gladly take a chance for an inexpensive big man. As has been mentioned on the radio lately, there just aren't a lot of big men around these days.

NBA Teams Cleared to Talk to Hamed Ehadadi and Give Him Ridiculous Sums of Money

Via Interbasket:

Just days after news broke that the NBA had disallowed any teams to talk or deal with Iranian superstar Hamed Ehadadi, as well as other Iranian basketball players, due to a lack of the correct license and permission from the US Government, reports are that the NBA has been approved for the license and the restriction has been lifted.

So now the Memphis Grizzlies, as well as the other teams who has shown interest in the 7'2" center since his coming-out party in the Olympics, are allowed to enter into contract negotiations. And no, I won't make a joke about camels being involved in the terms. That would be silly.

Do the Grizzlies Have 'Big' Problems

It wasn't so long ago that the over-loaded front line drew as much criticism from fans as the current over-loaded point guard position does now. Remember when Memphis had Pau Gasol, Stromile Swift, Bo Outlaw, Lorenzen Wright, Shane Battier, James Posey and Theron Smith all on the roster? Bonzi and Miller were really forwards who were forced into guard roles by the shear number of front line players.

Now Memphis has a dirth of frontline players and those they have are not experienced. Rudy Gay is entering his 3rd season and started a grand total of 124 games in his career. Hakim is beginning his 4th season and started a grand total of 75 games. Darko is the most experienced returning player and in his 5 years in the league he has started a grand total of 83 games in his career. Sure Antoine Walker has experience but he'll be 32 this coming season and hasn't player well since winning his ring in Miami three seasons ago. Does anyone feel confident relying on the 'shimmy shaker' to help educate our young players in how to be professionals?

Then we come to the primary backups at PF and C. Two rookies. One, Darrell Arthur, fell in the draft to 27th because of questionable health and heart. No there is nothing physically wrong with Darrell's heart. It just seems he doesn't bring it to the game every night. The other, Marc Gasol, was a fat kid who liked to take 3 pt shots when he left Memphis to return to Spain. This past season he was in the top 5 of the Spanish league in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. Only one other player in the Spanish leagues accomplished this feat...Pops Mensah Bonsu.

WHO? Pops was on the GW team that shocked the world in the NCAA tournament a few years ago. Nice effort guy and he has a high basketball IQ but hardly someone I would say is going to be an impact player in the NBA. Doesn't that seem to trivialize Gasol's accomplishment a bit?

So the Grizzlies have a combined 283 games started total among all of their front line players not named Walker. That is a little bit more than three seasons of games (246). Antoine does have 707 career starts but only 16 in the last 2 years.

So do the Grizzlie have a big man problem? Perhaps they do. If Arthur and Gasol don't perform, if Darko doesn't improve, if Walker comes in out of shape and with a negative attitude, if Rudy doesn't continue rounding out a complete game to go with his fantastic offensive one and Warrick continues being a black hole on both sides of the court (can't defend anyone and won't pass the ball) then Memphis could be in big trouble.

Final Position Battles - Part 2

Marc Iavaroni has made it clear that he wants to run a basic 8 man rotation this season with a possible 9th player from time to time. He also made it clear that the players involved were not going to change from game to game, but be a more consistent rotation. The starters are Damon Stoudamire, Mike Miller, Rudy Gay, Pau Gasol and Stromile Swift. The backup PG is Kyle Lowry.

Yesterday I discussed the final position battle at the wing position. Today I want to look at the backup interior player battle.

This battle was rumored to be happening almost from the moment Darko Milicic was signed as a free agent on July 16th. It was just assumed that Hakim and Darko would be fighting for the starting role next to Gasol and not the backup role. Hakim was coming off a very encouraging sophomore season where he averaged 12.7 ppg on 52.4% shooting while grabbing 5.1 rpg over 26.2 mpg and 43 games started. In April he picked up the pace to 15.3 ppg and 7.8 rpg. Milicic averaged 8.0 ppg and 5.5 rpg in a reserve role withe the Orlando Magic but finished last season with a strong showing of his own in an impressive playoff series against Detroit. He averaged 12.3 ppg on 58.8% shooting in 28.8 mpg. His signing seemed to set up a duel between both players.

It hasn't worked out that way yet. Stromile Swift has easily beaten out both players for the starting role leaving these two young men to fight it out for the last rotation spot. What do each bring to the table?

Why it should be Hakim: Hakim brings offensive fire power off the bench. He's capable of scoring on both big and small forwards with an array of post moves and shocking jumping ability. He's more familiar with the games of the team's big players like Mike Miller and Pau Gasol having played with them for the last two seasons. His speed at the 4 makes the running game more productive.

Why it shouldn't be Hakim: Defense. While Hakim can't be stopped by most players he is equally inept at stopping anyone man on man. He isn't a great shot blocker either despite his leaping ability. He is a black hole on offense also. While difficult to stop individually his refusal to pass the ball often has him taking ill advised shots against double teams. Rebounding is also a problem for Hakim as he doesn't block out well and is too light to hold his position against most power forwards in the league.

Why it should be Darko: Darko is Chris Wallace's coup from the summer free agent period and having Iavaroni and Wallace hanging their hats on your hook isn't a bad reason right off the bat. Darko is a strong force defensively with an incredible ability to block shots. While not a great rebounder himself he does put his body on people allowing others to get the rebound. Paired with Stro or Gasol he is able to take the bulkier defensive assignments freeing the more athletic players to operate against less tiresome opponents. His range is nearly to the three point line freeing up space in the paint for others to operate. He is also an excellent passer for a big man.

Why it shouldn't be Darko: He seems lost in the system right now. Playing for his 3rd coach in 6 months has apparently made Darko cautious and one has to wonder about the emotional scars from his time in Detroit, the free agency debacle in Orlando and the outburst in Spain this summer. He has the propensity to get into foul trouble. The main reason against Darko is his lack of speed. Pairing him with Gasol would appear to make the Grizzlies a slower team than Iavaroni may prefer. His shot selection is also suspect in the half court game.

So who will win? I think it will start off being Darko. His size, defense and passing ability should more than compensate for his other deficiencies. His foul trouble will most likely be countered by the reality that Stro and Pau aren't prone to getting into foul trouble. Darko in a real sense has 24 minutes to use his six fouls.

This leaves Hakim in a precarious position. His option for next season has already been picked up but he is 4th on a 3 man depth chart. His potential and relatively inexpensive contract can be a nice chip to use in a trade scenario combined with someone else (say Damon Stoudamire or Mike Miller). He has never been an attitude problem in the past but this is an important season for Hakim and one has to wonder what will happen if he isn't a member of the regular rotation.

Don't forget the Grizzlies BLOG Party tonight at Jack Daniels Old #7. Spartacus and others will be sitting on the back side of the bar at the first table after the bar. Celebrities may be in attendance so feel free to bring a camera and get autographs!

Rank Me Please! 20 Centers

The last of the bunch -- the big fellas.

1. Yao Ming - Solid rebounder, great passer and still developing his already phenomenal scoring prowess. This should be the year that he and T-Mac make it out of the first round.
2. Amare Stoudemire - He seems to add a new facet to his game every single season -- wonder what he'll surprise us with this year.
3. Dwight Howard - The athletic superfreak is already unstoppable on the boards...what will happen when he becomes more than just a dunker on offense?
4. Tyson Chandler - He took the league by storm last year and appears to be aching to do the same again this season. He's a nightmare for slashing guards to meet at the rim.
5. Marcus Camby - If I thought he would be healthy for 70+ games this season, he'd be higher, but we all know better than to play that game. His ability to step out to 18 feet consistently will help Nene and K-Mart pick up easy baskets and rebounds.
6. Ben Wallace - His numbers dropped some last year, but his efficiency and productivity didn't take major hits. He'll be the key cog in Chicago's defensive system again this year.
7. Shaquille O'Neal - Whine all you want, but if he plays more than 50 regular season games, I'll be astounded. The Big Aristotle is no longer dominant -- he might not even be the best all-around center on his own team when injuries are factored in.
8. Mehmet Okur - Centers who shoot three-pointers should be outlawed, right?
9. Emeka Okafor - He's a supremely skilled defender......but his offense leaves a lot to be desired at this point. I never expect him to be a 20/10 guy, but 14/14 isn't out of the question.
10. Rasheed Wallace - 'Sheed makes the move to C full-time this year....at least until the Pistons re-sign CWebb after the All-Star break. He'll be a matchup nightmare, just like always.
11. Andrew Bogut - Blocks, rebounds and intimidation he'll give you in bunches. Scoring -- not so much....yet.
12. Andris Biedrins - Is is Don Nelson's system or can this guy just really play???
13. Nenad Krstic - Jason Kidd makes all his teammates better and Krstic is certainly no exception. His all-around game will earn him more minutes than offseason acquisition Jamaal Magloire.
14. Chris Kaman - Fresh off his Summer League All-Star appearance, Captain Caveman is ready to make amends for his horrific showing last season. Without Elton Brand in the frontcourt, they'll certainly need everything he can give them.
15. Eddy Curry - Whenever fantasy pundits name a negative stat for you because of your one-dimensionality, perhaps it is time to expand your horizons.
16. Andrea Bargnani - He started slow last year, but by the end of the year nobody was questioning why the Raptors made him the #1 overall pick.
17. Brad Miller - One of the most interesting skill-sets in the NBA, IMO. Not many big men can mix it up in the paint, hit the mid-range shot and pass like he can, that's for sure.
18. Zydrunas Ilgauskas - Big Z will face a much bigger burden this season if the Cavs don't figure out how to re-sign Andersen Varejao.
19. Alonzo Mourning - It is almost unfair that Miami has two Top-20 centers on their roster, while other teams would be happy with an upgrade to their Top-40 starting center. He's still a defensive beast.
20. Darko Milicic - Because it is my list, that's why! And because this is where I think he belongs on the rankings, too.

Poised to make the list: Primoz Brezec, Samuel Dalembert, Andrew Bynum, Joel Przyzbilla