On Friday October 24th two of the writers at 3 Shades of Blue met with local media personalities Chris Herrington (the Memphis Flyer and writer of Beyond the Arc), Eli Savoie (radio personality at WHBQ Sports Talk radio), Chris Vernon (730am Fox Sports radio personality) and Geoff Calkins (Memphis Commercial Appeal Sports Columnist). The discussion covered current topics about the Grizzlies, expectations for this season and the future. It was a fascinating hour long conversation and I hope everyone enjoys listening to it.
Memphis Grizzlies Media Roundtable
As this is 3 Shades of Blue's first attempt at Podcasting is has not been without some difficulty to get this to work. Usually we just transpose the conversations into print but the length of this makes that impractical at this time. I apologize to our foreign readers for any difficulty you have in understanding what was said.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Grizzlies Roundtable Discussion
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Local Radio News
We're hearing some interesting things from our sources about what to expect on the local radio scene over the next 6-8 months.
First, we are being told that even though they left 730 ESPN this week, that the Geoff & Gary Show will likely end up staying in the local confines of Memphis. No word on whether or not they are favoring Sports 56 or FoxSports 680, but I'm sure that both stations will be making a pitch for their services as their 6-month no-compete clause comes near an end in December. I, for one, am definitely looking forward to hearing them back on the radio again.
Next, it sounds like G&G leaving will have no effect on Chris Vernon remaining with the station, which is good, because nobody wants to cede all of the local coverage to one station, and Verno is one of the most entertaining sports talk hosts in the entire country, in my humble opinion.
However, we have received word that there are some rumblings about 680 AM purchasing the rights to the ESPN affiliation away from 730 in the future, which could lead to a swap over to FOX Sports or a change in format for 730 altogether. If that were to occur, Verno could obviously land back on a Memphis station (best case for us sports fans) or could go to another affiliate in the region under the Simmons Media Group, LLC umbrella. That would be unfortunate for Grizzlies fans, given that Chris has several regular guests with a lot of insight into the NBA landscape and the Grizzlies organization specifically on his program.
For the record, I'm in favor of us having 3 sports stations in Memphis, because competition leads to higher quality programming for all of us sports fans.
We don't have any truly concrete information on this, but you all know that we don't really deal in rumor spreading, so take it as solid information with a grain of salt. We'll all have to wait and see how it shakes out over the next few months.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
A Blogger Among Men
As I mentioned in the draft workout blog, yesterday I was an invited guest at the Grizzlies workouts with Omar Casspi, Devon Jefferson and Charles Rhodes.
I felt like a fish out of water. Like a child among men. I didn't exactly feel comfortable if you get my drift.
Here I was sitting next to Chris Herrington and Chris Vernon, just a few seats away from Ron Tillery, Jarvis Greer and a slew of other well-known journalists and media personalities watching these big, young men getting put through the ringers and thinking "what the heck am I doing here?" I write a blog after all. I am not in these guys league.
I have said many times that I don't really know how to judge talent coming out of college. Well in college at least they are playing the game of basketball. What these guys did looked more like some medieval torture drill or Navy Seal training exercises. What the heck can these people determine from watching someone running up and down the court dribbling a ball as fast as they can? How can they determine who is going to be able to play in the NBA this way? I can dribble the ball up and down the court and not lose control of it with either hand AND I CAN'T PLAY BASKETBALL!
I'm serious. I couldn't make my high school team. I did make the final cut once but these guys are supposed to be slightly better than that yet watching the drills I couldn't tell you who was better among the three men much less whether or not they could make it in the NBA. They were running from drill to drill, alternating from a rapid fire shooting exercise from the perimeter, to one on one 'contact drills' which was an understatement to say the least. Professional wrestlers don't make as much as much contact as these guys did.
And it never really slowed down. One drill ended and another began and I was trying to see something that would make me say 'AHA. That is what I want to see in someone trying to make the Grizzlies.' It never came. Sure I saw some incredible plays by all three of the players but whether that makes them more interesting than a Casey Jacobson or Andre Brown I have no clue.
It really is more art than science. Sure guys took measurements and kept times and supposedly the players took a psychological profile test earlier in the morning but Chris Wallace, Gene Bartow, Tony Barone Jr and Sr were watching these drills intensely. They weren't chatting with the media or talking on the phone. They were watching and looking for clues from how hard the players drove the ball to how hard they charged for a rebound to how many free throws they could hit and I have no idea what they are using as a comparison and how anything I saw could help them make a decision.
Then it got worse.
The workout ended and we were told the players were now available for interviews. What they heck was I going to ask Omar Casspi who plays in Israel? Chris Herrington asked if he had to complete his military service. I didn't know he had military service. Damn what should I ask? I just stood there like a slug on the sidewalk.
What was I doing here?
When Chris Wallace came out to field questions I suddenly found myself surrounded by cameras and microphones. Probably intelligently I stepped out of their way before I was run over. They asked Chris a number of questions about the recent comments from Heisley (Mr. Heisley is free to say what he wants but I am happy with the trade and believe the team got the best deal offered), how he thought the players did (all of them worked hard and showed us a lot. None of these players were being considered for the #5 pick but all could be taken in the draft) and the such.
It was very surreal.
I want to thank Chris Vernon, Chris Herrington, Chris Wallace and especially Dustin Krugel for helping as much as possible to make me feel welcome and at ease. It didn't help a lot but it was nice of them to try. I really am not sure I belong at these events. I have nothing to add. Maybe if MemphisX or Zack were there they could garner something from these workouts but I sure didn't.
Not that I won't be back on Monday watching Kevin Love, DeAndre Jordan, Joey Dorsey and Javale McGee battling it out. I may be a fish out of water but I'm not stupid after all!
Setting the Story Straight
I just finished reading Chris Vernon's blog, where he basically says that we here at 3 Shades of Blue are in Michael Heisley's back pocket because we defended him, rather than taking Adrian Wojnarowski's column at face value. I don't think that's a fair label, given that we have been vocally critical of Heisley's tenure as owner on several occasions since starting this blog. Allow me to go step-by-step in offering a rebuttal to Verno's post.
I am mentioned as giving Adrian a forum so that he could get his "fifteen minutes." Adrian is an award-winning journalist who has worked for a lot of newspapers, espn.com, etc. He is also the author of one of the greatest sports books ever "The Miracle at St. Anthony." At 3 Shades of Blue they assume that Adrian is some blogger trying to make a name for himself and by misquoting Heisley it makes it hard for other legit bloggers. Hahahahahahhahaa. Oh for goodness sakes. The guy has been on the NY Times Bestsellers list and he is trying to make a name for himself talking about the freaking Grizzlies? Come on. 3 Shades trash Adrian and stick up for Heisley.
Unlike myself, Chip does not read every single piece of NBA-related information that passes across the tubes we like to call the internet. This is probably because he has a life and I don't. However, because of this, he was completely unaware of who Wojnarowski was (or who he even wrote for) and went with the description that Heisley gave him...because Heisley believed that Wojnarowski was a blogger just like us at 3SoB. That's right -- Heisley had no idea who Woj2 was when conversing with him a few days ago. I know who Woj2 is and even mentioned having previously had a great deal of respect for him in my response to his column yesterday morning. I have read his columns for years and own copies of both The Miracle of St. Anthony (currently in my library) and Jimmy V: The Life and Death of Jim Valvano (pre-ordered on Amazon.com). Rest assured, I know who the man is. However, I also knew that Heisley is prone to speaking off-the-cuff about things in a manner that could very easily be perceived in a manner out of context with how he actually intended them to be conveyed. That's why I was willing to step out there and take issue with the column, even though I knew it wouldn't be a very popular move. I saw things being presented in a light that was the opposite of what we had been told upon interviewing Heisley not that long ago and wanted to point that out. I didn't see it as "sticking up for Heisley" so much as sticking up for journalistic integrity (something most bloggers don't consider often enough) and making sure that the truth was being represented. If that makes me "Heisley's boy", then so be it. Unlike Chip, I've never met the man, so I can say that he hasn't had any direct influence on me. Also, I hate for Chris to paint all of us on 3 Shades of Blue with the same brush, given that there are 4 writers (and one fantastic genius) with distinct and unique viewpoints. That's something we're proud of here -- we offer opinions from every viewpoint, rather than just one.
I am not writing anything that I have not already talked to Chip from 3 Shades about. Do I believe that Adrian misquoted Heisley or took him out of context? No. Do I agree with all of the opinions Adrien had in the article? No. Do I think that Heisley regrets what he said? Yes. Do I know that the CA will soon come out and defend him too? I would be shocked if they did not. What I told Chip is that just because Heisley says something does not mean that it is true and that you have to stick up for him. In fairness, maybe they believe him (Lord, I hope not).
What would be so bad about believing Heisley? What has he been dishonest about during his time in Memphis? Again, I'm not defending his moves and direction of the team as the owner -- I'm just wondering why it is that everyone has painted him as an evil person who will lie, cheat and steal to achieve some sinister goal. I haven't seen any evidence of that to this point -- but if someone has such evidence, I will surely be more than willing to examine it.
You may not get the access if you call him out, I get that. I understand not biting the hand that feeds you. It is a legimate concern for anyone that reports on things. You have to weigh what is more important, access or objectivity? I struggle with it too. Now Heisley has the best Grizzlies blog and the local paper pumping his PR and sticking up for him. I am a big fan of the 3 Shades blog and have mentioned that many times, not to mention that I have met most of the authors and they all seem like nice guys (and they have been pretty nice and fair with me). Sad day I say. Heisley is killing the franchise, Adrian Wojnarowski isn't.
He is speaking the truth here. If we start blaming Heisley for everything that goes wrong with the franchise -- as Verno has been known to do in recent history -- then we might not get the same level of access to him and he almost assuredly won't be calling us from halfway across the world to give us the "real story" first. Of course, the only reason he agreed to be interviewed by us in the first place was because he disagreed with something we wrote and wanted to set the story straight on that issue. That's right -- he let us interview him because he didn't like us, not because he particularly enjoyed our little corner of the internet.
Verno says that Heisley is killing the franchise. I say that what is really killing the franchise can in no way be blamed on just one man. After all, did Heisley do something to make fan support start to dwindle after the magical 50-win season? Did Heisley convince Jason Williams, James Posey and Bonzi Wells to become overwhelming distractions on a playoff team? Was Heisley responsible for Pau Gasol's injury in the World Championships or Damon Stoudamire's knee injury? Did Heisley handpick who we drafted and signed over the past 7 years? Did Heisley create the "Memphis Mentality", where everyone wants everything given to them on a silver platter and believes that they are entitled to a title contender immediately without having to suffer through any of the normal growing pains? I'm fairly confident that the answer to all of those questions is a firm "No".
With that said, is Heisley completely blameless for the disconnect that fans feel with the franchise or with the below average product that has been put on the floor the past two seasons? No. But that's a post for another day -- and believe me it will be coming soon. I just wanted to illustrate that just because we don't believe that Michael Heisley is the second coming of Goldfinger doesn't mean that we don't disagree with things he has said, suggested or ordered. If Chris really wants to find out how true that is, then he knows how to get in touch with us and I'll be more than happy to spend a few minutes on his show explaining just what those things are.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Links: Blogger MVP/ROY Rankings, Rebuilding, Going Green?
TWolves Blog has the 8th edition of the Blogger MVP/ROY Rankings up. The fight between LeBron/Kobe and Durant/Horford for top honors in each category is almost too close to call as they battle down to the wire.
Hoopsworld's Ed Kacik has an outstanding article titled "Grizzlies struggle through rebuilding". Although I'm sure that isn't news to any of you Grizzlies fans out there, he did manage to put enough interesting quotes from Grizzlies' players in there to raise an eyebrow or two.
In a rather astute observation, Marc J. Spears (Boston Globe) notes that GM Chris Wallace would not have been able to follow the Celtics' blueprint in building a contender overnight. Wallace obviously agrees.
Bleacher Report has apparently never heard the axiom "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". Because of that, they had no problem in naming the Grizzlies the "Worst in the West". Actually, that's a lot nicer than some of the things I've heard said about them recently. The analysis is accurate, even if it is brutally honest in many parts.
The Free Throw Line jumps on the analysis bandwagon with their own review of the Boys from Beale Street.
Things to do in Memphis while waiting for the NBA Draft (do I really need to say any more?)
The NBA Season of Drew is a blog that follows one man's quest to visit all 30 NBA arenas. Last week, he witnessed the Grizzlies taking on the Utah Jazz. He had some very complimentary things to say about his visit and has a ton of pictures for your viewing pleasure.
There is some talk on the Grizzlies Message Boards about acquiring the recently waived Gerald Green, but Chris Vernon was quick to put the kibosh on that, correctly noting that "Taking a flyer on Gerald Green would cost money, so it will not happen." My thoughts exactly. Well, that and I think Green sucks out loud.
Blog of the Day: The Dream Shake
Friday, February 22, 2008
GM Chris Wallace Faces the Fans...again.
Well the trade dead line has come on gone with the Memphis Grizzlies basically standing pat until the 2008 off season. Well they helped a couple of their division rivals exchange malcontents but decided against trading Mike Miller or Kyle Lowry at this time. Supposedly, Grizz GM Chris Wallace had multiple offers for both Miller and Lowry but decided none of the offers were worth making a move. Unfortunately for Wallace, after the Pau Gasol trade he has joined the likes of Isiah Thomas, Kevin McHale and Billy Knight in the ESPN WILL RIDICULE EVERY MOVE I MAKE CLUB. The influence of ESPN can not be ignored. Also, the fact that Gasol is now playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and will likely be on national TV every week can't be ignored. For the rest of this season, Memphis will likely be losing and Gasol and the Lakers will be winning with ESPN's talking heads being critical of Wallace and the Grizzlies along the way.
Sunday, January 20, 2008
3SoB Sunday Chronicle 1.20.08
Welcome, Shades of Blues readers! I hope you are having a great Sunday morning. If you are waking up in Memphis this morning, go get another cup of warm coffee or cocoa and crank that heat up, because IT IS COLD outside.
This is the 2nd edition of our Sunday Chronicle, where the previous week will be reviewed, the upcoming week will be previewed, and a few new things that popped up over the weekend will be discussed. And also, a few choice Getty images will be crammed in here and there to liven things up.
Rudy Gay dressed in his Sunday's Best. (Getty)Damon Buyout Coming Soon
Reported on Saturday by both Chris Sheridan of ESPN and beat writer Ron Tillery, Damon will probably not be on the roster come this time next week as a buyout is expected. Go read both articles linked. However, I will also summarize the key details given in both below.
From Tillery:
-- A buyout is more likely than a trade.
-- The Grizzlies first offer was an 80% reduction in next year's salary (whoa!!) and Damon's camp will likely counter that.
-- According to Tillery, "Stoudamire is hopeful that he can sign as a free agent with Boston"
-- The Grizzlies had a trade offer on the table for Damon, but turned it down because it put Damon in a "undesirable situation" and that Heisley's preference is to get Damon to a "winner".
-- Talks should heat up on Monday with Heisley making a rare Memphis appearance because of our MLK game
From Chris Sheridan of ESPN:
-- Suns, Celtics, Heat, Raptors, and Nuggets have all inquired about Damon's services.
-- Sam Cassell's uncertain situation with the Clippers is impacting Damon (because I assume all of those teams would prefer Sam to Damon).
-- Buyout like soon, but a trade is still a remote possibility.
Ok, here is my take on this. I have long thought a buyout with Damon was inevitable, whether it would have been in pre-season (my preference), mid-season (what will happen), or after the season. I appreciate Damon's tenure in Memphis. I think all Griz fans would have loved to know what could have happened if he wouldn't have gotten hurt. Maybe a playoff win?
As for the latest details. I think the Suns and Celtics are clearly the most logical teams for him to sign with. He will probably have his decision as to which team he prefers before his contract is officially bought out. The Celtics can give him the most playing time, while the Suns let him go back home and play for good friend and former teammate, Steve Kerr. Either way, if the Griz can get an 80% reduction (or payback, whatever the correct term is) on his contract next year, that is pretty good I think.
As for the turned down trade. My guess is NY or Miami. Both places look pretty undesirable right now to me.
Griz GM and Assistant Coach on The Chris Vernon Show
I do not hide my fondness and respect for Chris Vernon. I love listening to his show every afternoon. He's the cream of the crop when it comes to local AM sports radio hosts. And as it relates to the Griz, he does an exceptional job covering and promoting the team while being a voice for a significant fraction of Griz fans. During the season, much of Verno's show is usually devoted towards the Grizzlies and Eric Hastletine and Chris Herrington are regularly guests.
Each week Verno has a segment with Chris Wallace that I highly recommend (you should also catch the Thursday Grizzlies Power Hour). This week's Wallace segment can be listened to here. Some highlights.
Chris Wallace says that for the rest of the season he wants to see continued team and individual improvement. The individual improvement comment was interesting because Wallace mentions the young guys "creating value". I like the GM to think like this. He knows that improving this team is the most important thing and if the guys currently on the roster can improve and become part of the "core, then great, or if some guys improve and allow the Griz to get better trade value, then great too.
Wallace was asked why we are 10-28 (at the time) and repeats the same thing most fans say. We have a hard time winning close games and are not playing good defense. He mentions youth, but doesn't want to use that as an excuse. Wallace also acknowledges that the team must get tougher, more physical, could use more experience (but not at the expense of talent) and "still has a ways to go".
Verno again prodded Wallace to make a major trade to shake up the team. Wallace says it has to be the "right move", but he has been in contact with a lot of teams. Phones are buzzing around the league, but most is just "tire kicking". Wallace says he will not be timid or hesitant or nervous if the "right deal" comes along. Chris Vernon thinks he should see these deals to give an outside opinion if any of the current deals are the "right deal". Wallace jokes he can hire Vernon be the "Executive Director of Transaction Analysis". Great idea!!! Verno can be Chris Wallace's Gary Colson. Wallace also mentioned that if a good trade proposal is presented, that him, the Head Coach and the Owner all must approve the move.
Grizzlies assistant coach Ron Dubois was also on the show this week.
I mention this because Verno read an email question I sent in about the Grizzlies poor pick-and-roll defense. Coach Dubois did a great job of answering the question. By now most readers of this blog know my thoughts about our p-n-r defense. Dubois says that against bad shooters, they tell the guard to go under the screen and against good penetrators they tell the guard to go over the screen. For instance, against Chris Paul, the guards were instructed to go under because Paul had only hit 15 3's before that game and then went on to hit 5 against us. I asked about what I call "passive" play by the bigman on p-n-r defense. He says they instruct the bigman to play "zone" against the guard and bigman, so that he can help out on either one, depending on what happens. I call that passive, because what ends up happening more times than not is the bigman doesn't help on the guard and also gets out of position to stop the bigman from rolling for an easy layup. My personal opinion is that this philosophy is hurting the Griz. I would like to see the bigman hedge hard on p-n-r defense and let the other 3 guys worry about helping on the bigman rolling to the basket.
Chad Ford Thinks Darko is a Bust?
Just a quick item. Tom Ziller at AOL Fanhouse reports that ESPN's official European player promoter, Chad Ford, has admitted that Darko is a bust in an ESPN chat. Wow! Does this mean Ford is admitting that he was wrong too? Darko may be a bust compared to his draft status and draft class, but he still has the potential to have a solid NBA career as a starting center.
Shades of Blue Week in Review
-- The Curse of the Spanish Cast
-- Looking for Leadership
-- Interview with Eli Savoie of Sports56
-- Power Rankings
-- Interview with Brian Windhorst, Cleveland Cavs Beat Writer
Be sure to check out those interviews. Original interviews like the ones Chip and Spartacus posted this week is what really makes this blog great. That Power Ranking post is pretty damn good too. And the Curse post was picked up by TrueHoop!
Griz Week in Review
The Grizzlies again went 1-3 this week. Luckily the Sonics came to town to let the Griz break a 5 game losing streak (3rd 5 game losing streak of the year...ugh). The Griz now sit at 11-29 and 13 games out of the 8th playoff spot. The Griz also have an average of 25.375 in the latest round of power rankings.
Quick Rundown
99-100 Loss versus Lakers
124-132 OT Loss versus Cavs
124-100 Win versus Sonics
87-105 Loss versus Bobcats
Lakers game...The Grizzlies should have won this game. Plain and simple. The refs were absolutely horrible (more on that in later). This was the last game of a 3 game road trip, all losses. The Lakers lost emerging star Bynum to a knee injury. Pau's stat line was notable:
21 points, 18 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 blocks
Cavs game...LeBron goes for 51 in this OT home thriller. It was such an exciting game to attend, although I admit no one sitting next to me thought the Griz would win when the game was up for grabs in crunch time. The Griz lose close games and everyone knows it. Rudy's stat line was notable:
30 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block
Sonics game...If only we could play these guys (or the Twolves) every game. Seattle is awful. Rudy sat out sick and Bobby Jones got the rare start (because Casey was already put on the inactive list or else CJ would have started....whew, we dodged a bullet there). All B.Jones then did was earn himself a second 10-day contract with his career game in almost every statistical category. I think very few people saw this game, the crowd attendance was pathetic. B.Jones stat line was notable:
20 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals, 1 block
Bobcats game...Just when things were looking up after the Sonics game, the Grizzlies show virtually no energy and even less defense in a loss to the BET Cats. Mike Miller, who the coaching staff say is our best defender, was out with back trouble. Thus, Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson were just too much for Rudy Gay and Bobby Jones and J-Rich became the latest SG to have a season high against our poor perimeter defense. I don't think anyone's stat line is worth mentioning because everyone sucked, but here is Rudy's because of his steals:
17 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals, 1 block
Other Stories from the Week
The Refs Suck!
In the closing minutes of the Lakers game, the refs blew, in my estimation, 3 huge calls against the Griz. First, they called a foul on Kyle Lowry on a fast break dunk attempt by Lamar Odom. Odom looked to have an easy breakaway, but Lowry came from nowhere to block Odom cleanly. The ref blew the whistle as soon as he saw Lowry going for the block. Next, with the scored tied, the refs called a phantom foul on Rudy Gay on a Kwame Brown dunk (which he missed). They say Rudy hit Kwame on the head, and he might have grazed him, but if he did it wasn't enough to call a foul on, IMO. But if the refs aren't going to allow that kind of contact in the closing minutes, ok, so be it. But wait. With the game on the line and 7 seconds left, Kyle Lowry drives to the hoop and gets hammered by Kwame Brown and NO FREAKING FOUL IS CALLED. Ridiculous. If the previous play is a foul, then that is too. Many Griz fans were irate and emailed Ronnie Dunn to let him hear about it. Surprisingly he emailed back. Unsurprisingly he defended the refs. He is paid to defend whatever the refs do. Go here to read Dunn's explanation.
Coach Iavaroni feels like every Griz fan felt during the Lakers game. (Getty)Pau Most Likely to be Traded? Trade Possible With Suns?
In a surprising development this week, the Griz and Suns have been mentioned together many times this week as possible trade partners. And get this, a Pau for Amare trade is what is rumored. Wow! Talk about getting my hopes too high. We go from only being able to get a bunch of crappy bench players from Chicago to being able to get an All-NBA player. Sweet! It started with Chris Sheridan saying that NBA executives believe Pau is the overwhelming favorte to be the biggest name traded before the deadline and then causes Griz fans to faint by mentioning Pau/Hak for Amare AND the Hawks 1st rounder. But we weren't done with unsubstantiated rumors about Pau and Amare. Tony Mejia at CBSsports also writes about Amare and says some in the Phoenix organization wants to move him and then mentions Pau as a possible player Amare could be traded for. But we aren't done yet. This comes from a Phoenix messageboard. A huge rumored trade of Pau/Miller/Hak/Damon for Amare/Diaw/Banks/Atlanta Pick. Again, wow! Here is the link. I gotta admit, if Pau is going to be constantly tied to trade rumors, these Phoenix ones are much better than the crappy Chicago ones. Amare >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Ty Thomas.
Bobby Jones Earns 2nd 10 Day Contract
A big night against the Sonics earned him the contract renewal and I hope he is signed for the rest of the year.
Bobby Jones scores one of his 20 points against the Sonics in a career game. (Getty)Misinformation about Casey Being Released (h/t to Verno for clearing it up)
Earlier this week I found a mention on the RealGM forum of some Euro announcers saying that Casey Jacobsen would be released and that his old German team would sign him again. I posted this on the grizzlies messageboard. And then Verno again shows how great he is. He sees my post and contacts Chris Wallace and then relays the information to me that Casey is still on the team and hasn't and won't be released. Could that train of events have any possibility of happening that quickly in any other NBA city? I think not. Being a small market has it's perks.
No Player Has Started Every Game This Season
Rudy Gay and Mike Miller both sat out a game this week. Now nobody on the team has started every game. And only Navarro and Lowry have played in every game.
Weekly Awards
Player of the Week: Bobby Jones
It might have been only 1 game of greatness - statistically Pau Gasol probably should have been the Player of the Week - but the fans desperately needed Jone's gutsy performance at home against the Sonics.
Griz Killer of the Week: LeBron James
Anyone disagree?
Long Ball Bomber of the Week: Juan Carlos Navarro
17-30 Navarro
12-23 Miller
4-14 Gay
Dunk of the Week: Rudy Takes Flight Against Cavs
GettyGriz Week Ahead
Games this Week:
Monday vs Chicago
Wednesday vs Orlando
Friday at Washington
Saturday vs Clippers
Grizzlies on National TV for Martin Luther King Game
Monday the Grizzlies host the Chicago Bulls in the annual MLK game at a weird start of 4:30. In the past, this game has been very well attended (last year was more than 18K in a season where only 12K was the average). This game has so many story lines. It is the Griz versus Bulls for goodness sake. The team that covets Pau more than any other. It was also after this game last year (against the Suns) when Pau met with Heisley to ask for a trade (and then prompt Jerry to get mad and leak the info to the New York Post).
Dwight Howard Might Go for 40/20?
Last game against the Griz (an improbable road win for the Griz), Howard had 30/21. If, no when, Howard actually does get 40 points and 20 rebounds in a game, there is a good chance it is against the Griz.
Can Kaman One-up Howard?
The last game against the Clippers was utterly forgettable and might have been one of the worst overall Griz performances of the year. With the way Kaman abused Darko that game, Kaman may have a legitimate shot at being the Griz Killer of the Week over favorite Dwight Howard.
Lastly, make sure and read HoopsHype Sunday morning. Trade (talk) season is in full swing and there will sure to be Griz players mentioned in many papers around the country.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
New Player: Bobby Jones
According to Chris Vernon, the Grizzlies will have a new player arriving soon.
From cvernon.com:
This is hardly big news, but the roster spot vacated by Jeremy Richardson will be filled very soon.
The roster spot will be filled with Bobby Jones, not the golfer, who was released from the Denver Nuggets. Jones is regarded as a wing defender, which is what the Grizzlies need. Played college ball at Washington. He has not gotten a lot of run in the NBA. Let's hope he can help and we get a chance to see him play a little when he gets his 10-day.
Zack tells me that Verno and Wallace had a conversation on the radio today that strongly hinted at this happening and I trust Verno enough to run this without any confirmation from the Grizzlies.
Update (11:10 PM): Here is something from his draft profile (hat tip to Timmy D):
6'7", 215 lbs.
Bobby Jones is a defensive stopper in the truest sense. He has great size and quickness and moves his feet intelligently, always staying in front of his man and taking great pride in harassing whoever he is guarding. He is a versatile defender as well; being used in college to defend any position on the court 1-5. Jones does a good job with post defense and he can defend shorter players on the perimeter as well. He is exceptional at sliding his feet from side to side, knowing when to extend or advance his on the ball defensive position and having the instincts to retreat backwards while staying in his defensive stance and keeping his technique.
Jones is mostly a role player and doesn’t seem to have a problem with that. Offensively he is a decent slasher, being able to take a few short dribbles with his right hand to get to the hoop. Jones moves well without the ball, cutting to the basket and looking for opportunities to come up with cheap baskets in the paint. Once at the rim, he has the length and athleticism to finish well at the hoop.
Bobby Jones is not going to be a star at the next level, instead he is your consummate role player who could be a true defensive stopper in the NBA under the right coach. The special thing about Jones is the defensive versatility he has shown in college, being asked to guard all positions on the floor. If asked to switch on a screen in the NBA this will come in very handy as he is used to defending all kinds of offensive players, which will increase his value at the next level. He is a smart defender, and he just understands that part of the game.
Jones likely has the athletic ability and the defensive ability to stick in the NBA until he develops the rest of his game. His overall weaknesses in ball handling and shooting will limit what he can do at the next level, however, a defender is a defender and at his size with his athletic skills, he can play at the next level and be a great defensive stopper.Best Case: Bruce Bowen
Worst Case: Stacey Augmon
Sounds good to me! Let's get this guy in Beale Street Blue pronto.
Update: It is officially a done deal. See all the details on Grizzlies.com.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Gasol Interview and Media Madness
Pau Gasol did a conference call interview with NBA.com about international basketball, training camp, teammate Juan Carlos Navarro and the changes and adjustments he expects to see with the team this year. Here's one of the many questions he answered:
Q: You and Dirk Nowitzki are the best basketball players from Europe. Which areas do you need to improve to become an MVP player like Nowitzki?
A: I guess different areas you can always improve. To become an MVP you have to be one of the top five teams in the league to have that kind of respect and recognition from the media and press and the league. There are always things you can improve. I am continuing to work on every aspect of the game. I’m working on becoming a bigger presence on defense, to block more shots and be more consistent with my rebounding, give more consistency to my team. My offensive game is pretty clean. I’m trying to feel more comfortable to shoot a little more from outside and be more versatile; keep working on my low post game.
Reading the question above, I wonder what Tony Parker thinks about being left off the list of best players from Europe? Guess that didn't fit into the Regular Season MVP line of thinking, did it? He was only a Finals MVP, after all.
It also appears that the Memphis Grizzlies will be all over the local airwaves this season.
GM Chris Wallace has a weekly segment on 730 ESPN Radio with Chris Vernon. We here at Shades of Blue are big Chris Wallace fans, so we highly recommend listening to him go back and forth with Verno.
It was announced today in the Commercial Appeal that head coach Marc Iavaroni will have a regular segment on AM 560 WHBQ every Thursday afternoon from 5:30-6:00 PM during the regular season beginning October 18th. It is reported that he'll be have Grizzlies beat writer Ron Tillery and Sports 56 programming director Eli Savoie as co-hosts, which should prove to be interesting, to say the least. You can also go to their website to listen to interviews that Iavaroni and Wallace did earlier this week.
We bid adieu to sideline reporter Tony Luftman, as he has taken over the duties of studio host for the pre-, halftime and post-game TV reports for the Portland Trailblazers. It has been reported that Rob Fischer will be taking his place. Fischer is a local radio co-host who can be heard on AM 560 WHBQ on The Sports Bar.
Finally, when the team goes to Spain for part of training camp this month, don't despair. After all, you'll be able to watch the games on NBA TV on Oct. 9 & 11. Go to the Europe Live 2007 TV schedule to see other games they'll be carrying.
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