If You Show It, They will Come

The Grizzlies rookie campaign ended Wednesday night with a matchup against Al Thornton and the LA Clippers and on WPXX (PAX 50 - the local TV station that covered the Grizzlies rookie league games last summer, you were able to watch...reruns of the Family Feud!


Memphis is sooooo not ready to be a major league city.

Of course this isn't the only time when the Memphis Grizzlies rookie team's games weren't televised in Memphis. The team used to play in the Long Beach Rookie league or whatever it was called. That league had something like 4 teams participating and was not televised anywhere. In 2007, the Grizzlies joined the Las Vegas Summer League and had all of their games televised either on NBA-TV or WPXX. This season, with the addition of OJ Mayo exciting the local fan base and the team being in the midst of a general revival of interest local fans were again blacked out except for the one Sunday night NBA-TV game.

It was unfortunate NBA TV chose the Grizzlies-Lakers rookie came to be a national TV broadcast since the Grizzlies were playing their third straight game and obviously the legs were a little tired. Still the stands were full of fans anxious to see Mayo, Conley and Darrell Arthur for the Grizzlies. The Lakers are a big draw in Vegas too. Apparently the folks running NBA TV thought the game would draw more interest than re-runs of the 1966 Celtics-Lakers championship series. In Memphis the decision is different. It's not like the Grizzlies are like every other team in not covering the summer league either. The Lakers broadcast everyone of their summer league games in LA.

Why did the Grizzlies not get broadcast this season?

According to George Flinn of Flinn Broadcasting the decision was...well actually he didn't say anyting. He wouldn't talk to me but if he had I am sure it would sound something like this.

3SOB: Why aren't you guys covering the Grizzlies Rookie League Games? Was it because you don't think anyone would watch?

Flinn: No. We didn't think we could sell enough advertising to make it profitable. Selling the ad space to cover the expenses of Family Feud re-runs would be easy. Selling enough ads to cover the expense of the buying the game from the NBA Network would be prohibitively more expensive. We love the Grizzlies and want to maintain....

blah, blah, blah. Business. Money. The Bottom line. Why does it always come down to how much profit someone can make? Heisley wants to make money with the Grizzlies. WPXX wants to make money at the station. Local businesses want to make money too. And why didn't Memphis businesses believe that they could reach enough customers by advertising during Grizzlies games?

I think I know why. And I hope this is going to change. After the Gasol trade last year everyone from casual fans to local businesses to the national media believed that the Grizzlies had quit trying to compete in the NBA. The team had relegated itself to minor league status. No one wanted to be associated with a loser and Memphis was the epitome of a loser franchise in the NBA.


All that changed at 11:00 pm on Thursday, June 26th. That was when OJ Mayo, Darrell Arthur and hope all became a part of the Memphis Grizzlies.

If WPXX had the opportunity after June 26th to broadcast the games they probably would have because the advertisers would support the apparent new direction the team was taking. Alas it was too late. The summer league was only 15 days away and there were two weekends and a national holiday in between. There simply wasn't time enough to get it done.

The message needs to be that 'if you show it, they will come.'


People in Memphis understand building a winner takes time. After all the Tigers may have been thrust into the nation's conscience this past year but most Memphians know it took two NIT appearances, a couple of early NCAA exits and two Elite 8 runs to suddenly burst onto the scene last year. The same is true of the Grizzlies. Basically we just signed Dajuan Wagner. There is a light at the end of the tunnel but it's still a pretty damn long tunnel.

Links: Lifeboat Edition (Makin' It Rain!)

My Google Alerts have been on the fritz, so I got flooded with a ton of things today -- some old, some new. Hope you enjoy.

Graham Kendrick is reporting that Mike Miller returned to practice today and is hoping to play on Wednesday against the Nets. The question for many fans now is "Should he start or return to his former role as 6th man?" -- or at least it should be.

Last week, Mike Conley sat down with Sam Amico (ProBasketballNews.com) for a great interview. Amico came away impressed, which is saying something. Here's one question and answer that I particularly liked:

PBN: Do you have faith the current situation -- your own and that of the Grizzlies -- will eventually turn around?

Conley: “I do. You can’t stop believing in that, because once you do, you become that player who just starts thinking you’re going to lose all the time. You have to look into the future with a team as young as this one. We have a lot of talent, we really do. And this (summer) we’ll possibly get a high draft pick, so we’ll have another young, talented player next season. We’re about as low as you can get right now. It’s only going to get better.”

Speaking of interviews, Hakim Warrick had an impromptu one with Dave McMenamin (NBA.com) via IM about his exclusion from the "All-Big East in the NBA" group back in December. Dave decided that an apology was in order. We concur.

USA Today is allowing NBA fans to vote for the "All-Time Five" on each team, so head on over and vote for your favorite Grizzlies.

Now for the fun portion of the program, where I pit the idiots against the people who know what they are talking about. Today's subject: Relocation of the Grizzlies.

Idiots: Bill Simmons & Ron Sims, both looking at the Grizzlies moving to Seattle to replace the departing Sonics.

Smart Guy: Geoff Calkins, explaining the details of the Grizzlies' lease with the city of Memphis. Actually, "Smart Guy" doesn't even begin to describe it. I should replace that with Supremely Intelligent Being. (Hat tip to Latty and Chip for talking about this subject endlessly on the message boards.) According to Calkins:

There's a separate non-relocation agreement, for starters, stating that "during the first 10" seasons in FedExForum, the team "shall not relocate from the City of Memphis."

So that should settle it....for a little while anyways. So go find something else to worry about.

Here's a couple of great articles about Marc Iavaroni: Grizz Coach Stays Sharp (Ross Siler, Salt Lake Tribune) & Sloan hopes Grizz stick with Iavaroni (Tim Buckley, Deseret Morning News).

NY Sun: Knicks fans worry that other "losers" (like the Grizzlies) will cost their team draft position.

Here's an interesting comparison: The Grizzlies' current season vs. the 1976 horror film Grizzly.

Finally, Basketbawful has decided to skewer the Grizz once again. I'd object, but I can't stop laughing long enough to do so.

Blog/Website of the Day: The Blowtorch

2011: A Cap Space Odyssey

The scene opens and we are in the year 2008 (or 1 AP as in After-Pau). It is a dark time in the evolution of the Grizzlies. Seemingly huddled in caves and around camp fires, the men appear weak. Enemies easily defeat the hapless Grizzlies and it appears that extinction (or relocation) is the most likely outcome.

Suddenly there appears a huge monolith. It raises suspicion and fear among the group. Slowly they approach it in an attempt to comprehend its power. They call the monolith…Kwame Brown.


The monolith is gone almost as quickly as it arrived but it leaves behind a gift that seems inconsequential and unimportant at the time but contains the potential for great advancement.

And so begins a new chapter in Grizzlies evolution.

Fast forward three years to 2011. The Grizzlies are taking off into unchartered space, far above the normal teams in the NBA, and trying to reach a new, previously unimagined level of development for the franchise.

Rudy Gay is being called the closest thing to Dr. J since the Doctor himself. The two-time slam dunk champion is averaging over 25 points per game combining a sweet outside jump shot with the ability to leap over any two players in the league for a posterizing finish.

Mike Conley, the fastest point guard in the league and one of the most improved three point shooters as well, has taken control of the assist lead with his drives into the lane only to hit the open man for an easy shot or flipping the ball in the basket himself.

Darko Milicic, finally shaking the reputation as the biggest bust of a #2 pick in history, is consistently getting double figures in rebounds and points while closing down the lane with his ability to block shots. Hakim Warrick, still coming off the bench, is the most feared scoring 6th man in the league averaging almost 15 ppg in that role.

What has really excited the Memphis faithful, who now flock to the FedEx Forum for every game, has been the development of the young players Memphis acquired in the trade of Gasol.


While their future development has yet to be determined, the young guns provide flair and speed off the bench when the starters must rest. The free agent signings have fit in perfectly with Iavaroni’s goal for the team.

Is this science fiction?

Definitely but it is also a possible glimpse of the future.

Whatever people can imagine, can happen. It is not a guarantee that the Memphis Grizzlies will disappear from the city as some have predicted. Teams have turned around seemingly moribund situations before.

Memphis has been given something that most of their competitors don't have, flexibility. They can choose to spend their free money or not, they can trade draft picks for players or use those picks to get players that will better fit into Marc Iavaroni's vision of this team. Chris Wallace’s tenures as GM in Boston and Memphis have given critics more than their fair share of reasons to be pessimistic. Yet few have argued the man doesn't know what players need to be successful in the NBA.

So for now the monolith is here. The opportunity to be an elite team has been given. The team has to make the correct moves to be the next New Orleans Hornets and not the perennially underachieving Atlanta Hawks. It won't be easy but nothing worth achieving ever is.

Wouldn't it be funny if one day Bill Simmons talked about the Grizzlies and said: "My God, they're full of stars!"

'Busting' Out for the Grizzlies

Breaking News: Apparently at least one fan is willing to get down and dirty in her support of the team. According to sources an attractive female in the stands bared her breasts when her image was flashed on the jumbo-tron. At this time we have no word on how the Grizzlies plan on dealing with this situation.

I suggest season tickets in my section for the woman or plastic beads to all men over 21!

A quote from an 'eye' witness of the event:

She wasn't very well endowed (which can be deceiving since lifting your arms/shirt can make you look smaller than when your arms are down), college-aged or close, and I guess I'd have to say her appearance was "average" since I can't remember if I'd put her at either end of the attractive scale. She may have been cold at the time...

Thanks to the woman who thought outside of the box to find ways to attract more fans to the game!

UPDATE: Lauren Lee of Fox Sports News beat us to the punch and got this story. However we are still attempting to get a personal interview.

Waiting for Gasol

The film aficionados among you will immediately recognize the movie poster above and probably get the reference instantaneously. For the rest of you, settle in while I explain.

Since his outstanding rookie season, Pau Gasol has been the center of attention in Memphis. He posted 17.8 ppg on .518 FG% and .709 FT% to go with 8.9 rpg, 2.7 apg and 2.1 bpg in his inaugural campaign. He went from a virtually unknown international player to the best player on a fledgling recently relocated NBA franchise. The Grizzlies organization did their part to make sure that Gasol and fellow rookie Shane Battier got plenty of exposure in a unique campaign for the Rookie of the Year award that Pau collected in a landslide vote. They even created a comic book for these two young players. The thought was that these two would be the foundation for a perennial playoff contender that could eventually become a legitimate championship team. The next year saw the addition of former Rookie of the Year Mike Miller, forming a trio that was "The Core" of the Grizzlies -- the future of the organization and the key to success.

Well, it turned out that his rookie campaign was Battier's best season from a statistical perspective as he posted career highs in PPG, RPG and APG. He was still seen as the consummate team player that he was touted to be coming out of college, but no one considered him to be anything more than a solid defensive player who was capable of being a "glue guy" for a title contender when he was traded to the Houston Rockets for the rights to draft pick Rudy Gay and recently departed Stromile Swift. The face of the franchise was no longer wearing Beale Street Blue.

The season that followed was a dark time for Grizzlies' fans, as it started off without Gasol who was suffering from an injury he suffered while in international competition, missing the first month and a half, and it ended with an NBA worst 60 losses and a draft pick that wasn't #1 or #2, leaving them out of the hunt for either of the potential superstars-in-waiting, Greg Oden and Kevin Durant.

Pau had his best statistical season, but questions that had cropped up here and there in past seasons about his ability to lead a team suddenly became full-fledged accusations and indictments while the team awaited his return from injury. The complaints were mostly of the same vein: "Pau isn't clutch", "Pau doesn't deserve a max contract", "Pau cannot lead this team", "We need to trade Pau". Then the news of Pau's conversation with majority owner Michael Heisley was leaked and all hell broke loose....quite literally. Fans who were already starting to question Pau and his ability to be a star player turned on him and the organization as they suffered their worst season since leaving Vancouver. Attendance dropped as the team lost more games and the trade rumors flew around the Internet, sending Gasol everywhere from Chicago to L.A. to the YMCA in Tulsa.

Through this morose period of Grizz fandom, a few fans preached patience, telling others to wait for Rudy Gay to develop and to see how good young PG Kyle Lowry might be upon his return from injury. I agreed with those people then and I still agree with them now, as I see the potential that Rudy, Kyle, Darko Milicic, Juan Carlos Navarro and Michael Conley all possess. However, if you look closely, there are two prominent names missing from that list: Pau Gasol and Mike Miller. Honestly, I should have titled this post "Waiting for Gasol and Miller", but that didn't fit the movie reference.

Speaking of which, now is the time to explain that. In Waiting for Guffman, a small-town theater company puts on an elaborate show in the hopes that a well-known critic by the name of Mort Guffman will see it and "discover" them. Alas, it was not to be as Guffman's flight got canceled and he missed the show. What does that have to do with Gasol and Miller? If you are waiting on the two of them to develop into great late-game performers, you can stop now. If you are waiting on them to become prolific scorers capable of taking games over single-handedly, you can stop now. If you are waiting on either of them to become the leader this team desperately needs, you can stop now. You can stop now because they aren't going to become any of that. They are who we thought they were. They are great players, but they are not superstars and they never will be.



Now, I said all of that to say this. Just because they aren't superstars doesn't mean we should trade them for 15 cents on the dollar. There is nothing wrong with having a Pau Gasol or a Mike Miller on a team that you plan on shaping into a playoff participant. There are those out there that will tell you that having either of them somehow instantly dooms your team. That's rubbish. If we simply gave either of them to the Spurs, Suns, Mavs, Pistons, Celtics or Magic, would that somehow make them a worse team? Not bloody likely. There are also those who would tell you that it doesn't make sense to have a max player who isn't the leader of the team and the best player. Also poppycock in my book. Shawn Marion is the highest paid player in Phoenix and is arguably the third best player on the roster. Shaq has been the second best player in Miami since he got there with his $20 million a year contract. Dirk Nowitzki appears to have taken a lesser role in Dallas due to the emergence of Josh Howard, but I don't see them calling for him to be traded every day. Dwight Howard will make less than Rashard Lewis each of the next six seasons. You could even make the argument that as important as Tim Duncan is to San Antonio's aspirations to a title repeat that both Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have passed him by in terms of night-in, night-out performance.

So while having Pau (or Mike) on your team doesn't immediately doom them, that doesn't mean you continue to build around them. If Rudy Gay is truly the "superstar" level talent that Jerry West claimed and if Michael Conley truly is the next Tony Parker or Chris Paul, is it really going to be a detriment to this team to have Pau Gasol around? Just because you decide not to continue to build around someone doesn't mean you have to trade them as if they were suddenly worthless. If we must trade Mike Miller to get a more defensive minded G/F to start alongside Rudy, then so be it. But I don't see that many teams winning playoff games without having low-post scoring (ask Chicago and Dallas about that). The undeniable chemistry that Pau and Darko have when on the court at the same time gives me great hope for the starting frontcourt that has long been a weakness for the Grizzlies. So while I'm done waiting for Gasol to be the #1 guy in Memphis, I have no problem accepting him as the #2....or even #3 guy if it results in postseason success in the long run. But I'm still willing to be patient with this team -- even if not everyone shares that viewpoint.

Darko is Going to Play? Darko is Going to Play!

Darko Milicic suffered what appeared to be a serious injury on Monday night against the Blazers. Immediately after Darko fell to floor, the crowd gasped and muttered to themselves, hoping that it wasn't as bad as it looked. He had trouble putting weight on the foot and had to be pushed to the locker room in a wheel chair. Without any official reports, most, including those of us here at 3SoB, assumed he would be out for a number of weeks with a severe ankle sprain.

But amazingly, that is not the case.

As reported in todays Commercial Appeal, Darko is going to try to play. From downtown to East Memphis to the suburbs, you can hear the surprise now.

"Darko is going to play? Darko is going to play!"

I am as surprised as everyone else. Here are Darko's words:

"That's how some ankles work," Milicic said. "It's really not that bad. I'll try it (today) in shootaround. But I'm sure I'll play."

Wow! Great news for Darko. It seems that Darko doesn't want to be known as a player that is always injured.

"That's why I'm trying to come back (today)," Milicic said.

One thing that I have latched onto pretty quickly with Darko is that he has some serious fight in him. Iavaroni echos that.

"He wants to play and he wants to help us win," Iavaroni said. "He feels you can't do that sitting on the bench."

Rudy Gay was also heard today on the radio saying that Darko will play. We need Darko tonight to man up to Yao.

The question now becomes, how much will Darko play and how effective will he be? Of course, if we could get PA Announcer Rick Trotter to play the part of the "stuck in the 70's MC" from Karate Kid and echo the words that are the title of this post, then I'm sure he'd go out and kick butt.

New Gameshow: Name that Owner!

As Chip, Zack and myself were wrapping up our roundtable discussion on our predictions for the NBA and the Grizzlies (coming soon to a blog post near you), an interesting topic came up. Through a roundabout way, we began questioning why it was that owners who are in the news are typically the "bad owners" in the NBA. There are some exceptions, with Mark Cuban (Mavericks) and the Maloofs (Kings) being the two most obvious examples, but by and large, if people know the name of your owner, chances are he's not in the upper echelon of ownership rankings. Who are the owners of the Spurs, Suns or Pistons? Anyone know? Bueller?

Let's take a look at the owners most serious NBA fans can name right off the bat, excluding the two we already mentioned. George Shinn (Hornets), Donald Sterling (Clippers), Clay Bennett (Sonics), James Dolan (Knicks), Jerry Buss (Lakers), Herb Kohl (Bucks), Glen Taylor (T'Wolves), Michael Heisley (Grizzlies), Jerry Reinsdorf (Bulls), Larry Miller (Jazz) and Paul Allen (Blazers). For a full list of NBA owners, go to the list compiled by the always helpful Hoopshype. Of the guys on that list, which ones own teams that (1) belong in the upper half of the NBA, (2) haven't allowed incompetence to remain in their organization and (3) haven't suffered as a result of the owner's insistence in either meddling in basketball issues or being in the news for the wrong reason? Well, by my count, we can take Herb Kohl, Larry Miller, Paul Allen and Jerry Reinsdorf off that list using that criteria, although Reinsdorf only gets a pass because Jerry Krause is perceived to be at fault for the dismal years the Bulls suffered through after their dismantling following the second three-peat. Ok, so now we have a list we can dissect.

George Shinn (New Orleans Hornets) -- #1 on my list because he has worked hard to set the bar high in alienating fans in not just one, but two cities. He's willing to spend money, which is something others won't do, but he's also a thorn in commissioner David Stern's side, having forced a move from Charlotte after doing his best to convince fans not to show up to support the hometown team. He's the poster boy for Bad Owners.

Donald Sterling (L.A. Clippers) -- He's finally decided to start spending some money on his team, after decades of feeding off the fact that not all of the actors/actresses, agents, power brokers, wannabe's in Los Angeles could score tickets to the Lakers and partook of the Clip Joint in order to see the NBA in action. It's hard to feel too sorry for Clippers' fan, with it being so blatantly obvious that Sterling was a cheapskate, but that doesn't exonerate him from being a bad owner. Especially when he commits the cardinal sin of becoming newsworthy in a tabloid sense.

James Dolan (N.Y. Knicks) -- You know what, just read this...and this...and this...and this. David Stern would love to throw this guy out of the league for all of eternity -- I can guarantee that. That doesn't even cover the incompetence he's allowed by his last two GM's either. Wonder if he'll manage to outlast Isiah in New York?

Clay Bennett (Seattle Supersonics) -- Has shot near the top of the "Bad Owners" rankings with his abrupt about-face concerning the Sonics' remaining in the Pacific Northwest. It went from a statement of hope last September to the current turmoil of a possible move to Las Vegas, Oklahoma City or who knows what other location he might come up with. Nothing like lying to an entire region with a straight face to cement your place among the most reviled in NBA ownership.

Jerry Buss (L.A. Lakers) -- So far, he has meddled in team affairs and been featured in the news for bad behavior. But, unfortunately, it would be impossible for him to alienate his fanbase, so we'll have to settle for two out of three, I guess. I don't know that he's a bad owner, per se, but he's been visible for all the wrong reasons, which is bad for an organization.

Glen Taylor (Minnesota Timberwolves) -- He doesn't make the gossip sheets and he stays out of team affairs as much as possible, so he's this close to being a good owner. But, alas, he continues to allow Kevin McHale to run basketball operations, which has been steadily dragging this franchise down, eventually costing the team its star player -- and subsequently its drawing power -- this past offseason with the trade of Kevin Garnett to Boston. McHale should have been fired long ago, after the Joe Smith fiasco, but Taylor continues to employ him, allowing his incompetence to flourish, because he doesn't think there is someone better out there. That's unfortunate for the fans in Minnesota, who deserve more than the mediocrity they have been given for the majority of their existence.

Michael Heisley (Memphis Grizzlies) -- If you're reading this blog, you were probably waiting for this entry in particular. Heisley used to say and do all the right things, from being visible at the games in his courtside seat to allowing his basketball personnel to make decisions and spend money where necessary. However, when he decided to limit Jerry West's authority in terms of player acquisitions and trades, he stepped over the line that owners should recognize as a necessary boundary. Then he announced the team was for sale and allowed a farcical offer to seem legitimate before allowing the NBA to shoot it down, throwing a wet blanket over an already dismal season. He has faded to the background for now, but something tells me that once the team shows some success again, he'll announce the team is on the market again, creating uncertainty throughout the organization for another season. I hope that is not the case, but experience tells me to expect something along those lines.

I would have added in the Atlanta ownership group, but their fans have suffered through enough horrors without me detailing it, so for once, I'll pull a punch. I think we've been able to illustrate that well-known owners are far-too-often known for the wrong reasons in today's NBA. If you're a fan of one of the teams I've listed above, just know that I feel your pain. If your team wasn't listed above, consider yourself one of the lucky ones, as you don't have to deal with the issues the rest of us face as fans of teams with bad owners. Count your blessings and hope that your owner remains in the background, signing the checks, but allowing his basketball people to make the decisions he pays them to while keeping them in line, and doing his best to stay out of the news and off of Sportscenter.

Position Battles - Interior Players

Sorry to take so long to get around to this article but frankly it is the most difficult and with the Chris Wallace meeting and the Joey Crawford story I was somewhat distracted.

Why some may ask are the interior players a more difficult section to write than the Point Guards or Wing Players? Surely this area is the most experienced a pre-determined of the lot.

Actually it isn't that simple. After Pau Gasol there is a lot of confusion on who will play and where. Darko Milicic was the big free agent signing of the summer and at 7 feet, 285 pounds the first legitimately sized big man the team has had to put next to Gasol. Hakim Warrick is more of a tweener forward than a true interior player, Stromile has never lived up to his potential, Brian Cardinal is a broken down shell of the player who was over-paid three years ago and who in heck is Andre Brown anyway?

Well there is a lot more confusion than people expect at first glance. Can Darko play an all-out up tempo game? Can Warrick control the ball well enough to to run the break? Has Stro matured? Has Cardinal's most recent knee surgery cured what ailed him for the last two seasons? Is Andre Brown a diamond in the rough or just a dirty rock?

So many questions and so few answers.

The Interior Players-

Pau Gasol: The Bearded One had a strong summer performance in front of the home crowd until the FIBA Finals against Russia. A turnover, 4-9 FT shooting and a missed shot in the last 5 minutes killed Spain's chances for their first European Championship. Another meltdown in the final minutes of a big game for the Spaniard is tough to swallow. Real stars don't collapse in the pressure of the bright lights. How emotionally frustrated Pau will be this year should be interesting to watch. The good news for Pau is that, despite never having a true big man to relieve pressure under the basket, he has been remarkably consistent and now he is joined by his good friend Juan Carlos Navarro. With the combination of two new Europeans one -of whom is a legitimate big- should help this be Gasol's best season ever. Throw on top a return to the fast paced game he prefers with new coach Marc Iavaroni and a return to the all-star game may not be outside the realm of possibilities.

Darko Milicic: He has had a troublesome summer as I talked about previously. What I didn't talk about previously was his previous season and playoff performances. Darko was never able to wrest full time duty away from Tony Battie last year averaging only 23.9 mpg. He did use that time efficiently however scoring 8 ppg, grabbing 5.5 rpg and getting 1.8 bpg. In the playoffs those numbers changed to 28.8 mpg, 12.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 1.0 bpg. So he played more, scored more, rebounded less and blocked fewer shots. Now granted, he was playing the Pistons in the playoffs. Darko's best month of the year was in February when he averaged 30.3 mpg, 11.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg and 2.1 bpg. However, his minutes fell in March and April when Orlando made their push to the playoffs averaging fewer than 24 mpg over that time. Why? What is it about Darko, a former #2 pick in the draft, that he can show so much potential but fail to deliver on a consistent basis?

Stromile Swift: Speaking of a former second pick in the draft failing to deliver on a consistent basis, I present you Stromile Swift. Who has been a bigger disappointment in his career, Darko or Stro? Stromile is in an option year of his contract. He can opt out next summer and play the free agent game again. That alone should suggest a bigger year from him than last seasons dysfunctional 54 games. Stro somehow managed to average 7.8 ppg and grab 4.6 rpg last year while blocking 1.1 shots in only 19 mpg but the lack of production seemed far worse during the year. Stro is emotional and maybe the shock of playing for the Grizz again combined with Mike Fratello and his mother's stroke was too much to handle. None of that explains the falloff in February, March and April last season when he should have adjusted to being back, his mom was healthy and Fratello was gone. This could be near the end for Stro as he has a coach who should bring out all the positives of his game. Up-tempo should really benefit Stro, but the crowded rotation means inconsistency won't be tolerated any more.

Hakim Warrick: He is facing the all important 3rd year of his NBA career. If a major step forward is going to be taken this is statistically the year he should show it. And it isn't like Hakim didn't start making those steps last season. His scoring improved from 4.1 ppg to 12.7. His rebounding improved from 2.1 to 5.1 per game. His minutes improved from 10.6 to 26.2 mpg. So basically his scoring tripled, his rebounding doubled and his minutes improved by 2.5. What does this tell us? If you play more you will get more stats but it doesn't mean you really improved your play. Hakim needs to really improve his play this season and that means improved defense, better understanding and functioning in the offense and a more physical play. Most important is defense. Much of the criticism of Gasol's defense last year was when Warrick lost his man and Gasol came over to help, only to have his man left wide open. That cannot continue. Warrick also was the final option offensively too often. Not because he was the last option but when he got his hands on the ball he never let go. Warrick has to prove he can play the 4 similar to Boris Diaw who included everyone in the offense while playing good defense.

Brian Cardinal: Did you hear that TV is bringing back the Bionic Woman...and Memphis is bringing back their $6 million Dollar Man. Unfortunately our man is not any better than the show. Many people forget that Brian Cardinal had another knee surgery last spring. Will this surgery finally cure what has ailed him since his first year in Memphis or is the damage too severe? At this point no one knows for sure. One thing for sure, Cardinal may be able to be rebuilt, but he won't be faster, jump higher or shoot more accurately than before. At best Brian will be the 5th interior player on the team or the 3rd small forward. He definitely is smart enough to play the game, but physically I don't believe they can give him the ability to stay up with the speed and height of the game today.

Andre Brown: If Cardinal is the $6 million dollar man, then Andre Brown is The Shadow. Everyone has heard of him but no one knows what he looks like, has seen him play or know anything about his past other than wild rumors of his dominating lesser talent in South America (actually the NBADL but what's is the difference). At 6-9 Brown should push Swift as the backup big man and could actually pass an uninspired Swift. Brown was described by Chris Wallace as being a hard worker who is content with his role on the team. In other words he won't complain if he sits on the bench in street clothes but has to workout with the team every morning. Apparently that role didn't sit well with Alexander Johnson. If Brown outplays Stro then we could have a physical player to band underneath with a bargain basement price. If he doesn't then we have a hard worker who appreciates the opportunity.

So what is going to happen? Gasol and Darko will become the Ivory Towers on opening night. Warrick could be in the running for sixth man of the year if he improves his defense and his passing. Swift is a big question mark while Cardinal and Brown should rarely appear in anything beside street clothes and warmup suits. I would go so far as to say that if anyone sees what number is on Andre Brown's jersey this season then something has gone terribly wrong.

The big picture depends on Darko. Can he finally break out of his underperformance and become a valuable contributor on a team. The Grizzlies paid him to be there big man. Gasol will do about 20 and 10 like he always does and Warrick should excel in the running offense so whether or not the team can win will depend on Darko being the big man that the city has longed for since 2001. If Darko averages 10+ ppg and grabs 7+ rpg to go along with his shot blocking then Memphis will be tough to stop inside and probably much tougher to score on as well. That frees up the perimeter players to press more on the perimeter which means more opportunities to run. If Darko isn't able to provide that type of production then it will be more difficult to play the pressing defense Iavaroni has said he wants to play and everything else slows down.

Slowing down is not something that most Grizzlies fans want to hear about this team.

Darko's Summer in Turmoil

Darko Milicic has had the type of summer movies are made of this year. Disaster movies like Earthquake, The Towering Inferno or The Poseidon Adventure.

First he began the summer as a restricted free agent who's agent was suggesting Darko was worth $10 million a year. Then Orlando relinquished his rights choosing to sign Rashard Lewis instead. This led to rather hostile discussions between Darko's agent and the Magic which eliminated any chance Darko would return to Orlando in any manner other than an opponents uniform.

Darko accepted Memphis' offer of $6.5 million a year instead. This became a little uncomfortable when it was released that Darko had possibly implied that Pau Gasol, Memphis' resident big man, may be less than physical in his approach to the game. This was most likely misinterpreted and more directed at Spain than Memphis but it left a sour taste in people's mouths.

While this was going on Darko was preparing to play for his home country of Serbia in the FIBA European Championships. Serbia is a relative newcomer to European basketball. Originally a part of Yugoslavia and then combining with Montenegro this was to be the first European championship where Serbia competed as an individual country. Darko felt immense pressure to perform at the highest level for his country.

And perform he did. Darko was second in scoring (14.7 ppg), first in rebounding (9.7 per game) and first in blocked shots (3.3 per game). While shooting a disappointing 41% from the field a major reason for that was the 2-13 shooting performance against Russia. Darko did shoot over 50% for the rest of the tournament. His free throw shooting left much to be desired however.

Unfortunately Darko was also first in fines at the tournament after an expletive laced commentary about the referees following a close loss to Greece.

Serbia failed to win a single game in the competition but lost all three games by a combined 15 points. Russia, the eventual champion, beat Serbia by 10. Greece, the 4th place team, won by a single point in the highly controversial game. Israel beat the deflated Serbian team by a mere four points that was probably more of a hangover from the Greece game than anything else.

So what did we see from Darko's international experience this summer? We found that Darko won't sit around and accept things. We discovered that Darko is capable of rebounding and scoring on the international stage and as a player is ready to mature his game on the bigger stages. We also saw quite graphically that Darko isn't mature yet and still has troubles with maintaining his emotions.

Most encouraging was his rebounding, a major weakness of the Grizzlies in previous seasons. Darko was among the best rebounders in the tournament averaging 9.3 a game. To put it in perspective that was more than Dirk Nowitzki (8.6 per game), Pau Gasol (7.0 per game) and Andrei Kirilenko (8.6 per game). His weaknesses were maintaining his composure and free throw shooting (52.6%). Throw in the physical way he played and there is a lot more to be excited about than some originally thought.

Now if he can co-exist with Pau and Hakim Warrick in the paint, things could be very good for the Grizzlies this season.

What's the Plan?

Adm. Painter: What's his plan?
Jack Ryan: His plan?
Adm. Painter: Russians don't take a dump, son, without a plan.
From The Hunt for Red October

If only the same could be said about the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies announced today via the ‘re-energized’ owner Michael Heisley that the search for a new GM will continue for at least another week. Great news I suppose. That means Chris Wallace and his dubious history at Boston is not being given the job…yet. But it does raise a few questions as well.

Like what is the plan? Jerry West announced his intention to step down as GM on April 17th. That was over 55 days ago. How is another week going to clear up what has been so uncertain since April 17th? And why are there two new candidates emerging now instead of earlier in the process? What was the plan starting back on April 17th to replace Jerry West? Was their a plan in place anticipating that Mr. West would retire? Why did the Grizzlies leadership never interview Sam Presti, the Assistant GM at San Antonio, who signed with Seattle. Shouldn’t Presti have been interviewed early in the process as well if the team was still looking at realistic candidates?

Did Heisley assume that alleged #1 pick David Griffin would accept the position and when he withdrew his name the team no longer had any idea who they wanted?

The only logical explanation I can think of for not interviewing Presti in the beginning is that the Grizzlies felt they already had their man. After all the only person to pull his name out of consideration was David Griffin. So it appears that Grizzlies had all their eggs in one basket and did other interviews for appearances only. Now that they didn’t get their #1 choice and Presti is off the market they need to start doing serious interviews to find a legitimate candidate.

I hope that wasn’t their plan all along. Can you imagine the business meeting discussing that stragegy?

Jerry: I'm retiring.
Heisley: Well I want you to help me pick a successor and don't we need a head coach too?
Jerry: Marc Iavaroni and David Griffin are your men. I will throw together a few other names but that is who you want.
Heisley: Fine well after we hire them what do we do?
Jerry: Well let me do the draft of course. I would love to get my picture taken with Greg Oden.
Heisley: Okay so that is the plan then...

This apparent lack of a cohesive strategy has been happening all off-season for the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies were regular chatty Kathy’s before the lottery with articles being posted daily about how this draft was going to change the face of the franchise. After the lottery it took 8 days for any news out of the Grizzlies leadership. It was like they weren’t even prepared with talking points for this outcome despite their being a far greater likelihood of the team getting the fourth pick than the first. Boston was equally devastated by the outcome and yet the next day Ainge and Rivers were in front of the camera’s spewing the company line about how the team was excited about the potential at the 5 spot and how this wasn’t the end of the world for the franchise.

What was the Grizzlies plan?

The Grizzlies hung their hats on Marc Iavaroni as their next coach but when the negotiations got difficult it appeared the team had no other plan of attack. If Iavaroni didn’t take the job what was the plan? Larry Brown was brought in a dismissed as a candidate soon afterwards. No one knows for sure if Donovan was actually offered a contract or not (and I don't believe that he was). Beyond those two names no one knows what the leadership of the Grizz had planned. Let’s see, the team doesn’t appear to have a plan on who they want as GM since Griffin resigned with Phoenix. The Grizzlies don’t seem to have a plan on what to do if they didn’t get a top 2 pick in the lottery. Luckily we will never know what the Grizzlies were going to do if Marc Iavaroni hadn’t accepted the Grizzlies offer.

Does this team have a plan for the future at all or are they going to continue to wing it until the draft?