Atlantic Division Previews

Boston Celtics

Jeff Clark: CelticsBlog.com

Jim Weeks: Green Bandwagon

FLCeltsFan: LOY's Place

John Karalis: Red's Army

Dustin Chapman: Celtics 24/7


New Jersey Nets

Dennis Velasco: About Basketball


New York Knicks

Joey: Straight Bangin'

Seth Rosenthal: Posting and Toasting


Philadelphia 76ers

Dannie & Pete: Recliner GM

Jon Burkett: Passion and Pride


Toronto Raptors

Franchise: RaptorsHQ.com

Ryan McNeill: Hoops Addict

Cuzzy: Cuzoogle


Also see links to all the previews at CelticsBlog.com

2008 Memphis Grizzlies Offseason

2008 NBA Offseason starts off with a bang!

The 2008 NBA free agency period has gotten this offseason off to a bang. It seems that Elton Brand and Baron Davis hatched a plot to make the Los Angeles Clippers more significant, while the two of them can work on their blossoming second careers as movie producers. The Clippers have vaulted themselves into the 10 team battle for the Western Conference playoffs. At this time: Golden State, Sacramento, Seattle, Minnesota and your Memphis Grizzlies seem to be on the outside with the Kings and Warriors probably making moves this summer to join the fight. Davis' defection from NoCal to SoCal leaves the Warriors with enough caproom to offer even a veteran a MAX contract. Accordingly, the rumor mill has Warrior GM Chris Mullin offering Gilbert Arenas $100 million dollars to return to the Bay area. At the time of this writing, Arenas was thought to be leaning toward turning down that ridiculous offer to accept a more retarded offer from the Washington Wizards of 6 years and $127 million dollars. I guess there is no recession in the NBA.

What does all this mean for the Memphis Grizzlies?

The Grizzlies are still one of the few teams remaining with enough caproom to make an NBA player drool. However, the landscape of the Western Conference makes it likely that unless they signed a true 1st team All NBA talent (none are available), they still could not get into the Western Conference playoff picture. That is the reality of our situation. So I expect Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace to keep his plan in motion: increase flexibility and collect assets for future use.

Now this does not mean the Grizzlies will be inactive this offseason. I think this is likely to be the most active offseason in Grizzlies history. I just do not expect them to rush out and make a splash with a headline grabbing free agent offer. The Grizzlies are in need of a veteran inside presence. They also need to thin the ranks of their guard rotation and maybe add a veteran backup for Rudy Gay.

A Deal to obtain a vet and thin the guards

The Grizzlies currently have an interior rotation of Hakim Warrick, Darko Milicic, Darrell Arthur, Antoine Walker and hopefully Marc Gasol. Unfortunately their is no real experience or proven toughness in this group. At this point Darko is virtually untradeable, so the most likely player moved is Hakim Warrick especially since he is due for a contract extension this summer and becomes a restricted free agent next summer if not extended. Warrick has proven himself to be a capable offensive player in the NBA but I do not think he fits into Chris Wallace's long term plan.

The veteran player we obtain must be on a reasonable contract and must not disrupt the Grizzlies plan of cap flexibility. Also, the guy has to be tough presence on the boards. My top 5 list of obtainable veterans are: Reggie Evans, Joe Smith, Jason Maxiell, Malik Rose, and Anderson Varejao. Of this group I think Reggie Evans is the most interesting. Today Atlanta power forward, Josh Smith, is in Philadelphia looking to sign an offer sheet. The 76ers need to clear enough caproom to offer Smith a contract that Atlanta will be unable to match.

Here is my proposal: Reggie Evans, Calvin Booth, and Phillies 2010 1st round draft pick for Hakim Warrick and Kyle Lowry.

This deal gives Philadelphia capable backups at power forward and point guard while giving them enough caproom to offer Josh Smith a maximum contract. The 76ers keep their 2009 pick and are owed a pick from Utah that will compensate them for the pick they are giving up. The Grizzlies get a banger in Reggie Evans who can come in and start this season to stabilize the young starting lineup. Calvin Booth is an expiring and could be waived immediately. This deal for the Grizzlies would be be cap neutral in 2009 as Reggie Evans+minimum cap hold for an empty roster spot is about equal to the 2009 salaries for Hakim and Kyle. This also gives the Grizzlies three draft picks in the next strong draft class of 2010.

The Grizz after the trade

PG: Micheal Conley, Javaris Crittenton
SG: O. J. Mayo, Marko Jaric
SF: Rudy Gay, Greg Buckner
PF: Reggie Evans, Darrell Arthur, Antoine Walker
C: Darko Milicic, Marc Gasol, Calvin Booth

This gives the Grizzlies 12 players on the roster and about $14 million in expiring contracts that can be used if an opportunity falls into their lap. All they would need to do is pick up a D-Leaguer at SG/SF to complete the 13 man roster and resign Andre Brown if they cut Booth. This gives the Grizzlies a fairly balanced roster with some toughness in the post to help the young guys bang on the inside without hurting the Grizzlies future cap flexibility.

I admit this isn't as sexy as offering Josh Smith $80 million dollars but it keeps this Grizzlies on track to their goal.

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.

Postgame Thoughts: Memphis at Philly 2.13.08

Spartacus Says:
The All-Star break couldn't get here soon enough for the Memphis Grizzlies. After yet another loss, this time to the Philadelphia 76ers, most of the team will get a chance to take a much needed break. The Grizz will send 3 players to All-Star weekend, as Juan Carlos Navarro and Mike Conley will be participating in the Rookie/Sophmore game along with Rudy Gay, who will be pulling double duty as he competes in the Slam Dunk contest as well.

The Good:
Hakim Warrick - Hak has put two solid games together after the Gasol trade left him as the only consistent low-post scorer on the team. If he can continue this kind of production, he might stick around through the "rebuilding process" the team is currently undergoing.

Kyle Lowry - The Bulldog played well in his first return to the City of Brotherly Love since being drafted last year. He played with his trademark intensity while logging more minutes than any other Grizzly. Even his outside shot was on, as he hit 3/5 from behind the arc.

The Bad:
Starters' scoring - Philly had all 5 starters score in double figures. Memphis had 3....and the other two were scoreless. Granted, Kyle might as well have been the starter given he played nearly 40 minutes, scoring 15 points along the way, but that is still inexcusable.

Creating opportunities - The Grizzlies had 17 assists for 35 made baskets. That doesn't sound too bad, until you consider that the Sixers had 28 assists on 42 made baskets and the Grizzlies' 2nd leading assist man was Kwame Brown. No, that's not a misprint.

The Ugly:
3-Point Shooting - 7 for 26 = .269%. Need I say more? I didn't think so.

Team defense - Philly shot over 50% from the field and over 46% from behind the 3-point line. Hard to beat teams if you're going to post numbers like that.

This team has a lot to work on over the break and throughout the remainder of the season.

Memphis at Philadelphia - 2.13.08

Memphis is probably the most relieved team to see the All-Star break arrive. Riding a 6 losing streak prior to Tuesday night's win against Sacramento, things are dark in Memphis right now but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Cap space, young talent and competent leadership will eventually produce the results Memphis fans have desired. Rudy Gay is a clutch scorer who should emerge into the national spotlight by next season if not this season after the Rookie Spectacular and Slam Dunk Contest. Mike Conley has great composure and only needs to develop an outside shot to become a deadly point guard. Darko Milicic is developing consistency after 4 years of misery prior to arriving in Memphis. Those three players are 21, 20, and 22 respectively so the future is bright with 5 additional first round draft picks coming in the next 3 years. Throw in the capability of using the cap money to add to the talent level and Memphis is not as far from playoff potential as their record indicates. Hakim Warrick is a streaky scorer who provides big play potential as well.

Philadelphia is racing into the All-Star break and is probably sad to see it get here. Riding a 4 game winning streak including a dominating win over Dallas on Monday night, Philadelphia is making a strong run up the Eastern Conference standings and is now only half a game out of the playoffs. Led by Andre Miller, Andre Iquodala and Samuel Dalembert, Philly has a strong core of players and some youth developing as well. Led by Louis Williams and Memphis native Thaddeus Young and former Tiger Rodney Carney, Philly seems to be developing a team that will be competitive for years to come. The interesting thing is the 76ers win streak has taken shape after trading Kyle Korver to Utah who has also been red hot. I guess some trades benefit both teams immediately. Philly is tough on defense as well so that will make things even more difficult for the Grizzlies.

Point Guards: Mike Conley vs Andre Miller
Andre Miller may be the most physically intimidating point guard in the league today. He uses his bulk to post up smaller players, has a great eye for passing and can rebound as well. Just ask Dallas who watched him put up 21 pts, 8 rebounds and 7 assists in the last game. If there is a weakness to Miller's game it is his perimeter shooting which is weak at best (14.3% from behind the arc). The key to controlling Miller is to force him into long range shots but that isn't easy to do. Conley will also have to contend with the physical play of Miller and after two stays on the inactive list with sore shoulders that could be a problem for Conley. Mike is faster than Miller but Miller is more comfortable with pace of the NBA game.
Advantage: Philadelphia

Shooting Guards: Juan Carlos Navarro vs Willie Green
This matchup is a rare one for Navarro. He isn't under-sized and he has better range than Willie Green. Unfortunately Green has NBA experience that overcomes these drawbacks. Green, a 5 yr veteran who missed one season recuperating from a devastating knee injury, is a streaky shooter who can explode when on his game but disappear when he is not. Navarro is also a streaky shooter who can explode when he is on his game but lately he has not. JC will need to find the range he lost when his buddy was traded. The Sacramento game was a good start in that direction as Navarro not only filled up the basket but was instrumental in some nice plays where his vision opened up easy looks for other players.
Advantage: Philadelphia

Small Forwards: Mike Miller vs Andre Iquodala
If there is a reason for Memphis to get fired up for this game it has to be the rematch with Iquodala. Not many people will forget him streaking off the court after hitting the game winner over Mike Miller this season. The New AI has become a fan favorite in Philly but is still willing to test the free agent waters this season. Iquodala has increased his scoring every year in the NBA and is on pace to do so again but he only averages 19.2 ppg. Surprisingly low for a team leader in the NBA. Iquodala also doesn't have great touch on his long range shots hitting only 30.6% of his three point attempts. What AI does have is a clutch sense of confidence. Mike Miller is sorely lacking in that regard. Miller is one of the best shooters in the league but in crunch time turns to jelly.
Advantage: Philadelphia

Power Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Thaddeus Young
Thaddeus Young was supposed to be too weak to play PF in the NBA. Well as a rookie starter he is averaging 11 ppg and over 6 rebounds. His 8 pt, 8 rebound game against Dirk was particularly impressive when considering Dirk had a terrible offensive game. Rudy Gay has snapped out of his funk after the Gasol trade to start putting up consistent numbers. He has averaged 22 ppg and 8.6 rpg since Gasol left which is almost identical to the numbers he put up in the last five games with Gasol. Rudy's combination of long range accuracy (38.8%), explosive leaping ability and clutch shooting has made him one of the more talked about sophomore's in the league this year. It won't be easy against Young but the rookie may overlook this game after his performance against Dirk the Jerk.
Advantage: Memphis

Centers: Darko Milicic vs Samuel Dalembert
Darko Milicic is averaging 5.8 ppg and 6.8 rpg. So why should anyone consider this an improvement? I can answer that. Darko started the season playing strong and then badly sprained his left thumb (dominant hand). Instead of waiting for his thumb to get its lift back, he played through the pain and his numbers suffered for it. Since the thumb started to heal he has gradually started improving. In his last 5 games he is averaging 11 ppg and 10.6 rebounds and is avoiding foul trouble early in games. That is something to get excited about for a 22 yr old player finally getting regular minutes. Samuel Dalembert also was a slow starter in the NBA. His fourth season in the league he averaged 7.3 ppg and 8.2 rpg. Now he is considered one of the better big men in the league and is averaging 11.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg and 2.4 bpg. Unfortunately Darko still has some developing to reach that kind of production but it is conceivable that Darko can score more and rebound as much as Dalembert in the near future.
Advantage: Philadelphia

Benches: Memphis vs Philadelphia
Philly has more experience in their starting lineup but the benches are both pretty green. Louis Williams is actually exciting to watch play. Erratic and poor shooting overall but damn exciting. Reggie Evans is a powerful rebounder and defender but offers little else. Rodney Carney is still struggling with his shot and will need to improve if he wants to continue to play in the NBA. Memphis' bench should start to settle down and start producing soon. They haven't yet. Hakim Warrick redeemed himself as a starter against Sacramento and is scoring like he did early in the season. Unfortunately he is back to defending like he did early in the season which has forced Memphis into more and more zone defenses. Kyle Lowry can't hit an outside shot and is too focused on the rim once he gets into the paint. He needs to learn how to do more. Jason Colllins and Kwame Brown both need to show something more than we have seen although the Ben Wallace hairdo was interesting last night. If he could just become the Ben Wallace defender as well Memphis may have found something.
Advantage: Philadelphia

Opposing Viewpoints:
Sixers 4 Guidos.com

Postgame Thoughts: Memphis vs. Philadelphia - 12.22.07

I decided on the way home that I was going to put all my thoughts down before heading over to the message boards to see who they pinned the blame on for this loss. Here's what I came up with during that 20-minute drive.

Pau Gasol
He shouldn't have left so much time on the clock when hitting the shot to tie the game.
He should have blocked Igoudala's game-winner.
He should have done more than leading the Grizzlies in points, rebounds and assists. He should have led in blocks, steals and 3-pointers as well.
He's soft and can't play defense. That's why Andre Miller, Kyle Korver and Andre Igoudala combined for 66 points tonight.
He shouldn't have slacked off in the 2nd half -- he scored 17 in the 1st half, but only 14 in the second stanza. Slacker!

Marc Iavaroni
He should have subbed for Rudy in the obvious must-foul situation late in the game so that he could have contested Iggy's game-winner.
He should have fouled on the inbounds pass.
He should have played Kyle Lowry more.
He should have drawn up Gasol's game-tying shot to be a 4-point play, so that Iggy's game-winner would have only tied the game.

Mike Miller
He should have been more "mentally tough" so that he could have played better defense, hit more shots and committed fewer turnovers. By "mentally tough", of course I mean he should be a Jedi master who can control his opponents' thoughts.
He should have cut his hair. Not sure how that assigns blame to him, but I'm sure it will be brought up.

Damon Stoudamire
He should stop being so old.

Casey Jacobsen
He should stop existing so that Iavaroni couldn't sub him in.

Rudy Gay
Nothing. Seriously, the kid is perfect just the way he is. He's a hero, a leader, a great cook and a fine dancer. At least that's what I've been brainwashed to believe on the message boards.

That's it. No real commentary about the game and no analysis. I'm sure Chip and Zack will be along to do that for me. I just wanted to vent while waiting for the Tylenol to take my headache away.

Chipc3 Thoughts:
Again.

Seems like this Grizz team is the anti-thesis of the 2003-04 team that was able to win every close game. This year's model is now 1-7 in games decided by 3 points or less. Iquodala made a great shot that was contested. Great players make great players and there is no question Iquodala is a great player.

Still the game should never have been that close at the end. Philadelphia was playing like a team ready to go home in the first half. Memphis was careless with the ball and didn't seem to have the killer instinct when the 76ers were vulnerable and that allowed the Sixers to get confidence heading into the 2nd half and especially into the fourth quarter. Every time Memphis had Philly right where they wanted them they let them off the hook. Call it inexperience, youth, poor coaching, whatever, the reality is this team hasn't learned how to finish off teams and that puts them in the position to be defeated at the end of games.

Gasol may only be the 2nd option now (and I definately believe that to be the case) but he is still a very good player who can take over games for periods of times. It was encouraging to see him take over down the stretch when it was apparent Rudy was struggling against Iquodala.

Rudy has to learn how to play slashers better. Everytime Rudy is matched up against a player who drives the ball well he gets into foul trouble. The foul trouble throws off his flow in the game and makes it difficult to be the player he is capable of being night in and night out.

Mike was Mike. 100% effort, good eye for the basket, nothing in the late stretches of the game. Mike is essentially an on-looker and passer in the closing minutes of games. In the 4th quarter tonight Miller had 3 turnovers, one missed shot and a single rebound. It may be fatique after playing more than 44 minutes but the dropoff was easy to notice.

Kyle is officially in a funk. Nothing really wrong with his game but teams have adjusted to his style and now he has to adjust to their adjustment. He is basically a rookie and he is struggling to do this but I believe he will figure it out. I was surprised to see him play only 14 minutes tonight but he wasn't very effective when he was in the game. Remember this period of adjustment when Conley gets back. He will have great games and then struggle as well. It happens to young PG's in the league. Kyle will figure it out and improve. Andre Miller is a very experienced PG and he exploited Damon's size and Kyle's inexperience.

Speaking of Andre Miller, he should ask to be traded to Memphis. He absolutely loves playing here.

The Christmas intermission couldn't come at a better time. Gasol, Milicic and Conley all could use a break to heal up and the rest of the team can use the time off to collect their wits.

The front line was changed again. Memphis will struggle defensively until they can put 10 games in a row together with the same front line. I personally don't think it matters much if it is Gasol, Milicic and Gay or Miller, Gay and Gasol. Just put the same people on the court for a stretch of games. Great teams play together enough to learn tendancies and Memphis has not had a chance to do that. We won't know how good or bad they really are until they get the opportunity to log consistent minutes together.