Grizzles vs Lakers: Chalk this up to Stu Jackson

I don't care how teams perform in Summer League games. I really don't.

Having said that I do hate to see the Grizzlies look bad on national TV (even if it is just NBATV. Being that the only game being televised this summer (and I am sure to write a blog about how disappointing that was later) is was a shame that our Baby Bears had to play their 3rd game in as many days against a Lakers team that was well-rested.

I don't know if Stu Jackson actually writes the summer league schedule but whoever it is that does write the schedules obviously has been in touch with Stu. How else can you explain three straight games (and a fourth consecutive game tonight) in a 5 game summer league format? It's not like the entire league is being shortened to 7 days or anything. The Las Vegas summer league runs from July 11th to July 20th but the Grizzlies finish their summer league participation on July 16th. 5 games in 6 days. That is ridiculously tiring for any player much less rookies just getting back into game shape after working on drills to prepare for the NBA draft over the last two months.

Right now traditional NBA whipping boys the LA Clippers and our Memphis Grizzlies are the only teams to have played 3 straight games. LA already lost rookie Eric Gordon to a hamstring pull and won't play Game 4 until the 16th (against the Grizzlies) before ending their summer league participation on the 17th. Coincidence? I don't think so. The more glamourous Lakers won't play game 3 until the 16th.

What difference does it make? Well summer league isn't about the whole team (sorry Ere, Tucker and Burtt to name a few players). It is about getting your high draft picks prepared for training camp. To get them up to speed on the offense and for the known players to spend time with the coaches. Guess which teams is getting more practice time to indoctrinate their rookies. Memphis' rookies are having everything thrown at them in 8 days from start to finish. The Lakers have the pre-tournament practices and then 10 days in Vegas to work on things.

Now I know I am tired and frustrated after watching the game and seeing our tired legs getting constantly beat down the court and failing to establish position but I think I have a point too. I hope this isn't a foreshadowing of the upcoming schedule from the NBA. The Grizzlies would probably play 60 games back to back with travel if the same idiot who wrote the Summer League schedule gets to write the real season schedule this season.

Addendum: Does ESPN ever get information correct about the Grizzlies? Here is an exerpt from their NBA coverage of last nights game:

The Grizzlies will play their fourth game in as many days on Monday as they play the San Antonio Spurs in the final game at Thomas & Mack.

They were so close to getting that information right. It isn't the Grizzlies last game (they play the Clippers on Wednesday night).

Sunday Night Party: It was a lot of fun seeing everyone at the Buffalo Wild Wings last night. About 20 people showed up including the 3 SOB crowd sans MemphisX (he doesn't like to be seen in public with the rest of us), Memphis Slim, HPTMatt, The NoG crowd of CircleK, Commodore 64, Zac and PMI (I suppose it isn't a shameless plug to promote NoG), NancyW, GrizzLifer, GrizzBoyd, Mr Wright and True Blue (with some beautiful friends by the way), the poster formerly known as Grizzman (who was barely recognizable after losing 70 pounds - Can you say Jarret) and of course the resident Grizzlies experts Chris Herrington and East Memphis Bob. It was frustrating the team didn't play better but the conversation was lively and interesting.

Darko Update: One conversation in particular made me think last night. Someone asked if Serbia was in the pre-Olympic basketball tournament. I said no because I didn't think they were. I now found an article that supports that contention: Pre-Olympic teams. Darko is playing on his national team this summer but in a Euro Cup qualifier not the Olympic qualifier. Hope that helps clear things up.

MemphisX's Fave Five at Five

Well, luckily for me I distanced myself a bit from the Rose vs. Beasley debate because I did not want to feel the great disappointment that I felt last year after the NBA Draft Lottery. Although I was still disappointed, it was nothing like last year's groin kick. So like Chris Wallace and the rest of the Grizzlies staff, it is time to work without being given the easy road to talent and ticket sales. Fortunately for Grizz fans, this is not the 2007 NBA Draft. The talent gap between the top 2 and the field in 2007 was much wider than the talent gap of the top 2 and the field in the 2008 NBA Draft. I am positive that a future All Star will be available when it is the Memphis Grizzlies time to select a player. Now it is no coincidence that T-Mobile picked two of the best number 5 picks in NBA history, Charles Barkley and Dwayne Wade, to represent them in their ad campaign. I am hoping that the Grizzlies selection in the 2008 NBA Draft enjoys similar success, both on and off the court, as Barkley and Wade.

1. Ovinton J'Anthony "O.J." Mayo - 6'5 PG/SG University of Southern California (USC)


O.J Mayo is probably one of the most polarizing figures in this draft. Much like Kobe Bryant, fans either love him to death or do not want him anywhere near their team's roster. I am of the former group. I think the biggest knock on O.J. Mayo has been that after all the hype, casual fans expected to see some Micheal Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant hybrid player that was going to revolutionize NBA basketball. Mayo is not that player. Add to that the fact that Mayo was played out of position by Tim Floyd at USC and taken off the ball for the first time in his career and the results were mixed. Mayo started off the college season very slow but had turned himself into the best shooting guard in college basketball by the end of the season. I don't think people have grasped the difficulty of this feat.

Why the Grizzlies should draft Mayo: Mayo is a big point guard that comes into the league with an advanced three point stroke and an ability to either score at will or get his teammates involved. Even at his size, Mayo has shown the capabilities to play shut down defense at both guard positions. Mayo also would bring a swagger to the Memphis Grizzlies that has not been here in the entire history of the organization. On the court confidence has been a big problem for the Grizzlies. Drafting Mayo also increases the value of one of our other assets: Juan Carlos Navarro. It is a struggle to play Navarro next to the smaller Conley or Lowry but next to the 6'5 Mayo, Navarro would be able to see more court time without being such a liability on defense. Mayo also allows the Grizzlies to keep Mike Miller and deal Conley for some much needed help on the inside.

Why the Grizzlies should NOT draft Mayo: Mayo's best NBA position is point guard and this would mark the 3rd year in a row that the Grizzlies will have drafted a point guard. Although Mayo is capable of playing the two, I think his best and most effective position will be at the point with the ball in his hands causing mismatch problems off the pick and roll. Drafting Mayo probably means trading both Conley and Lowry. I think one has to be traded anyway this summer so I guess it is not that big of an issue. Another issue is Mayo's image. Initially some of our fans will be turned off by the image of Mayo: selfish, arrogant, me-first player. I think this is all hype backlash. One thing I know about perceived bad guys, when you win the fans come out in droves...but if you are losing, he will get the brunt of the blame.

Draft Express O.J. Mayo Workout report

Draft Express O.J. Mayo Interview

ESPN's Chad Ford O.J. Mayo Interview

2. Anthony Randolph - 6'11 SF/PF Louisiana State University (LSU)


Anthony Randolph is probably the one player that is flying to low under the radar. Due to how bad the LSU Tigers were this season and their lack of TV games, most people have not seen him play in games. I did catch a few of his games this season because DraftExpress had him coming out early in the college season before it was known to most. So it really was not a shock to me when he declared. He had to deal with his coach getting fired mid season and a team that just seemed to be out there "balling" for most of the season.

Why the Grizzlies should draft Randolph: Randolph is going to be a nightmare for opposing power forwards on both ends of the court. Although he is very skinny, his length and athleticism will allow him to compete with bigger players until his strength catches up. He has a very long wing span with great ball anticipation and good lateral quickness that should make him able to guard every position except center. His ball hawking allows him to be a great off the ball shot blocker in the mode of Andrei Kerilenko of the Utah Jazz. On offense his ball handling ability and lethal first step will allow him to get to the rack against most power forwards while his length and mid-range jumper will keep him effective even against other hybrid forwards like Josh Smith and Lamar Odom. For a team that wants to run, having a power forward that can grab a rebound or blocked shot and lead the break himself is invaluable. Most power forwards simply wont be able to run with him and the quicker players won't be long enough to stop him from finishing. Did I mention he won't turn 19 until a month after the draft?

Why the Grizzlies should NOT draft Randolph: He is scrawny. Looking at his pictures, you can see he needs a lot of work in the weight room and the dining table. He will never be the bruiser that most Grizzlies fans are wanting after Pau Gasol's departure. However, he is very tenacious and competes on the inside. Randolph has not developed a 3pt shot. In fact, he was horrible in college from long range and probably is 3 years from being effective as a 3pt threat. Might struggle to play power forwards in the league on defense due to lack of strength.

3. Eric Gordon - 6'4 SG Indiana University


Eric Gordon was probably a lock for the #3 pick in January. He was simply sensational coming out of the gate for Indiana. However, he injured his wrist at the end of January and his shot left him. Shortly thereafter, his head coach Kelvin Sampson was dismissed and his fall was complete. For people who did not evaluate Gordon before the injury, it is understandable that they are not high on the kid. However, he was dominant prior to being injured and the two events (wrist injury/shooting slump) were to close not to be related. So I will believe what I saw early in the season and give him the benefit of the doubt.

Why the Grizzlies should draft Gordon: Coach Iavaroni has harped on our need for more shooting and Gordon is the best shooter in the draft. He has range out past the NBA three point line and shoots without effort. Gordon is not one dimensional. He was able to get to the free throw line at a very high clip do to his physical nature and his willingness to drive into contact. He shot 83% from the line. Gordon also has the athleticism to make up for his lack of true SG height. He is 6'3ish with very long arms. Gordon also was an AAU teammate of Conley.

Why the Grizzlies should NOT draft Gordon: He is not the prototypical size for an NBA shooting guard. Even with his athleticism, he might struggle to translate his game from college to the pros. The Grizzlies have a plethora of small guards and the need for another, despite his great stroke, is not that great. Is he that much of an upgrade over Navarro to warrant passing on some interior help?

4. Danilo Gallinari - 6'9 SF Armani Jeans Milano


Danilo Gallinari plays the same position as our best player Rudy Gay but at #5 you take best player available and it could be this Italian import. Unlike other young European players, he comes into the NBA after being the #1 option on his team at the tender age of 19. He is a capable ball handler and scorer that thrives off the pick and roll. More scorer than shooter, he has some point forward capabilities.

Why the Grizzlies should draft Gallinari: Gallinari has a history of being the big dog on his team and should not shrink from big moments. His ability to handle the rock from the wing would be very valuable. I like his fire and his will to compete. Measuring at a length to play power forward would be a plus.

Why the Grizzlies should NOT draft Gallinari: He plays the same position as Rudy which means it will be a struggle getting him minutes. He does not have a lethal shot from long range nor does he have a great rebounding ability. Would thrive in our system but likely only at SF and even then it is a question if he will have the athleticism to defend. Can the Grizzlies sell another Euro at a high pick to the Memphis fans?

5. Jerryd Bayless - 6'3 PG/SG University of Arizona

Originally I had DeAndre Jordan in this spot but I decided to switch because there is a chance that Jerryd Bayless will be available at five and I prefer him over Jordan despite our need for a center. Jerryd Bayless is very similar to OJ Mayo but unlike their reputation, Bayless has more of a scorers mentality. Bayless has the same explosive athleticism of Monta Ellis but he has legit NBA 3 point range to go with his stellar mid-range shot. I think he is more shooting guard than point guard but he has a lot of NBA in his game already. Very adept at getting his defender off balance with freezes and hesitation dribbles. Attacks relentlessly. Has star presence.

Why the Grizzlies should draft Bayless: Bayless would be a better alternative to over paying Monta Ellis in free agency. He is undersized as a shooting guard but in the right system, he could be very effective. He is a big time scorer and his ability to get to the free throw line will help his game translate to the NBA. Turmoil at Arizona hurt his college season but he was still the best player on that team easily. Has the aggressive mentality that the Grizzlies lack on the offensive end and should be able to close games out.

Why the Grizzlies should NOT draft Bayless: Just like Eric Gordon, at the end of the day, Bayless is still just 6'3. Even with his athleticism, he will have a transition period for being an effective scorer. Not particularly bulky nor is he a great defender. However, for anyone wanting to sign Monta Ellis in free agency, he is a lower risk proposition and should be just as effective. Bad fit with our point guards.

Carmelo Anthony to Memphis?

Ever since Bill Simmons wrote this column last week, Grizzlies fans have been abuzz with the thoughts of acquiring the "star player" that they missed out on in the much-ballyhooed 2003 draft. Again, even though I am loathe to do so (and because this is the kind of thing that the Sports Guy loves to criticize bloggers for doing), I have to take exception to his suggested trade proposal:

The Bernard King Award
To Melo for (what's soon to be) another quick playoff exit, another dicey off-court incident and an inevitable summer of trade rumors. Remember, Bernard battled drug/alcohol demons and bounced around for his first few years before eventually landing with (cueing up the Marv Albert voice) ... the New York Knickerbockers. It's unclear how to define Melo's problems beyond the whole "you can take the kid out of Baltimore, but you can't take the Baltimore out of the kid" joke, but clearly something is going on, and during an era when younger stars are much more personable and squeaky-clean, Melo seems to be a throwback to the mid-'90s, back when young players still made dumb mistakes and were surrounded by a swollen entourage at all times.

I don't see him spending his entire career in Denver, much less next season, and there's a 98.7 percent chance he'll become the focal point of every trade rumor this summer. For instance, what if the Grizzlies get the No. 2 pick and decide they want to take hometown kid Derrick Rose even though they already have three point guards on their roster. If you're Denver, do you trade Melo for Mike Conley Jr., Hakim Warrick and Mike Miller, chop a few million off your payroll and hope Miller and Linas Kleiza can replace Melo's numbers (which, by the way, they would)? If you're Memphis, wouldn't you sell tickets with Melo, Rose and Rudy Gay? In other words, aren't those two teams a match? What if Minnesota got the No. 2 pick? If you're Denver, would you offer Melo to the T-Wolves for that pick (plus expiring contracts) and take Rose? See where I'm going here? If the Nuggets can turn Melo into a point guard, cap space and/or something else, don't they have to think about it?

(Of course, Melo can vanquish the previous two paragraphs by putting the Nuggets on his back and torching the Lakers for the next few games when they don't have a single guy who can defend him. Let's just say I'm not keeping my fingers crossed.)

Let's break this one down point by point, shall we?

1. Carmelo Anthony is a SF. Coincidentally, so is Rudy Gay. I know that Rudy played some PF this season and that if he improves his ball handling ability over the next few seasons he'll probably wind us at SG unless the Grizzlies draft/sign/trade for a high-level player at that position. But the fact is that the team's two best players would play best at the same position in that scenario. In addition to that, Rudy Gay's sophomore campaign produced better stats than Melo's. Higher RPG, SPG, BPG, FG%, 3PT% and virtually the same PPG, APG and TO. In other words, isn't it possible that Rudy is going to be as good as (if not better than) Melo in another season or two? Consider that Strike 1.

2. Yes, in all likelihood, a lineup that included Rose, Gay and Anthony would sell tickets in Memphis, which is a concern in these parts. However, the real question is this: Will they win playoff games and playoff series? Memphians have seen regular season success before and it no longer impresses them that much. I know that Melo was the best player/leader on that Syracuse team that won a national title, but has he been that player in the NBA? According to most fans, we already had one alleged franchise player that couldn't make a difference in the postseason, despite posting quality numbers in the regular season and postseason. Do we really want to travel down that road again so soon? Melo has made the postseason all five seasons in the NBA.....and has yet to advance beyond the first round. I realize, of course, that basketball isn't a one-man game (unless that one man is named LeBron), but that's what we in the business call a "pattern". It was a pattern for Kevin Garnett (who needed an All-Star season from Sam Cassell to finally get over the hump) and it continues to be a pattern for Tracy McGrady and Yao Ming. Some players just don't have it in them to be "The Man" in the NBA Playoffs. Lack of postseason success (and an apparent lack of concern about that result) equals Strike 2.

3. To follow up on being "The Man" in the playoffs, we now come to this issue: Is Carmelo Anthony a Superstar? (Note the capital "S") I say no. Is he a star? Absolutely. He's a great scorer and has displayed the ability to be clutch beyond belief -- even on par with Kobe and LeBron. However, a Superstar elevates his teammates in addition to being the go-to guy on offense. Oh, and a Superstar makes more than marginal effort on defense -- not that Melo even does that. If Melo isn't a Superstar, then why should the Grizzlies trade away a solid offensive option (Mike Miller) and one of the top PG prospects in the last few seasons (Mike Conley) for a guy that is very, very good, but ultimately isn't great or a true difference maker? I realize that Simmons hates the Grizzlies (as evidenced by the fact that he is constantly trying to move them to another city every other week) and really hates Chris Wallace (and not just for the Gasol trade that made the Lakers a championship contender for the next 5 seasons), but for Pete's sake, we do want this team to experience some playoff success in the future and eventually make the leap to contender. Does this trade accomplish that without Rudy Gay and/or Derrick Rose becoming All-NBA level players? I don't think so. We'll call this one a foul tip to keep him alive for one more point.

4. Salary cap structure. This is why the team traded away Pau Gasol for draft picks and cap space, remember? Taking on Carmelo's salary means that they once again have a max contract taking up space. So when the time comes for Rudy Gay to get his max-level extension, guess who is sitting there making $17 million or roughly 30% of the salary cap? That's right - Melo. Then when Derrick Rose is ready for his extension the year after that, guess who has a player option for $18 million? Newsflash Sports Guy: Boston might be able to afford 3 guys making max money, but Memphis cannot. If they could, then Pau Gasol would still be here...and Allen Iverson or Vince Carter probably would as well, but that's another story for another day. Ring him up, because that's Strike 3.

Carmelo Anthony to Memphis? No thanks, I'll pass -- even though he doesn't.

Don't Hire the Movers Just Yet

The fellas over at Hardwood Paroxysm were good enough to send me the link to this post from Jon Burkett of Passion and Pride, a fine Philadelphia 76ers blog. I enjoy most of Jon's writing, but he made a huge error by continuing to espouse the theory popularized by ESPN.com's Bill Simmons that the Memphis Grizzlies should be the team that is moving, rather than the Seattle SuperSonics. *Sigh* I try and I try, but at this point, I just cannot be nice about it anymore. The video sums up my feelings on the subject quite succinctly.



You tell 'em Howard Beale!

Here's why the Memphis Grizzlies won't be moving to Seattle anytime soon (once again for the hard of hearing and absent-minded):

1. Iron-clad lease with the city of Memphis for the next decade. Really, this is reason enough, but I'll give you a few more.
2. Strong corporate support, despite lukewarm fan support.
3. New, state-of-the-art arena already in place, rather than still needing one to be built with taxpayers' dollars.
4. Unlike David Stern's apparent apathy towards the fine citizens of Seattle (or is that a reflection of their own apathy???), he is committed to the NBA remaining in Memphis. He wasn't nearly as definitive about the NBA in New Orleans, though.

In fact, let's talk about the New Orleans Hornets a little, shall we? If we're going to bring up a team that Clay Bennett should buy and move to Oklahoma City, why aren't the Hornets -- who have already spent time in OKC -- being mentioned as that team? Why not let Bennett and George Shinn switch franchises, move the Hornets to OKC and keep the Sonics in Seattle? Let's be honest -- the population of New Orleans has dwindled to the point where it is obvious that they cannot support two professional franchises. That's not a judgment of them -- just a cold, hard look at the facts. There are not enough people with disposable income to support two teams. I'm not trying to "rob" the Crescent City of their fantastic team -- as Burkett, Simmons and others are trying to do to Memphians -- just illustrating that there are other, more obvious teams to use as examples when seeking to "fill the void" that the departing Sonics will leave.

That brings up another interesting point. I have yet to visit Seattle, but everyone I know of that has been there has absolutely raved about it. So, I'm quite sure that it is a great city. I do find it curious that over the past 15 years, all three of their major sports franchises have threatened to move, with the Sonics apparently being the first to actually do so. I remember that playoff series between the Mariners and Yankees that "saved" Major League Baseball in the Pacific Northwest. I have seen the stands sway as the raucous crowd cheered on the Super Bowl bound Seahawks. I've seen the Sonics go deep into the playoffs on the backs of Payton, Kemp, Allen and Lewis. If the fans in Seattle really, truly wanted to keep their team, they would have made sure that they did what was necessary to make that a happen -- namely, funded a new arena. I've also seen the attendance numbers for the Sonics over the last few seasons.

That's why Memphis gets thrown in there at the whim of every writer with something to say, you know -- attendance. The Houston Chronicle's Zachary Levine had some interesting things to say about 3 of the 6 teams at the bottom of the attendance rankings:

Competition hurts some NBA teams.

Of the six teams at the bottom of the NBA pecking order, three play in some of the best college basketball markets in America — an issue the NHL doesn't have to deal with in nearly the same magnitude.

The Pacers average a league-worst 12,179 at an arena within 90 minutes of Indiana University (16,699 per game) and of West Lafayette, Ind., where Purdue draws more than 11,000 per game.

The 76ers compete with five Division I schools within the city limits of Philadelphia and also with suburban Villanova, which sells out every game at a 6,500-seat on-campus facility and averaged 19,928 in its first two games at the Wachovia Center.

And then there are the Memphis Grizzlies, who share a building with the No. 1 Tigers and come up 4,000 short at the turnstiles. And the way they're going this year, maybe that's not the only way they would lose to their co-tenants.

That's right Mr. Burkett, he brings up your own Sixers team among those at the bottom of the attendance numbers with competing high-level college teams in close proximity, drawing fans away. How about you worry about the team in your own backyard before you come down South looking to meddle with mine? The Memphis Grizzlies are here to stay.

Links: Gasol trade fallout

It's gonna take awhile to get used to that image.

Hardwood Paroxysm has one of the best viewpoints of what the Gasol trade truly means for the future of the Memphis Grizzlies.


Chad Ford (ESPN Insider) lists 10 teams he thinks could have provided a trade for Gasol that would have been as good as what the Lakers were offering.


The Blowtorch has a suggestion for the Grizzlies' new lineup: Busts and Boobies.


Hoopsworld lists the Grizzlies among its "Coldest Teams of January". That's not a good thing, I can assure you.

Links: Rudy talks to Dime, ESPN creates a trade rumor, Confusion about Casey (that has been verified resulted from misinformation)

Dime Magazine's Austin Burton recently sat down with Rudy Gay to conduct a very good interview.

Dime: It’s not like the Grizzlies came into this season with great expectations, but you still hoped to be better than 10-28 at this point. How would you analyze the season so far?

Rudy Gay: It may not seem like it, but we’re taking some big strides as far as individual people getting better. Once a couple of things fall into place, we’ll be pretty good. But we all know we have a lot of work to do.

That was the first question, and they just got better from there. Be sure to go check it out.

ESPN's Chris Sheridan got bored today and decided to make Grizzlies' fans work feverishly at their keyboards by first stating that NBA executives overwhelmingly believe that Pau Gasol is the high profile player most likely to be moved before the deadline and then proposing a Gasol/Warrick for Amare Stoudemire/draft pick trade while discussing the Phoenix Suns' big man. Thanks a lot Chris! Now the fanbase has gone from being willing to take Chicago's "kiddie meal" offer or L.A.'s "expiring contracts bonanza" to thinking they could have Amare in Beale Street Blue. Like they didn't want to move the talented Spaniard enough already?

Finally, it seems that some overseas announcers might have intimated that the Grizzlies were on the verge of releasing G/F Casey Jacobsen and that a return to Germany would be in his future. I've seen nothing to substantiate this and have no doubt that at the current time it is a complete fabrication -- that's a big word that means it belongs in a Sam Smith column.

UPDATE BY ZACK...RE: Casey

Special thanks goes out to the best Sports Radio Host currently residing on the Bluffs of the Great Mississippi River.

Chris Wallace confirmed to Verno that Casey "has not been bought out or released".

Verno contacted Wallace after seeing the above mentioned link and then relayed the news to me. I feel bad for that misinformation about Casey being taken from the dark depths of messageboard-land to the perils of the NBA Blogsphere. I'm glad Verno helped us straighten it out.

Blog/Website of the Day: 20 Second Timeout

Links: Gasol speaks out, ESPN is high on Conley, but not the team, Jumping Myth

Following last night's loss to the Lakers.....hang on a minute. Following last night's embarassing blowout to the Lakers -- that's better -- Pau Gasol had some statements that expressed his displeasure with what had occurred. From the Commercial Appeal:

Griz 7-footer Pau Gasol said he was frustrated by the Grizzlies' one-on-one play. The Griz finished with 19 assists on 41 field goals so that they had six players score in double figures was a bit deceiving.

"You don't have to be a scientist to figure that out," Gasol said. "We have to get back on track. We need to realize we have to play together every night and not try to do our own thing. ... It's a team game."

What's funny is that this is the kind of statements that get a player recognition for being a leader. I don't buy "Strotential" (click the link, you'll thank me) and I don't believe that Pau Gasol will ever be a "true leader". But even I thought it was the height of hysterics when someone read the comments above and labeled it as "more Gasol crying and whining". C'mon people -- quit sipping the haterade long enough to see that he was calling the whole team out and including himself in that group. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he was 100% right either. Or that Rudy Gay backed up his comments about it being a team game by talking about "team defense" later in the same article.

ESPN.com's fantasy basketball writer Keith Lipscomb has fallen in love with Mike Conley. He dedicated an entire Rookie Report to him today. While he was mostly concerned about his statistical output for fantasy purposes, they did praise him for his ability to run a team and his heady play.

However, over on the Daily Dime, Jalen Rose lists the Grizzlies at #4 on his "Most Disappointing" list. I'd love to be able to ask Jalen how exactly it is that the Grizzlies -- worst team in the NBA last season -- are more disappointing than the Bulls, Rockets or Jazz. Those three teams made the playoffs last year, were expected to go far this year and would all miss the playoffs if they started right now. Of course, he has Minnesota as his #1 most disappointing team, so I guess we should have lowered our expectations about what Jalen was bringing to the table with this one. In fact, didn't the ESPN.com experts predict an average finish of 10th in the West? I wonder what kind of expectations Rose had for this team?

With a hat tip to our helpful reader Jed, I direct you over to TrueHoop to explore the myth of leapers being able to touch the top of the backboard. As a lifelong Tiger fan, I can only think of one guy who might have been able to accomplish that feat -- Michael Wilson. No, not the guy who made all the funny sound effects in the Police Academy movies -- that was Michael Winslow. Michael Wilson played for the Tigers in the early 90's . In lieu of a Blog/Website of the day, I leave you with his world record dunk on a 12 ft. goal.

Links: Damon's Charitable Efforts, Rudy's Improvement, Kelly Dwyer, Blues Music, Hollinger, Tight Pants

Fresh off of the Grizzlies feed in the sidebar comes the news that Damon Stoudamire will take 100 children on a Christmas shopping trip to Sam's Club next week. According to Grizzlies.com, photos of the trip will be available on December 14th. As always, it is great to see members of the Grizzlies organization doing their part to help out the community.

The Bleacher Report lists Rudy Gay amongst its "Polished Gems", players they feel have improved their games the most.

Kelly Dwyer (formerly of SI.com, now with Yahoo! Sports) listed last night's contest with Houston as his "Game to pay attention to". KD seems to have a good grasp of what the team is trying to do right now. I wish I was able to look past the disappointing losses and do the same.

The Blues Foundation reports that the Grizzlies are looking for help in finding blues music to use on Blues Night on January 30th. Send your ideas to The Blues Foundation.

John Hollinger has a new toy. Don't know how accurate it is but it should put the 'playoffs now' people in a tizzy. Hollinger's PER Ratings are up as well and you will never guess who the two Grizzlies are rated in the top 50 of the league.

This is about a week old, but it is still good stuff. FreeDarko is calling for a return of the tight pants that dominated the NBA landscape until Air Jordan appeared.

Website/Blog of the day: Hardwood Paroxysm

Links: Darko Interview, Hakim Trade Rumor, Grizzlies Evaluation

Hoopsworld.com's Nikola Olic scored another interview with a Memphis Grizzlies' player -- this time with Serbian big man Darko Milicic. It is an intriguing look into the path that brought Darko to Memphis and how much he is enjoying having the opportunity to put his talent on display.

I ask about Memphis again, and how he elected to go out for lunch in uptown Dallas proudly wearing his Grizzlies outfit, looking like he just walked out of practice. In an uncharacteristic move, he started talking faster and louder, and even cracked a smile like the one we saw when he was introduced as a Memphis Grizzly in July.
"Now I'm in Memphis where I have the biggest chance so far of my career. The only thing I can do is work hard and play hard and take advantage of the opportunity. The best possible cure for my hangover from before is exactly what I have here in Memphis, the freedom to play and not be afraid of being benched. Every player likes freedom in his basketball. You have to know that you will not immediately finish back on the bench if you make a mistake"

For Hoopsworld's other Grizzlies' interviews, go to the Grizzlies team page.

According to ESPN, the Golden State Warriors have tried to pry Hakim Warrick away from Memphis by dangling young center Patrick O'Bryant. MemphisX covered this with his usual calculating style and seems to have deemed this an poor trade for the Grizzlies. I have to agree with him. As much as I would like to see the Grizzlies get another big body to further complement Pau and Darko in the frontcourt, I believe that they need a high energy guy (Anderson Varejao, Joakim Noah type of player) given their uptempo style of play more than a plodder. I also agree with X that a backup SF/PF would be preferrable to a soon-to-be free agent center that isn't likely to see any playing time.

There was a recap of last night's win over the Nets on wcbstv.com that I found interesting and had some good quotes from the Grizzlies.

"We were in a lot of close games this year and were not successful," Gasol said. "It comes down to us growing and improving in those situations and getting more confidence as a young team. I think we're finally getting it together."

Links: Conley Update, Gasol's 5 Questions, Another Gasol rumor

Michael Conley updated his blog on Yardbarker just a few minutes ago: Rehab

He talks about rehabbing his shoulder every morning and the fact that it won't require surgery, but no further mention of a timetable for his return.

Here's a further explanation of his injury from Dr. Owen Tabor, whom we asked to explain what a posterior labral tear is. Dr. Tabor hasn't examined Conley, so he is speaking about the injury in general terms.

The labrum is a soft cartilage rim around the shoulder socket (glenoid) that is analagous to the meniscus in the knee. Usually, to tear the labrum, you need to have dislocated or subluxed (almost dislocated) the shoulder. A labral tear is actually hard to diagnose, as MRIs are not that accurate. There's not much rehab involved in a labral tear. I would assume they will wait a week or two, and if his shoulder feels better, let him play. If it still hurts, he may need a scope of his shoulder, which could keep him out for anywhere from 2 weeks to the rest of the season, depending on what they find and how they treat it.

Pau Gasol answered 5 Questions for ESPN's Marc Stein on the Daily Dime and seemed to be ready to put the ugliness/disappointment of last year behind him. He says that things are much better this year and he cannot wait to get over a few nagging injuries that have slowed him down so far this season so that they can continue to progress as a team. Check out the link for the full Q&A session. (Hat tip: TennesseeDrew)

Here's another Gasol rumor out of Chicago (the Sun Times' John Jackson....again):

The player I would make a serious run at is Memphis Grizzlies big man Pau Gasol, a player the Bulls were interested in last season. The Grizzlies aren't shopping him right now, but they probably can be persuaded to make a deal because the team is losing, fans aren't filling the FedEx Forum and Gasol is owed a lot of money in the next four years.
I still wouldn't trade Deng, the player the Grizzlies wanted last season, but I'd make it clear that anyone else -- including Hinrich and Gordon -- could be had in the right deal.

As per the last trade rumor, this is the idle speculation/wish list of a bored sportswriter and nothing more.

Links: The Sports Guy, Navarro speaks, Rookies

Bill Simmons (ESPN) finally got around to his full-fledged Western Conference Preview and has wisely downgraded the Grizzlies from a prediction of 42 wins and a #7 seed to 35 wins and a #10 seed....both numbers that sound strangely familiar to this blogger. He's a big fan of Kyle Lowry -- what's not to love? -- but doesn't seem to understand that Hakim Warrick doesn't fit that well with this Grizzlies team going forward. I guess you cannot expect a guy to be familiar with all 30 teams in the NBA and their bench players, though.

Over on the Grizzlies Official Message Board, poster "frangs" provided a link to a recent interview that Juan Carlos Navarro gave in which he talks about opponents attempting to trash-talk with him and the language barrier that he must cope with. Of course, it is all in Spanish, but I treated it just like the soap operas on Telemundo and make up things when I don't understand what he's saying. It's a two-parter totaling 18 minutes.

Part One
Part Two

David Thorpe has an updated Rookie Watch up on ESPN Insider (free preview) with some good thoughts on Juan Carlos Navarro.

Links: Game Previews, Predictions, CA Coverage

Chris Herrington has his usual high-quality game preview up on Beyond the Arc.

If you feel like you still need an additional game preview -- although I think that Chip, Zack and guest star San Antonio Spurs blog Pounding the Rock have already covered everything -- then check out the preview from Philadelphia TV station 6abc.com.

Mississippi based Speck's Sports Blog also has a preview of tonight's home opener.

The Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, has his season predictions up on ESPN.com now and is surprisingly pro-Memphis, given his less-than-flattering comments in the past about the Grizzlies. He likes us to win 35+ games, make the playoffs and has nice things to say about Pau Gasol and Kyle Lowry. Is this Bizarro World or something? Or has all the Halloween candy affected him already?

Finally, there are a ton of new articles on the Commercial Appeal today....guess they were saving them up or something, since we had 8 today after one per day all through preseason. Click here for the direct link to the Grizzlies section.

If you live in the area, make sure you get out there and support the home team tonight as they take on the defending NBA champions.

ESPN.com Preview

ESPN.com has their Memphis Grizzlies Team Preview up, where you'll find complimentary evaluations from Jon Barry and Chad Ford (both have us in the playoffs) and a questionable prediction from Greg Anthony, who has us as last in the West again. There is also a Player Spotlight on Tarence Kinsey and some analysis from stat freak John Hollinger. Oh yeah, some hack blogger gave them a few questions to ask GM Chris Wallace, too. Make sure you check out the other team previews and the questions bloggers had for their GM's. Most of them are absolutely hilarious.

A big thanks goes out to Henry Abbott from TrueHoop for including us in this. I owe him a cookie basket or something.