The Case for Zach Randolph

Every since the offer sheet for Josh Smith was matched, the news of the Memphis Grizzlies being interested in New York Knick power forward Zach Randolph has been cooly received by the Grizzlies fan base. After Isaih Thomas tenure, it seems everything he wrought is deemed toxic and unfit for consumption. So when Memphis Commercial Appeal Grizzlies beat writer Ron Tillery blogged that the Grizzlies were still considering trading for the troubled power forward, I took notice.

This topic has been discussed thoroughly on the Grizzlies message board and my initial reaction was pre-rehab Whitney Houston: "Hell to the Naw!" However, after digesting the potential deals, I think there is a deal out there that makes sense for the Grizzlies (my only care in this matter).

Now I admit that any deal that brings in Zach Randolph is a very big risk. Zach Randolph has never played significant minutes on a winning team. Being a member of the deteriorating Trailgangsters and the end of the Isiah era in New York, this might not be all due to him. Randolph has simply been reared as an NBA players in two of the most toxic locker rooms in recent NBA history.

His teammates that went .500 in Portland were as follows: Rasheed "CTC" Wallace, Bonzi Wells, Damon "Tin Foil" Stoudamire, Jeff McInnis, Derek Anderson, Ruben Patterson, Darius Miles and Qyntel Woods. Is there any wonder why he is a knucklehead? This was the season in which Portlands fans and ownership had seen enough and they started breaking up the gang to rebuild into the team they have today. (Interestingly, the Blazers have missed the playoffs 5 years during their rebuilding.) The issues in New York are well documented and ongoing and just like the Blazers, they pre-dated Randolph's arrival. So it isn't like he was the primary cause of the pitiful teams, he just did not resist the awful cultures that were in place.

The current Grizzlies are an entirely different animal. The team is free of knuckleheads with the exception of the recently acquired Antoine Walker. So if the Grizzlies do trade for Randolph, I expect Walker to be part of the trade or immediately bought out. Having both is a recipe for disaster. In fact, the Grizzlies are probably one of the tamest teams in the NBA. The majority of our core guys would be considered gym rats and rather vanilla besides Mayo. So if Randolph continues with his history of assimilating, he might just go with the flow and be a productive member of our up and coming team.

The deals I would do for Zach Randolph are as follows:

(1) Darko Milicic, Antoine Walker for Zach Randolph

(2) Darko Milicic, Marko Jaric, Adriana Lima for Zach Randolph

(3) Darko Milicic, Antonie Walker, Marko Jaric for Zach Randolph and Jared Jeffries

The best deal for Memphis is #2. This is the deal that I prefer and for sake of this article, this is the deal that I will be assuming that Chris Wallace will negotiate.

Now let's consider Zach Randolph the player. Randolph is a legit 20 point/10 rebound per game player in the NBA. At 27 years old and with 3 years left on his contract, it means the the Grizzlies should be getting the best three years of Randolph's career. Should Randolph come in dedicated to restart his career, his play could lift the Grizzlies out of the Western Conference cellar into the middle of the pact. Think 10th through 12th in the West unless we go on a miracle run like the Blazers of last year.

Offensively, Randolph is not just a low post threat, he is an elite scorer when motivated and in shape. He has a dependable jumpshot out to 18 feet and unfortunately started extending his range to the 3pt line in New York. He is almost impossible to contain one on one, even by great defenders. His combination of post moves, strength and ability to play angles makes him a load to stop. His down fall is that he does not make quick decisions with the ball as of late and stalls the offense as he "goes to work" on his defender. Sometimes he gets to caught up in the individual matchup.

Defensively, Randolph does not exert much energy. He is slow to get back on defense and not much help blocking shots. He is grounded mostly thus most of his help on defense will come in the form of finishing off an opponents possession by securing the defensive rebound. For the Grizzlies, this has been a problem almost since the day the team arrived. So if Hadadi and Gasol can provide adequate defense (which is doubtful) then the Grizzlies could actually have an improved defensive front. So you are not acquiring Randolph with the hopes of him developing into a defensive stopper, no more than you would acquire Reggie Evans and expect 24 points on offense per game. Randolph is a turbocharged version of Hakim Warrick.

So Zach Randolph, at the right price, could provide a cheap upgrade for the Grizzlies and keep them competitive next season while maintaining their youthful core. It would be a $48 million gamble which essentially takes the Grizzlies out of the free agent market in the future but it could pay very big dividends, if Zach Randolph wants to play.

Pacifiying the Fan Base

Out of nowhere Friday, the Memphis Grizzlies signed the most dynamic player on the free agent market to a 5 year/$58 million offer sheet that was immediately matched by his hometown Atlanta Hawks. Josh Smith was the prototype for the power forward position in the offense that Iavaroni wants to run.

The funny thing is that I don't think I read a single account by a Grizzlies fan that actually thought that Atlanta would not match that offer sheet because it was reasonable. So why would Chris Wallace and Michael Heisley even waste their time with the offer? Why wouldn't they do like Philly and trade some of their young talent to clear out cap space to make an offer to Smith that Atlanta would not match? IMO it is because Memphis finally has a GM that knows what he is doing.

The Memphis Grizzlies are on The Three Year Plan (3YP) for better or worse. The first year of this plan is going to be real painful. I am not sure most fans have a realistic concept of the type of frustration they will experience this season. As such, the pressure to "do something" will be hard and heavy once the 2009 NBA trade deadline approaches and the Grizzlies are in dead last in the Western Conference. So Wallace (and Heisley) need to buy time. And that is just what the Josh Smith offer sheet did for them.

Why waste their time with the offer to Josh Smith? Why not? Josh Smith would have been a great fit for the Grizzlies long term and his talent would have mitigated the lost draft position that they would have missed on with the better record. He actually would have allowed the Grizzlies to potentially complete their future starting lineup a year in advance and thus accelerating the 3YP into a two year plan.

Why not make moves to sign Josh Smith to an offer sheet that Atlanta would not match? Although I have previously advocated making an inflated offer to Josh Smith because I think his future production will justify the salary, the Grizzlies just could not do so with their current roster. If the Grizzlies pay Josh Smith based on what they project his production to be in the future, what do they do next summer when Rudy Gay comes up for an extension? The Josh Smith offer sheet establishes the Grizzlies as a market level contract giver. Giving Smith an inflated deal would have painted them in the corner of giving Gay a near maximum extension even if he just reproduced this past season's production. That is a bad precedent to set.

So in the end the Josh Smith saga was a one day break from the offseason hibernation that the organization is experiencing. It came out of nowhere but it does reveal the motivations behind the 3YP. The Grizzlies are on the lookout for an impact player at power forward. Also, there will likely be no rumors of what the Grizzlies plan on doing until it is essentially a done deal. Sucks for us bloggers and message board folks but is good business for the Grizzlies.

Not Spending Might Cost Grizz in the Future

The 2008 NBA offseason has hit a quiet period for the Memphis Grizzlies. Now don't think GM Chris Wallace is resting on his draft night coup of getting O. J. Mayo and Darrell Arthur in Beale Street Blue. Apparently the Grizzlies are in talks with the Orlando Magic about sending backup point guard Javaris Crittenton to Disney World for J. J. Redick or Keith Bogans plus a 2009 1st round pick. However, this is the vacation period for NBA GMs, so do not expect any deals real soon. I won't speak on the merits of this deal at this time but I think Wallace needs to do something significant this offseason.

Why this season? I know there is a three year plan in place but being frugal this season could cost Wallace and the Grizzlies in the future. My reasoning is that without a major talent upgrade, especially in the frontcourt, the Grizzlies are going to be a non-competitive team for the third year in a row. This would mean that for the entirety of Rudy Gay's career, the Grizzlies will have been one of the three worst teams in the NBA each season. So next offseason in 2009 when it is time to start negotiating a contract extension, I think Rudy might be a little hesitant to commit long term to the Grizzlies organization. That is unless the Grizzlies want to offer him an inflated extension relative to his current value. I know most reading this are aware of the current NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) and that even if the Grizzlies and Gay are not able to agree on an extension in 2009, the Grizzlies will hold the right of first refusal in 2010 and will be able to match any offer Gay gets as a restricted free agent. So what is the problem?

The problem is that 2010 is going to be a major offseason for free agency. There will be a lot of major market teams with lots of capspace in 2010 loading up for LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. In fact a lot of GMs are getting some career longevity by clearing up caproom for 2010. By this time, if the plan is going right, Rudy Gay should have established himself as a reasonable alternative for an NBA GM when LeBron James decides not to sign with their team. This means that a NBA GM looking to save face for his 2010 plan might be willing to through a maximum contract offer at Rudy Gay. No problem right? The Grizzlies can match that and retain Rudy.

Well, the other inherent problem with Rudy Gay becoming a restricted free agent is that he gets a chance to see the other side. Despite what his other NBA friends tell him, all Rudy knows about the NBA is from the perspective as a Memphis Grizzlies player. Time for some reality: The Grizzlies are not the model NBA franchise. The last thing the Grizzlies want is to let Rudy Gay (and his agent), to get a taste of the possibilities of playing in New York or Chicago especially if we are coming off of four straight lottery appearances in 2010. Restricted free agency is one thing but do you think Heisley wants to invest a MAX contract into another player that voices a reluctance to want to be a Grizzlies player? Unlike other places, there will be no media backlash if Rudy and his agent demand that the Grizzlies work out a sign and trade or not match his offer sheet. It would be reasonable and expected by the national media.

This is the problem with going with a plan that has being a bad team as the focus. The Grizzlies risk alienating the very young players they plan to build around. I imagine that it has to be and will be very frustrating to be a part of so much losing. For the fans and the Grizzlies to expect this not to take a toll on their young players is unreasonable. Not only will it weigh on them but it enhances the perception that the Grizzlies are the Mid South Clippers. If the Grizzlies are serious about this three year plan, they need to put a more solid foundation down at the beginning or anything they build in the future will be unsteady.

Grizz Draft Aftermath

Well, I must admit that this was the best draft night in Grizzlies history. Not just because we got my favorite player in the draft, O. J. Mayo, but because for once the GM of the Grizzlies was active and aggressive. My continued faith in GM Chris Wallace even in the face of the unwarranted criticism of the Gasol trade has been rewarded in spades baby. We freaking got a player with some national name recognition. There isn't a basketball fan in the country unaware of Ovinton J'Anthony Mayo. Heck, the Grizzlies fans watching the draft at the 730 ESPN Draft party at Jason's Deli at Poplar and Highland were more than satisfied with Kevin Love and Donte Green. Clarity to the late night wheeling and dealing was brought by the Memphis Flyer's Chris Herrington all night. If you don't know by now, I am extremely happy with adding O.J. Mayo and Darrell Athur to our young roster.

O. J. Mayo

At the start of this season, I had Mayo at the top of my draft board. In January he was still at the top. Unfortunately, Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley passed him by with their stellar play down the stretch of the college season. I watched every game he played on television and rode the roller coaster of him adjusting to his new role on offense (off the ball) and his teammates. The one thing you noticed is that he took pride in defending the opponents best perimeter offensive player each and every night. I can not stress to Memphis fans how much Mayo's attitude is going to change the culture of that roster. All that lolly gagging crap is over. Between Conley (if he is not traded) and Mayo, there will be no more BSing around on the court. Effort will not be a question this season. Now he is not the next Kobe or LeBron athletically but he is right there with them mentally. He is the ultimate alpha dog. Mayo has always been elite on every level and against all competition, including NBA players. It is not a coincidence that he gets glowing endorsements from Kobe, Wade, LeBron and even Jalen Rose.

Darrell Arthur

I had the chance to watch Arthur workout in Memphis and he was fairly impressive. At the time, I did not think that there was any way the Grizz would be able to select him. During that workout he was just to physical for Golden State Warrior draftee Anthony Randolph. He is not big but I think he will be a bruiser in the NBA. When he comes to play it is spectacular. He is one of the few players that Al Horford had difficulties with in college last season. He has hook shots with either hands, a good face up jumper and he finishes with power. He should be effective in the pick and roll. He also will be able to run the floor with our new perimeter trio. He is not the most instinctive rebounder and he is very foul prone. However, at his draft position he is an absolute steal. I think his long term future is as the first big off the bench on a contending team but the Grizzlies front court is nowhere at that level right now. Look for him to play early and often. He has had problems with consistent production in college, hopefully his draft day drop will inspire him to attack his NBA career with a sense of urgency.

All in all it was a good night, especially for the Grizz fans like me who really want and expect GM Chris Wallace to do great things in Memphis.

Next up...I think the summer leaguers will be reporting on July 7 for orientation and preparation for the Vegas Summer League. At this time, your first chance to see Mayo and Arthur (and hopefully Jamont Gordon) in a Grizz uniform will be on NBA TV.

Blogging at the Forum

Well tonight I finally got to see what the media sees all the time when covering the Grizzlies. I was got to see the inside of the Don Poier Media Center. It was a very interesting and informative experience. And like any rookie put on the big stage I started off with a fumble. When we were called into the media room to hear Chris Wallace and Marc Iavaroni's comments about the drafting of Kevin Love I forget my pen and failed to hit the record button on my recorder. Boy did I feel stupid.

Of course no one is interested in what I thought of the media center or how I made a fool of myself. Well some people may like reading that but most people want to know about the draft picks and what the Grizzlies thought about their night.

First off Chris Wallace wasn't high fiving anyone when he came into the media center. He was rather subdued in fact. He spoke matter of factly about the selection of Love and what he means for the team. Wallace feels Memphis has a player that is going to be a great rebounder, an excellent outlet passer and who has a lot to learn about playing defense in the NBA. While he did say Love has to learn a lot he also made a very intriguing comment which really stuck in my head. Wallace said that Love is ready to function in a team defense philosophy. He will be where he is supposed to be on defense and not just 50% of the time but every time. That says a lot about Love's basketball intelligence and also a lot about what he felt about some of the people who were supposed to be playing defense for the Grizzlies last season.

Next Wallace left to return to the draft room as Marc Iavaroni took the mike. Iavaroni was clearly excited about the selection of Love. He talked about his strength of charecter, his desire to be great and his intelligence. Marc is clearly thrilled to be having a leader like Kevin Love with the team.

That isn't to say that Wallace isn't excited. Wallace just looked like he had more work to do. Judging from his selection of Donte Green at 28 I think Wallace knew someone was going to slide in the draft and he wanted to make sure the Grizzlies were ready to pounce when that opportunity came up. Wallace also dealt with the trade rumors about attempting to move up to get Beasley and why Memphis wasn't interested. Miami wasn't asking for Mike Miller plus the pick and point guard. They wanted Rudy Gay! Beasley may be a star in the making but there is no way Memphis should give up that much for the right to find out.

My personal feelings are that Love was the smart pick and the right pick. Love will be contributing right away. He has a learning curve of course but he won't be the type of player who hurts the team when he is on the court. Love will immediately improve the team's pick and roll plays as he can set a mean pick and hit the perimeter shot if his man tries to cover the cutter. He will be the best rebounder Memphis has ever had and will ignite the running game with his outlet passes. There may be other players who have better careers but there won't be many and Memphis couldn't afford to miss with this pick. He should team up well with Rudy Gay and Mike Miller to make the team stronger both physically and mentally.

Donte Green is nothing short of a steal. No one expected, myself included, to find a player with this much potential that late in the draft. Green will step right into the hole that was Casey Jacobsen last season and should be a huge improvement immediately. Unlike Love however Green will need much more maturing to reach his full potential. He has a long way to go on defense (don't all Syracuse players) and his shot selection needs to improve but he should have time to do that backing up Rudy Gay. Most importantly he will need to get stronger.

Speaking of stronger, Mike Conley has developed guns. He is ripped. I got a chance to talk to him as the draft was starting and Conley admitted that he had been lifting a lot of weights while taking a class at Ohio State. I asked Mike about his newfound muscles and he said that he worked for a week with Mike Curtis, the strength and conditioning coach and also Kevin O'Neill. That means Mike realizes he needs to improve his strength and defense and is working on it. He also has been playing phone tag with shooting coach Mark Price and is planning on getting together with Mark to work on his shot in Atlanta during the summer. Mike also admitted being a little concerned about all the trade rumors about him but was very grateful to hear Chris Wallace say Conley was not being discussed in a trade. He likes being with the Grizzlies and doesn't want to go anywhere.

Kyle Lowry was there and he told me that he was planning on spending most of the summer in Philadelphia but he too is going to be working on his shot with Mark Price. Kyle didn't get the trade assurance that Conley did and he said he understands this. It's a business and it wasn't harder this year than it was last year hearing the Grizzlies wanted Conley in the draft. I got the impression that Kyle isn't going to let these things bother him and he will come to camp ready to win the starting job. He just seems to have the attitude that he is using these things as motivation.

Last season started with a front line of Gasol, Gay and Milicic. Backing that line up was Stromile Swift, Casey Jacobsen and Hakim Warrick. Next season it looks to be Gay, Love and Milicic with Donte Green, Hakim Warrick and Marc Gasol backing up. That is a huge improvement on paper. Now it will be wait and see if the paper translates onto the court.

ADDENDUM: Learned another lesson tonight. Don't leave before the Grizzlies tell you the night is over. I left before the news of the Mayo-Love trade and the Greene-Arthur deal was announced. Instead of being in the meeting with the team hearing how they feel about the deal I am lying in bed wondering why I thought it was so important to get home and get some sleep! I guess this shows you are never to old to stop learning.

Complete the Culture Change: Add Toughness

When I first started calling for the Pau Gasol to traded, it was because I truly thought that the Memphis Grizzlies needed to establish a new identity. With Gasol as the best player on the team, the Grizz were always going to play and be seen as a finesse team in the NBA that did not defend very well. Heck, he went to the Lakers and that is now their identity minus Kobe. Tonight is the 2008 NBA Draft. This means that this is truly the beginning of the post-Pau Gasol era. Chris Wallace is the first GM in Grizzlies history with an ability to take the franchise in a different direction. For me, that direction should begin and end with toughness.

With Rudy Gay establishing himself as a legit top 3 option in the NBA, the Grizzlies do not have any more room for players that need to develop either physical or mental toughness. Every player they add to the roster has to be either physically imposing, mentally tough, or both. There is no room for mentally fragile or physically immature players at this time. Similar to Utah, which is not a good defensive team, establishing your physicality can lead to improvement in the win/loss column. Toughness is mental. Some players have it and some do not. That is why Chris Wallace will establish our identity by the roster moves he makes this offseason...starting tonight with the 2008 NBA Draft.

So which players are in this draft do I think can help the Grizzlies establish an identity of toughness on the court:

1. Micheal Beasley - You can question his off the court antics if you want but when he laces up his shoes he is a beast. Wants contact on the inside. Might not be the defender people want him to be but neither is Carlos Boozer. Will be a double digit rebounder as a rookie. He just gets it done.

2. O. J. Mayo - He would totally transform the mentality of the Grizzlies. Mentally and physically tough and gets after it on defense. Very driven player. For better or for worse, he would be the dominant personality on the Grizzlies and he and Conley would form a dynamic backcourt for the next decade.

3. Kevin Love - Another guy who does not shy away from contact. Like the two players above him, Love brings a high level of skill along with his toughness. He just knows how to play. Not the greatest athlete but like ex-Grizz Battier, he will make up for it by knowing where to be on the court.

4. Danilo Gallinari - A tough Euro? Yes. Gallinari is unlike a lot of recent imports into the NBA. At 19, he was the number option on his Euroleague team and excelled in that role. Like Mayo and Love, he might not be the best athlete for his position but his mental toughness is at the top of the charts. Highly skilled for his position. Supposedly measured 6'10 in socks.

5. Joe Alexander - This late bloomer might be the best athlete in the draft. His awareness has not caught up with his physical gifts but he was highly productive in a major conference. Probably not an All Star but he his work ethic and mental make up is unreal.

6. Roy Hibbert - Shocked? If you watched his college career, you shouldn't be. Hibbert is an imposing player at 7'2 and 280 lbs. Unlike a lot of other more athletic bigs in this draft, Hibbert knows how to play basketball. He is slow of foot but can score enough that teams will have to account for him on offense. Plus he is a winner.

7. Courtney Lee - I had the pleasure of watching him workout and he is as athletic as anyone in this draft. I am not talking combine athlete. I am talking game time athlete. Gets tough rebounds in traffic and shows himself to be mentally tough as well. Very productive player in college. I think he could come in and give 20 minutes a game to any team in the league from day 1.

8. J.J. Hickson - He is young and physically imposing plus he has good hands. Not as skilled as some others on this list but he knows where his game is located...in the paint. He will be knocking people around in this league for the next 15 years.

9. D.J. White - Another player that understands his limitations. He will also earn his money in the paint. Good shotblocker for his size and has a very mature game. Only thing keeping him from a lock in the 1st round is injury concerns.

10. Jamont Gordon - I know the Grizzlies do not have a need at PG at this time but if Lowry, Conley or both are traded, Gordon could become an option at the end of the 1st round. He is the size of Eric Gordon but plays point guard at 6'3 and 230lbs. Very athletic and skilled. He is just a tough nose, get after it kind of player. He will be in some teams rotation next year and I would not be shocked to see him taken at the end of the 1st round.

Now obviously there are some other players that could add some toughness to the Grizzlies roster but these are the 10 I would not mind seeing in a Grizzlies uniform. The draft is just part of the equation of adding toughness. If Marc Gasol is not traded then he also will add some much needed toughness and skill to our front line. The whole mental makeup of the roster has to change. We need to go from a soft running team that does not defend well to a physical running team that plays hard at all times. This mentality must come from the coaching staff (iffy) and flow through the entire roster.

Back in School: The Chris Wallace Interview - Part 4

This is the 4th part of the exclusive interview Chris Wallace gave 3 Shades of Blue on Friday, June 6th. Part 1 discussed his introduction to the NBA up to his first draft. Part 2 dealt with the draft process and how it has developed. Part 3 dealt with the character and intangible issues of the drafting process.

As in the Michael Heisley interview in April, we are presenting the interview in it's entirety and not taking excerpts out to forward any agenda or point of view. We at 3 Shades of Blue hope everyone enjoys the interview and trust our readers to draw whatever conclusions they want from it.

3SOB: When you are thinking of drafting a player does marketability come into play in the decision to draft that player?
CW: That would if he was a definitive rain maker. I think there are very few players in the NBA that really sell tickets. I think the great ones sell tickets but there aren't many of them. I think the local aspect is over-rated. You guys had Lorenzen Wright here and that guard (Antonio Burks) but it didn't spike attendance a great deal. I remember in Boston we had Dana Baros for a number of years who played at Boston College. He was a great player and a great guy but people didn't turn out just to see him play. They didn't turn out to the Clippers to see Bo Kimble. So that's a little over-stated. So if you find me a player that is a great player who's going to help us win and be a box office draw that's the best but to try and manufacture one, maybe you think this kid has a personality or a flair that will make people come to the games or his team went to the NCAA tournament, that generally doesn't hold out.

3SOB: Would you draft someone either who couldn't or wouldn't work out for the Grizzlies?
CW: Yes. Definitely in this draft because players are all known commodities now. They played on big time college teams or were High School Superstars, you have the physical examinations from the Orlando camp, I have no problem at all doing that.

There is a little bit of a sense of security really in doing that because if the guy doesn't come in because he thinks he is going to go ahead of you or he has an attractive spot behind me that he is happy with even if it drops him a few spots, maybe he has a good relationship with a team, and they are giving him a guaranteed. So the guy might be saying 'wow, I am guaranteed to go 8, 9 or 10 without doing any more workouts. Sure I may end up going as high as 5 but I could hurt my stock in the next couple of weeks and not end up 8, 9 or 10 too. Things might not go right so let me take the sure thing now. So if we know a guy isn't coming in because he is already guaranteed a spot then we can have a great sense of security because the other team has already done the work. They've signed off on him on and off the court or they wouldn't have given him the guarantee. So we can piggy-back on their work without ever having done it.

3SOB: but if he doesn't come in do you feel there is any additional work required because of that?
CW: Oh we're still putting the work in. We're making the calls, countless calls on all these players to anyone we can think of. We're talking to anyone with a valid opinion of him. We're talking to coaches, opposing coaches, conference players, so we have a handle on these players. We check them out. While you haven't met them they are highly regarded and you should know from your research that these are decent quality individuals you wouldn't mind having on your team.

3SOB: You've been in the business for 20 some odd years, what do you feel was your biggest mistake in the draft and what did you learn from it?
CW: Well, it is another thing too that I have to qualify, and I'm not absolving responsibility, but it is hard to say what a person's record is because you don't know how many picks they actually made. Their team has a record. Once you've been on the inside of this business it's like being in congress. Sometimes you have a hand on legislation being passed and sometimes you don't. So you don't know but of the things I have done that I can safely say that I was responsible, I would say my biggest drafting mistake would be selecting Kedrick Brown and I will tell you why because I am a great believer in learning from your mistakes.

One, we made a commitment to him early on and asked him to shut it down. I'm very much against commitments. I've been involved in a number of commitments, some have worked out and some haven't. But when you make a commitment, I don't think it is as common now but it did happen alot in the NBA, it precludes all other possibilities. And all the other information may come.

Mike Heisley has a great saying. I asked him, "Mike, you've been very successful, how do you go about decision making? Mike said I don't make a big decision until you have to." Now we don't have to make this decision until the night of the draft. You don't even have to make that decision the day of the draft. You can wait until 10 seconds before you pick if you like. Theirs a guy named Stu Inman, he's passed away but he was the 1st General Manager of the Trailblazers and was the GM when they won the championship, who said "let the draft come to you." So if you sit back, and theirs no need in most cases, why ask a player to shut it down?

So one we made a commitment. I was very close to his college coach. He'd fed me some pretty good players and he was pushing him. Then I went and watched him play. He was a very physical kid. The best junior college kid in the country, but what I didn't take into consideration was the commitment and not checking him out against other players in that environment. These junior college's, like I mentioned before, aren't as strong as they used to be. The game has changed. Kids are now going to prep schools and maintaining their full four years of eligibility. You see virtually no big time junior college players any more that impact the final 16 teams in the NCAA tournament any more or even making an impact in the NBA. Look around the NBA, how many guys are major players that were JUCO? Shawn Marion, Nick Van Exel was one but he's not in the league anymore. I'm hard pressed to think of any.

So I had a guy that was a junior college player but that isn't what you think it is when you break it down. I passed on Richard Jefferson. He's obviously very good right now. He's been a high level player for a long time. Now Richard was a big time high school player. That does mean something. Those players over the years have succeeded in the NBA at a very high level. So here's a guy that played in the National Championship game, I believe Arizona made it that year, was a top 10 high school player versus a player who was a sleeper. I don' think he was first team all-state coming out of high school. He goes to a junior college and becomes a legitimate JUCO star. It's like law school. You have someone coming out of an Ivy league school going for a job in a blue chip firm versus someone from a mail order law school you know.

It's just different. There's a different pedigree, different credentials. So there is a safety net and a much larger margin for error. And in the final thing, it's that 6 to 5 ratio that we talked about before. If you looked at it on no other basis, if Kedrick really hit it how much better would he be than Richard Jefferson? There is no way in hell he's going to be 2 to 1 or 3 to 1 better than Richard. If all that had worked out for him it would be that 6 to 5 ratio. So if that's the case, why not cover your downside and go for a little bit more of a sure thing? If you take the sure thing then you may give up a little bit of the upside but the upside isn't that great to override the sureness of the sure thing. Okay?

3SOB: I have to ask you this, it was reported that you were confused about how the lottery actually worked, if they used ping pong balls. How is it that with your experience you don't know how the lottery actually works?
CW: Well I'd never been backstage before. I'd been back when they explained these things and they had combinations on the wall. I didn't know exactly how they came up with the combinations whether they used ping pong balls or what. This year I went to the drawing and I saw how it happened. Which is kind of ridiculous. Where they are drawing 4 ping pong balls and that gives you one of the 1000 combinations. There's only 14 balls to give you the combination. I had always heard of this ping pong balls but I wasn't sure where the combinations came from until I sat back in that room.

And that is really not a pleasant experience. You're stuck there for over an hour after the drawing is done. They take all of your communication devices before you enter the room. So your stuck there until the lottery results are revealed.

3SOB: Kind of getting away a little bit from the draft, another question I have to ask is we're going to come out of the draft with 2 more players...
CW: We may come out of the draft with 2 or 3 or even none. Who knows how we will utilize those assets? The most likely way is we exercise 5 and 28 but you don't know what will happen.

3SOB: Well either way we are most likely going to end up short of 13 players at the end of the draft. When do you start looking at the players to fill out the roster for next year?
CW: We're evaluating right now. We have been evaluating players all along. After the draft we will have a good idea of who we want to invite back to work out. We will look to fill out the roster in July although we aren't adverse to not having the roster completed by July. Sometimes there are some gems that can drop down in the form of veteran free agents.

In Boston we signed Eric Strickland who helped us win 3 or 4 games. We picked him up the day the season started. I remember that. We picked him up at the airport and I took him to our house and watched the game on TV. He was playing by the 2nd game. That 3 or 4 games may not sound like much but that made the difference in Boston having home court advantage in the first round and that series went to a deciding game. So those wins made the difference between playing that game in Boston or on the road. So if the roster is finalized in July that is fine. If not then we'll keep looking for something to come up that we don't expect.

3SOB: Along those lines, we have a dwindling season ticket base in Memphis. Do you feel pressure to shake up the roster to get people interested again?
CW: We always like to do something big. We don't want to go out and do the same things we did last year. Sure we'd like to do a Kevin Garnett type deal but it isn't very often those deals come along. So we have to keep building the team, showing improvement, maintaining and improving the assets we have and bring more talent into the roster. It a very simple process. The players we have will continue to grow. The young players are people we are excited about down the road. We may take bits and pieces of those players and trade them away for other pieces however. The idea is to continue to develop as a team every day.

3SOB: Way off topic now but I would be remiss if I didn't ask, I know you saw the article last week quoting Mr. Heisley in a way that sounded like you were being blamed for the Gasol trade fallout. I don't know if you read his rebuttal in the CA or our blog. Do you feel like you are on thin ice right now or are you secure in your job?
CW: I saw the article but I haven't seen the rebuttal but I will say this, everybody job in the NBA from the coaches to the front office is on thin ice. You're always as good as your last pick. You don't see many 5-6 year plans anymore in pro sports. The timetable is much shorter. You saw coaches this year in the playoffs get fired. Owners have paid an exorbitant amount of money to own these teams. The are very much operating in the public spotlight. Other than politics there are very few endeavors that put you in the spotlight like sports teams. Fans don't have a tremendous amount of patience. The consumer just doesn't have that kind of patience so you have to do things or they will find someone else to do the job. That is just the facts of life in the NBA. That is our occupational hazard.

3SOB: Are you worried right now that other GM's think you can be had in a deal? That you can be taken advantage of?
CW: No because in the NBA we don't have to say yes to a proposal. We don't have to say yes. Basically you know all the repercussions of a deal so there are almost no secrets. You know the financial data at the time. That's all out in the open. You know how the math works out. You have a pretty good idea of the talent quotient. Nobody really knows the ramifications. The deal may look pretty good at the time. Now over time maybe you have a winner or a loser in a transaction. Some people get hurt. Some players decline but it is not like you are selling someone real estate. It's not like commercial real estate or used cars. You know a lot about these players. You know the financial situation. You don't know what the future holds however. It's a little bit more difficult than that.

That concluded the interview. 3 Shades of Blue wants to thank Chris for his time and openness in helping our readers understand a little bit more of the inner workings of the draft and how he perceives his job. This interview was far less contentious than the Heisley interview despite some difficult questions. Chris is a likable man that you want success for, not only because he runs our favorite team but because you feel an empathy toward Chris. He is the type of person you want success for. With some big workouts this week and the important draft less than three weeks away we appreciate him taking the time to meet with us.

Back in School: The Chris Wallace Interview - Part 3

This is the 3rd part of the exclusive interview Chris Wallace gave 3 Shades of Blue on Friday, June 6th. Part 1 discussed his introduction to the NBA up to his first draft. Part 2 dealt with the draft process and how it has developed.

As in the Michael Heisley interview in April, we are presenting the interview in its entirety and not taking excerpts out to forward any agenda or point of view. We at 3 Shades of Blue hope everyone enjoys the interview and trust our readers to draw whatever conclusions they want from it.

3SOB: Are there certain things about a player's background or play that is a red flag for the you and the Grizzlies? I assume with the preponderance of knowledge about the players games that this backgrounds take greater prevalence.
CW: This is much more important. Some of the things which are red flags are obvious such as substance abuse. You obviously have to be very concerned about that. A police record. If young person is aiming for a pro basketball career and trying to be a good citizen then why do you have rap sheet? But the biggest red flag in my opinion is not having a passion for the game. That it's not an over-riding concern for him. Being a well-rounded person is great for society. The world needs them. What we need is guys that are obsessed with getting better. They have a real passion. They have somewhat of a tunnel vision.

College coaches have more control over kids these players than we do. They are the gate keepers to these kids getting into the NBA. They basically don't have any choice but to get with the program. They also go to school and that takes up a lot of their time. So when they come to us and they sign that contract, They own us in a way. You can't just get rid of people if you want to win. Trades aren't automatic if you make a mistake. Plus they have a lot more free time and money in their pocket than they did when they were in college. We've got them for 3+ hours a day. They are on break for the other 20+ hours. No study halls. No classes they have to attend. Sure there are programs put on by the NBA but they have their money and feel like they've arrived. So if a player comes in with problems just being in the NBA isn't going to be a panacea for their problems. It exacerbates those other problems. So that is why you have to be careful who you get involved with.

At this time of year, so many people have a vested interests in the player going high. Their agent, their college coaches it's good for their programs after all. So people are reluctant to really unload on a kid negatively when you talk to people unless you really know them. And players have had issues in the past. They understand what they did was wrong and being in the NBA, they're motivated to become a great player, they won't do this and that but being in the NBA isn't some magic balm rubbed on their shoulders. It doesn't work that way. And then the outside people who have had such influence over the years, their high school coach, their AAU coach, family members, their college coach, whatever, once these guys are getting paid that impact lessens. So if you have an issue it's not like you can call the college coach to help you solve it. Maybe their mother will but basically you're on your own.

3SOB: The next question builds on this issue, everyone has a red flag. So once you have associated the players red flags how do you sort them to determine who you draft?
CW: There are almost no perfect players. There's either something in the background, injuries, size, a certain matchup they didn't fair well against in college. There's something that you can point to as a negative.

3SOB: So how do you determine I'm going to ignore this red flags and not ignore that one?
CW: That's a good question. It's a bit of a moving target. You give greater allowance for better talent. First of all you look at a player. I'm not concerned if someone says he can play or he can't play to be honest with you. We're trying to have a team that can go far in the playoffs to get a title. That's what this exercise is all about. We're looking for players projected to be of that caliber. That can be rotation players. The Celtics and Lakers in the heydays had non-entities at the end of their benches. That's not what you anticipate but to be a rotation player, if you look at those players, at the top of the page is physical ability. Do they have the athleticism, the size, the matchup at his position because there are very few long term productive tweeners or in between size players in the NBA.

Then you get into the skills. Do they have the outside shot? Can the guy rebound? It's not just athleticism. The basketball component comes into it too. So you check that off. If you got both of those boxes, the size, the appropriate athleticism, the physical makeup, the skill set then I like to resonate to the productivity. There are virtually no players that I can think of that are valuable players that weren't productive at whatever level they are at. Nobody is going to be averaging 1 or 2 points per game for the Memphis Tigers is going to suddenly be able to play in the NBA. A rotation player on a big time team is going to have to produce to climb up the ladder. There's a resume there. So you look at the statistics of them. The statistics can sometimes make liars out of you but after you look at the physical profile, look at what they did as part of a team.

And if at all possible you want somebody from winning programs although there are exceptions to that. Rodney Stuckey is an example. Rodney's a very good player in Detroit but he was on a losing team at Eastern Washington in a very small conference. I think it was the Big Sky and the coach got fired so obviously the administration wasn't happy. There are always exceptions to that rule. It's when you get into the intangibles that all those questions become a concern. Is he a quality person, how's his basketball IQ, have there ever been any issues off the court and then the big one with me is does he like to play? As the Patriots say if it's a football player, how important is football to his life? Well how important is basketball?

So when all that lines up then we really got something. Most cases it doesn't all line up. So now you have to take out the negatives and evaluate how egregious are the negatives. There's no exact formula for that. Some cases you say 'okay I understand why this happened.' Maybe this system didn't use him to the best advantage but to be great that whole tower has to line up.

One other thing to, the great players, you don't have to study, watch film, spend hours on the work to figure out who is going to be great. Those players stand out. I think you should be able to tell within 10-15 minutes. I watched Kobe Bryant play and I could tell after 2-3 times up the court that this guy is going to be special. Kevin Garnett when he was young, Alonzo Mourning. These guys stand out so noticeable from their peers, even to the casual fan.

3SOB: I guess I don't have that eye because I remember the Nike Hoop Summit a couple of years ago when Saer Sene stood out to me. I remember thinking once this guys figures things out he is going to be dominant.
CW: See now you have a big if. Is he going to figure that out? That is the problem. Will he learn offense and how to play? It seems simple to master basketball when you watch from the outside. You get a coach and shoot free throws over and over you will get better. But at this level of competition despite all the good intentions, sometimes you just don't get any better. And I have found that if you don't have a good feel for the game early on then you probably aren't going to develop that later on.

See it's different than in football. In football you can be a great physical specimen and you passed the ability to play the position then you're probably going to be pretty good. In our game it is a little more difficult. It's not enough to have that one skill, like shot blocking. You still have to, if you want stay on the court along time, to be able to add value. The guys who can produce in this league hit all of the bases. You have to be someone who doesn't consistently make mistakes. There is a whole feel for the game aspect that is a skill.

to be continued...

Back in School: The Chris Wallace Interview - Part 2

This is the continuation of an interview Chris Wallace gave exclusively to 3 Shades of Blue. The first part of the interview began with his Blue Ribbon Basketball Digest up to the point he made his first real pick in the draft.

As in the Michael Heisley interview in April, we are presenting the interview in it's entirety and not taking excerpts out to forward any agenda or point of view. We at 3 Shades of Blue hope everyone enjoys the interview and trust our readers to draw whatever conclusions they want from it.

3SOB: So you would say your first hand picked player was Kevin Gamble. Now he ended up playing for the Celtics didn't he? Was he there when you were there?
CW: He played for the Celtics, Kings, the Miami Heat. He was a journeyman but he had a good career though. Now I did a total of three years with them with the amount of traveling I did and responsibilities growing. Then I went to the Denver Nuggets. I lasted there 8 months. Jon Spoelstra took me to the Nuggets with him when became President of the team. He got fired 3 months into a 4 year contract.

3SOB: Was there a change of ownership or what?
CW: No. He came in with new ownership and there was a controversy about a player that got signed, Blair Rasmussen. He was signed to a very hefty salary at the time for a center especially at his level. The General Manager said Jon had signed and Jon said the General Manager did it and it became a kind of hot potato. And he ended up getting fired. So I had just moved out there. I had no contract. I don't know anyone. Lasted eight months there before they brought in a new management team and I got fired. Then I went back to West Virginia and did some work on my magazine and did some work on basketball litigation and I worked for the Clippers and New York for two years on a part time basis out of West Virginia.

The Knicks situation was different because I talked them into, in 1991 or 92 at the beginning of European scouting, sending me to Europe to scout every European and American player playing abroad for 3 weeks. So I got a 3 week trip out of it. It was in Denver, the most important thing I did there, I took my first European trip. I scouted Toni Kukoc when I was there. So with that experience and what I had before it really sparked an interest in international scouting which has become a passion. Then in December of 1993 I went to the Miami Heat.

3SOB: Now when you went to Miami you are no longer just that guy somebody hired. You went there as a major player.
CW: Well I didn't really go there as a major player. I mean everyone involved is a major player because it's not that big. Even a team with the most extensive staff is still a small number of people. It's just a small world and the impetus to make a pick can come from any part of that. Scouts drive it. General Managers drive it. Coaches can come in and drive it. It's really hard to explain unless you've been in it but often there is not a clear cut pipeline like there is in other businesses.

Certain companies may have a research department come up with something and it gets moved to the top, then accounting people come and so on and it's a well defined process. We have all the names in the draft, or virtually all the names - some get added on along the way, then the lives of these players inside the personnel department kind of take a life of their own. This year the General Manager may drive it a bit, another year some guy from the scouts like an international scout might be particularly excited about a player and he drives it. So the ideas and the momentum for the choices come from all over the organization.

3SOB: Well do the Grizzlies have an extensive scouting group?
CW: Yeah we do and you have to understand the difference between our endeavor and football or baseball. You don't have the volume of players these other sports do. For example, baseball has a draft that involves college players as well as high school players that we don't have anymore in the NBA. Baseball also doesn't have an international draft I believe. So the Red Sox, Dodgers and Braves are in fierce competition in places like the Dominican Republic and Venezuela for the next great 15 year old shortstop. So that takes a tremendous amount of manpower with the farm clubs and all. To get ready for some 60 round draft with college and high school players and then stay ahead of the competition in Latin America and the volume of signings of 15 and 16 year olds signing hundreds of them and hope you uncover that next one or two gems.

So there's no way one person would have the familiarity to assess that talent pool and be able to make a decision. In football there obviously more players than even in baseball much less basketball. In football there is only about 13-14 games to judge players in. There is no AAU football. Some players may not even play for 2-3 years too. Players like Willie Parker for the Steelers. He's a star running back now but only gained like 4-500 yards his whole college career. He wasn't even a starter. That's not happening in the NBA. Some guy who's a very minor player and doesn't even start until maybe his last year and doesn't have numbers goes on to become a starter on an NBA team isn't going to happen.

So these other sports don't have the benefit of common competition that we have in the NBA. See these guys play AAU ball. Now we can't go watch them now but you hear about who the best guys are. You know who the best guys are in Memphis, Baltimore and Detroit. These kids rise to the top of the draft. Anyone who looks at the 2008 draft, if you read the internet and read the publications you knew who these guys were since they were 15 or 16 years old. They were separated from their peers. So the top guys in basketball tend to stay in the top. In football picking the top high school guys is more difficult because they may not make it in college. So these other sports have a much larger task as far as the numbers are concerned and they don't get to see the players compete that often.

You know if you went out and tried to scout football games you would find it difficult to see many games. I mean they play some on Thursdays now and maybe you can find a way to see 2 games in person on Saturday but you can't take in many games. We can see games from November all the way through the NCAA tournament almost every night. Thanks to TV we see a lot more in the way of competition with inter-sectional games and pre-season tournaments, post season tournaments so the guys we are looking at go up against each other more often than in football.

We only draft 60 players. Every year there are probably 75 or 80 players that can go in that 60. These other sports you are looking at hundreds. So what I'm getting at is we don't have, or I don't think we have, as arduous a task to see these players. This is where the mechanics of the job take place. You know who the guys are in this game. I mean you can just go off of mock drafts from the beginning of the college season on. You may not have them in the same order but you would have 2/3rds of the lottery. I mean everyone knew O J Mayo was going inside the lottery. Derick Rose, Beasley. They are out there early.

And what also has happened which makes the job easier is the dispersion of this talent. There aren't many NBA players who didn't come from high profile Division 1 schools. The junior college player has virtually dried up. There are almost no small college players of any significance. The historic black schools just aren't putting the players out they used to. The Willis Reed's, the Earl Monroe's, the Bobby Dandridge's. It just doesn't happen anymore. I don't know if there are any NAIA ball players in the league anymore. Maybe Devon George might be an NAIA player. That's like 1 guy out of 400 something players. The Juco players or players coming out of JUCO to Division 1 schools, that has come to a halt. So what we are dealing with is basically big time high school players who came out of the BCS conferences with minor exceptions and the high level European players. So you don't have to go out and beat the bushes like you used to do. We're not trying to outfox the experts for the next great player out of Uzbekistan. These are all known players.

So our object is not discovery. It is catagorizing. Getting those known players in the right order. Now that's no small feat. If you look back at past drafts you'll see that a lot of times the names are all upside down. Every team in the NBA has blown many drafts. Partly because it is an inexact science at best and more I think because of the decision making and the outside stimulas in the process more than people just don't know talent. So my point is having more people, a large group, doesn't neccessarily lend to a better result. Take the top 10 and there are at most 12-13 players being considered for those spots. Everybody knows who they are. The most casual fan can name them because outside of Gallinari they are all branded players. Now the trick is getting them in the right order.

Since I've been in the NBA, which is more than 20 years, there has never been so much manpower devoted to talent aquisition as there is now. More travel, greater use of technology yet the end result is not any better than it was 20 years ago.

to be continued...Part 3

Back in School: The Chris Wallace Interview - Part 1

This is the first of a multi part interview conducted with Chris Wallace on Friday, June 6th.

Chris Wallace is approaching his one year anniversary as Vice-President and General Manager of the Memphis Grizzlies basketball team. It has been a turbulent year to put it mildly. Chris was the handpicked successor of Jerry West. If that isn't troubling enough, Chris took over a team that had failed to make the playoffs for the first time after 3 successive trips, had the star player reportedly unhappy and requesting a trade and had just lost out on the opportunity to draft a franchise player in the upcoming draft. One year later the team again failed to make the playoffs, the star player is gone in a highly controversial trade and the owner seems to be intent on cutting costs while possibly expressing displeasure with Wallace's performance.

So with all of this surrounding him Chris agreed to sit down with 3 Shades of Blue to discuss his views on the draft and how to appraise players starting from his days writing the acclaimed Blue Ribbon College Basketball Digest up to the present. Chris was very open and informative.

As in the Michael Heisley interview in April, we are presenting the interview in it's entirety and not taking excerpts out to forward any agenda or point of view. We at 3 Shades of Blue hope everyone enjoys the interview and trust our readers to draw whatever conclusions they want from it.

3SOB: What got you started writing the Blue Ribbon Basketball Digest?
CW: I didn't have anything else to do at the time. I had no career path that I was on. I liked basketball...alot. I liked the idea. I could write a little bit. I'm not really a writer but I can organize facts and so I just got this crazy notion one day reading a Smith & Streets basketball magazine. Which was really a harebrained idea because I had never worked for a publication. never did any writing on the school newspaper in high school. I knew nothing about marketing, advertising.

Anytime a new magazine it is usually launched from editors from the Washington Post or the like. They get funding. There is a prototype and there is probably a 24 month period before it is brought out. Mine was out in about 5 months. So it was quite an interesting endeavor.

3SOB: How did you know who to write about?
CW: I knew the college teams alright. I got the information, put my opinions in, did some research and away we went.

3SOB: So it was kind of like starting a blog in that way.
CW: Well you have to realize it was very difficult. There are over 300 teams out there. You have to get the schedules together. You have to get basic information from the schools and research from people. So it was quite an endeavor. Let's put it this way, I have no desire to be involved in a magazine again. After that I'm burned out.

3SOB: Well how many years did you do it?
CW: I don't even know the exact number. Let me think about it. I started in 1981. Probably the last time I ever touched it was in 1997-98. I did it completely up until 1996. About 15 years. Then I just read some stories and edited it.

3SOB: And from there you went to scouting right?
CW: I was scouting and doing that at the same time. I'm working for the Miami Heat in office. I'm like the 3rd person in the front office after Lewis Chavell and Billy Cunningham and the owner and part-owner of the team. It wasn't an extensive operation like you seen now. There was a very small number of people. So I did that and at night and on the weekends I am doing my magazine. I just about drove myself crazy doing that.

3SOB: So you started with Miami?
CW: No, I started with the Portland Trailblazers. That was in 1986. I worked for several teams before Miami. I was with the Portland Trailblazers before Paul Allen owned the team.

3SOB: What did it entail being a scout back in 1986?
CW: My first job with them was to do research on players, background stuff. It's amazing the little twists of fate that happen in life. I would never have been hired by the Portland Trailblazers, maybe not the NBA, if it wasn't for the controversial draft back in 1986. So many of the players had problems of the court like Len Bias, Chris Washburn, William Bedford and Roy Tarpley. The Portland Trailblazers that year drafted Walter Berry out of St. Johns. There was a tremendous dissatisfaction within the organization with that pick the day after the draft when they first met Walter and had a news conference with him. Tremendous dissatisfaction. So they were looking for something different and I got hired. So their misfortune and the misfortune of others became my good fortune because they were looking for something different. If Walter Berry had been great there wouldn't have been that motivation to try something different. And I got hired by a guy named Jon Spoelstra. He's the father of Eric Spoelstra who just got hired as the Head Coach of the Miami Heat.

Jon's role was similar to what Andy Dolich's was in that he was in charge of all the business. He ran everything but basketball operations. He eventually became the #2 stock holder because the owners kept giving him stock. He started to feel empowered. He called me and said I want to try something different. I knew his name because he was buying 30 books of mine a year. And I didn't just do the magazine as far as editing; I also went to the post office and took the orders down. He was buying 30. Now back then there were no computers so I had a shoe box with people's names so I knew who he was buying 30. I knew his name. So 5 minutes into the conversation back in December taking his order he says 'I'm going to try something a little different and I want you to come work for us. I had never even considered working in the NBA.

What I didn't realize was, at the time I knew nothing about the inner workings of an NBA team, the business guy doesn't hire basketball people. He just went out and did this and told the basketball guys later about it. Maybe that would never happen again so I was quite fortunate.

3SOB: So you started in 1986 and the first draft you were involved in was 1987 then. Who did Portland take that year and how much input did you have?
CW: Well they mainly wanted me for the background. I did extensive reports on a wide variety of people. I went out and saw some games but back then I wasn't making a whole lot of money, about $9000. They just wanted the background so when I went to college games on my own and had to pay for them. I did a big report on Ronnie Murphy out of Jacksonville. About him on the non-basketball side of it. It was quite extensive and critical but they went ahead and drafted him anyway. He didn't pan out. Which helped me inside the organization.

So we had a 1st round pick in Ronnie Murphy and that didn't work out. In the early second they had a SEC parlay with Ernie White from Tennessee [sic] and Nikita Wilson from LSU. Now the draft lasted 7 rounds back then. So once you got past the 2nd round people really weren't that obsessed about the draft. So [the person] running the draft left the room and told me 'I have some things to do. If I don't get back make the pick.' There was just me, the secretary and a phone line to New York. The pick came up and I took Kevin Gamble out of Iowa who ended up playing for 10 or so years.

So the GM came back about the middle of the 4th round and asked if I made a pick. I said 'yeah I took Kevin Gamble' and he said 'Oh great.'

to be continued...Part 2

Workout Impressions

Well I have been to 4 workouts now and the perceptions I have gotten have dramatically changed. The first workout I felt like a fish out of water. Now it is more like a fish that is in water but in a different part of the lake for the first time.

I now can make comparisons between workouts and start noticing differences. I am starting to get a feeling for what to expect and am aware when someone fails to reach those expectations. I can get a sense of who is fast and who isn't but more important than my feelings, I have a history of reps that gives me actual numbers to associate with those feelings (for example, how many shots did he take and how many did he make during a particular 60 second drill).

I also have started to get a better feeling of what the players think about the Grizzlies workouts and from their comments I am putting together a sense of the players who like to be pushed and those that don't. To a player I have heard the Grizzlies workouts are the most taxing physically, test the broadest range of skills and that is true for both the individual drills and the one-on-one drills. The players I am getting the best feeling about all say they like the Grizzlies workout because they felt it pushed them to be their best. I like hearing that. One player actually said he was more interested in playing in Memphis after the workout.

Tony Barone is at the same time stand up comic and strict coach. He can break you out in a laugh and then make a small suggestion that really improves a players performance. It seems unlikely anyone could leave his workouts without a good idea of some things he could do to play better. I doubt anyone leaves his workouts without a funny story to tell his friends either!

Usually Chris Wallace and Marc Iavaroni are dispassionate on-lookers, not interrupting the coach as he puts the players through the paces. One noticeable exception occurred with Thursdays workout when Iavaroni altered a particular drill. Outside of that one time I can't remember anyone but Barone directing the show. The interesting thing was at the time Iavaroni altered the drill I wondered why. With the benefit of time I realized that he wanted to see if the players had a particular skill and figured out a good way to test it. I think he was pleased with what he saw as well.

The funniest moment occurred when one player attempted to draw a charge during a contract drill. He sold the flop well and looked like he was completely run over. Immediately Barone jumped onto the court and asked him if that was the image he wanted the coaching staff to remember him by. Point made. Then he said he was going to fine him now because that is what the NBA is starting to do. Great comic relief! The most impressive moment had to be Kevin Love hitting 7 of 10 three point shots at the end of his workout from 5 different locations on the court although DJ White's booming 'taps' off the glass were a close second.

I love the way most of the workouts end as well. Barone offers the players one chance to hit a half court shot. Usually he says one of the on-lookers is offering a Lexus as a prize if someone hits it. So far no one has in Memphis but Barone did say the first time they did this two people hit the shot. Barone regrettably informed the players that since both hit the shot they cancelled each other out!

That is how I see Barone running the workouts. He chastises, he pushes, he demands everything the players have but he doesn't berate and he uses humor to keep the workouts upbeat and moving. Barone also doesn't talk to the other coaches or Chris Wallace during the workout. He gives every player regardless of their chances of being drafted 5th, 28th or not at all, the same respect and attention he gives the big name players. I really think he is an ideal workout coach in that respect (although I admit the sample set is rather small).

And move is the best word to describe the workouts. Players only get to rest long enough to take a drink of water before they are on to the next activity from dribbling exercises to fast break weaves to around the world shooting contests to timed shots and defensive drills. If you want to rest do it while you are shooting free throws. Rarely does a workout pass the 25 minute mark without someone grabbing their shorts. Barone almost always asks that player if he is tired. When he says 'no coach' he chastises him about having better said Hell No Coach (or some other expletive) and that if he says no coach his next move will be taking a seat on the bench. It's funny stuff but it also sends the message that you have to want it more than anyone else to make it in the NBA. That is what separates good players from great ones.

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!

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

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.

Whether I agree with the decisions Chris Wallace has made or not, after trading Pau Gasol for a bag of magic beans and not trading Mike Miller for another bag (I agreed with both), Wallace has always gone the extra step to try and keep the fan base informed about his reasoning for doing or not doing a particular move. Shortly after the NBA trade deadline, Wallace took it another step and fielded phone calls on Chris Vernon's radio show from frustrated Memphis Grizzlies fans for an entire hour(part 1, part 2, part 3). Although Wallace has a tendency to use redirection and deflection, he did at least give some outlet to the growing frustration in the Memphis Grizzlies fan base. It is one thing to call or listen to sports talk radio and speak with the radio host but it is another thing to engage in a discussion with the man who is making the decisions for your favorite team.

So after the uneventful trade dead line, it is time for Chris Wallace and the rest of the Memphis Grizzlies fans to turn our focus to college basketball and hope that our savior is coming in the 2008 NBA draft. The Western Conference in the the NBA is going to be hellacious to navigate through over the next season and a half. It is with this notion the Chris Wallace has positioned the Grizzlies to try and be ready when the Suns, Spurs, Mavericks, and Nuggets are hit with the realities of age that the Memphis Grizzlies can join Portland, Seattle and Minnesota as the up and coming to teams poised with young talent to take their place.

Now winning the lottery...that is another article entirely.

3 Games Away: Or Chris Wallace and the Finger

I know it is the All-Star Weekend and I could join nearly every blogger in the world in talking about the different celebrations but honestly I don't care about the All-Star game or the 3 pt Shooting contest or even the Slam Dunk Contest (heresy with Rudy Gay performing I know). I'm not even that interested in the Rookie-Sophomore game despite three Grizzlies playing in that.

I can see 5 Grizzlies playing live 41 times a year. Why should I care about a few more exhibitions?

What I am interested in today is 3 games. Not any three games in particular but the 3 games that separate the LA Lakers from the lottery.

What you say? Didn't Stephen A. Smith just proclaim the Lakers the class of the Western Conference? Didn't no less an expert than Gregg Popovich say that the trade of Gasol to the Lakers should have been blocked by a trade evaluation committee? How can I possibly think that the Lakers could drop into the lottery???

Well all of you pundits are getting the finger from Chris Wallace.

No, he is not making an obscene gesture at anyone. He is far too fine a man to do that (publicly at least). Instead Chris Wallace is giving people Kobe's finger. Kobe has a torn ligament in his right pinkie finger Thursday and the Lakers All-Star has decided not to undergo surgery that could sideline him for six weeks. Having the surgery would nearly guarantee a lottery trip for the Lakers so the news could be better, but an injured Kobe is far better for Memphis' chances than a healthy one.

Which brings Memphians back to the trade. When it was made people automatically assumed the Grizzlies were basically getting a 2nd rd player with the Lakers draft pick. Some despondent souls went so far as to assume that Memphis would make a terrible selection with that pick.

Oh ye of little faith!

A top 20 pick is just as good as a late lottery pick in this draft. Heck, this is the type of draft where the last player taken in the first round could be as good as the 5th player taken. If you don't believe that has happened before consider the 1985 draft. That was the first year the lottery was used and the #5 pick was SMU graduate John Koncack. Joe Kliene from Arkansas followed him up at #6. The last two first rd picks were AC Green and Terry Porter. Which two would you rather have had? Not enough? How about 19986 when the 5th pick was Kenny 'Sky' Walker from Kentucky. Portland with the last pick took Arvydas Sarbonis. In 1992 Minnesota took Christian Laettner and Denver took Laphonso Ellis. Golden State at 24 suffered with Latrell Sprewell. in 1993 it was Isaiah Rider at #5 vs Sam Cassell at 24.

Need more convincing? Maybe you want something more current and more painful for Grizzlies fans. How about Darko Milicic at #2 instead of Josh Howard at #29, Leandrho Barbosa at #28 or Travis Outlaw at #23? The Grizzlies took Troy Bell and Dahntay Jones at #16 and #20 respectively.

The point is that this draft is similiar to many drafts in that there is going to be good players, possibly great players, available late in the draft and the sooner a smart mind gets a chance to draft one the more likely it is he will make a smart pick.

Is Chris Wallace a great mind? He does have one strike against him by taking the job as GM of the Grizzlies. However, his track record implies that he does in fact know how to select players that will be successful in the NBA. More importantly he appears to know who won't be successful even more. There is an old story about a young Chris Wallace, at that point not employed in the NBA, going to a NBA GM and beggin him on his knees not to draft a certain player. The GM ignored him and now both the GM and the player are out of the NBA and Chris Wallace is. 1981 he started Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook that covered college players. That magazine became required reading among the movers and shakers of the NBA for the player evaluations. He was named by Sports Illustrated as one of the most influential members of college basketball media in 1991. His actual draft picks include such players as Paul Pierce (#10), Joe Johnson, Chauncey Billups (#3), Joe Johnson (#10) and Mike Conley (#4).

He definitely has the resume.

So now Chris Wallace has the opportunity to show that the resume isn't just a piece of paper and the Lakers have a problem that may affect their standing in the Western Conference, not to mention the general mayhem he has caused in the conference that should benefit the younger teams in the not too distant future.

It may be Kobe's finger but don't be surprised to see Chris Wallace pointing it at some of his critics in the not too distant future.