According to RealGM, Memphis Grizzlies rookie guard O. J. Mayo was selected to help the USA Senior National Team prepare for the 2008 Olympic games. Mayo will join former Memphis Tiger Derrick Rose as the only rookies on the select team.
More O.J. Mayo Links:
Spurs rookie praised for slowing down O.J. Mayo.
O. J. Mayo assisted The King at LeBron's Skill Academy.
Hakim Warrick wants your Final Four picks on his blog.
The Memphis Grizzlies sponsor a team in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association: the Memphis Rolling Grizzlies. Hat tip: Living in Lakeland, who actually participated in a game. Click for pictures.
This guy thinks that the Grizzlies should be listed among the Top 10 Worst Franchises in Pro Sports. I won't argue with him, because their history speaks for itself, but he is taking liberties in assuming that the future doesn't look brighter than the past.
Check out Odenized and Hoop Tube for great NBA videos daily.
A few general NBA posts:
Hardwood Paroxysm gives the best analysis of the San Antonio Spurs I've ever read.
J.E. Skeets (Ball Don't Lie) - An NBA fan's guide to the Final Four
Buster Gunning (RealGM) - Isiah: East is Beast
The Most Overpaid Players of 2007-08
Deadspin (via Ball Don't Lie) - Who is the NBA's Least Valuable Player?
Memphis plays their last game of 2007 at San Antonio. Many people associated with the Grizzlies are glad to see this year end. A record of 23 wins and 77 losses (heading into the Houston game) can have that effect on an organization. However there are some bright spots peaking through the clouds and one of those is Rudy Gay who's game winning three point shot over Tim Duncan at the buzzer on Dec.19th allowed the Grizzlies to double last seasons total wins in the Southwest Division and it's only December! Sure they only had to win 2 games to do that but an achievement none the less. Going 1-15 in the division last year and 2-8 this season means the Grizzlies head into the weekend's games just 3-16 against the division in 2007.
San Antonio still leads the Western Division despite losing Tim Duncan and Tony Parker to various injuries over parts of December. The surprising thing is that Tony Parker's absence seemed to hurt more than Duncan's. At 20-7 heading into the weekend the Spurs can't afford to play sloppy with Phoenix just one game behind in the standings. San Antonio's nearly unbeatable at home with a 15-1 record and the only loss happening when Tony Parker was out with his injury and that was to 2nd place Phoenix by only 5 points. Strange things are happening in SA these days however. How often does a team honor a former player by retiring his jersey, while he is the Coach of your biggest rivals??? The Spurs did that last week honoring Avery Johnson. And I thought Shane Battier Poster Night was a bad idea!
Point Guards: Damon Stoudamire vs Tony Parker
Damon isn't limping anymore in his recovery from Patella Tendon surgery but he has definately lost a step and even on his best days he never was fast enough to stop Tony Parker. Kyle Lowry's bull dog approach hasn't been slowing down too many PG's lately either. With Conley cleared for workouts he may see action in this game if Lowry and Damon can't keep up although that's doubtful. The only thing slowing down Tony Parker these days is women. Which wouldn't be bad if he hadn't gotten married this summer! Of course, Spurs fan may get to ogle at both Eva Longoria and the 19 yr old french starlet during games.
Advantage: San Antonio
Shooting Guards: Mike Miller vs Michael Finley
At one time Michael Finley was the premier Sg in the Western Conference. Now he is relegated to three point shots after the ball is dumped out. Of course standing wide open is a shot even this old man can hit with regularity at 36.8%. Mike Miller used to disappear against the Spurs but not so much anymore. With Bruce Bowen tied up tring to contain Rudy Gay, Miller is not blanketed so much any more and his season high 31 points are representative of that in the game earlier this month. Mike is averaging 18.7 ppg on 58% from the field and 56% from the arc against San Antonio this year.
Advantage: Memphis
Small Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Bruce Bowen
Rudy Gay has failed to break 20 points a game in the last 3 games after scoring in the 30's twice in the previous 3 games. Defenses are definitely keying on Rudy and Gasol's presence may be intimidating Rudy's aggressiveness (although Gasol only taking 6 shots against New Orleans doesn't make it seem to be the issue). As has been said before, Rudy seems to play better when he doesn't have to guard slashers and Bruce Bowen is definitely not a slasher. Bruce Bowen is a defender and holding Rudy to 18 ppg on 465 fg shooting and only 18% from the arc (and that includes the 'Dagger in December' which was over Duncan) seems to confirm that Bowen is among the best at what he does. However, Bowen is getting older and Rudy is getting better.
Advantage: Memphis
Power Forwards: Pau Gasol vs Tim Duncan
Pau Gasol may be happy to not be in Memphis after the fan discontent he has dealt with lately. Really Gasol is not playing that bad. He is averaging 17.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.7 apg and 1.3 bpg despite the injuries and the passing of lead scorer role to Rudy. Compare that to a probably All-Star in Tim Duncan who is averaging 18.2 ppg, 9.8 rpg, 2.9apg, 1.7 bpg. So would people think Gasol was all-star material if he averaged just 1 more point a game? Do the 1.8 rebounds per game make that much of a difference? What about the 0.4 bpg? I'm just teasing. The big difference in production isn't the numbers its the rings and Duncan dominates that category because he is a better team player that doesn't worry about the individual categories.
Advantage: San Antonio
Centers: Stromile Swift vs Fabricio Oberto
Stromile Swift was supposed to be one of the biggest benefactors of the Grizzlies up-tempo style. He has played well at times and not so well at others but why is he only getting 17.1 mpg (21.5 as a starter)? Playing way less than half a game Swift is averaging 7.8 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.1 bpg and shooting 54.7% from the floor. That isn't bad production for the #3 big man on the roster. Sure it is hit and miss on his performance but he needs to be given more than 17 minutes to determine if he is hot or not. Oberto is only getting 22.7 mpg but that is still 25% more than Stro and he averages only 6.2 ppg but does grab 6.2 rpg as well. Obreto also brings a more consistent effort. Oberto understands his role on the team and does the job he is asked to do every night. Stro is hit or miss.
Advantage: San Antonio
Benches: Memphis vs San Antonio
San Antonio has a luxury most teams can only dream about in Manu Ginobili who comes off the bench to terrorize other teams backups. Averaging 19.2 ppg in only 28.8 mpg Ginobili has already cleared a space on his mantle for this season's 6th man of the year award. How Memphis matches up with the 6-6 shooting guard from Argentina determine the game. Manu lit up Memphis on opening night for 30 points in the Spurs 3 pt win. He has only shot 12-36 in the next two games however. Memphis' bench has been off of late with Navarro finding out how hard the NBA schedule really is, Warrick and Darko are fighting inconsistent playing time and inconsistent time and Kyle Lowry's outside shot is so disrespected around the league opposing teams' PG are camping out around the lane looking to strip whichever big man attempts a move into the paint.
Advantage: San Antonio
UPDATE: Darius Washington was waived Friday by the Spurs.
Zack's Corner
With the way the Grizzlies are playing right now, I think it is healthier for us to look back on the improbable home victory over the Spurs 11 days ago instead. This is all you need to know. Happy New Year!
(Getty Images)
Memphis continues to grow and tonight they overcame a persistent growing pain to get the victory over the short-handed Spurs. This was the first time all season Memphis has won a game decided by three or fewer points.
Rudy Gay scored 23 points and came through at the buzzer sinking a huge 3 point shot over Tim Duncan to win the game. Rudy also had 9 rebounds and 3 assists as the total package was on display in this game. Mike Miller led the team in scoring with 31 but was not a factor offensively in the 4th quarter when the Spurs made their run. He contributed with 6 rebounds as well but only 1 assist. Rudy and Miller and Juan Carlos Navarro each logged over 40 minutes in the game. Navarro was not sharp offensively scoring 10 pts on 4-13 shooting including 2-7 from long range but his 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals were huge in the game. Navarro was also forced to defend much larger guards but was not burned defensively.
Memphis nearly lost a huge lead heading into the fourth quarter when San Antonio really turned up the heat defensively. Memphis had a 76-59 lead going into the fourth thanks to one of the most complete first quarters I have ever seen the team play. The Grizzlies led 31-19 at the end of the first quarter behind Damon Stoudamire's 8 pts in the quarter. Damon finished with only 10 pts but was a steadying hand in the 4th after Kyle Lowry lost his composure under relentless pressure at the start of the fourth.
The only drawback was that Memphis blew the 17 pt lead in the fourth including giving up a slam dunk to Manu Ginobili with under 4 seconds to play on an inbounds play. That Memphis could commit 9 turnovers in the fourth, score only 12 points and still manage to win should bolster the team's confidence going forward. In the last three games Memphis has managed to win two games where the game was in doubt with under two minutes to play. The team is starting to trust one another and is finding ways to win games instead of losing them.
Rudy Gay should get a huge boost from this game. Often matched up against one of the best defenders in the game in Bruce Bowen, Rudy allowed the game to come to him most of the night instead of trying to force the action and the results were inspiring. If there was a negative, it was his play leading up to the game winning shot. With clear outs set up for him to operate one on one he often deferred to teammates with disastrous results. Rudy needs to understand that in crunch time the team can live without Rudy making every play, but he needs to be initiating every play in crunch time for the team to succeed. He is only 21 and in his 2nd season so that will come with maturity. He grew up a lot tonight with that shot.
The referees didn't play protect the stars as much as they simply deferred to the players tonight. It was a poorly officiated game in that there was no officiating to speak of. What calls the crew did make were usually terrible, including a walking call against Mike Miller when he never moved either foot! He faked a move and Manu Ginobili flopped down on the ground. The ref blew his whistle but realized he could call neither an offensive nor defensive foul since there was no contact so he made up the travelling call. From that point on he never made a call, no matter how much contact was made. The crew was lucky a fight didn't break out the way the game was getting out of control. Most of the turnovers in the fourth were caused by plays that normally would have resulted in foul calls.
San Antonio looked their age tonight. Without Tony Parker who is either nursing a bad ankle or trying to handle more personal matters at home, the Spurs looked tired and old and could only muster the effort in the fourth quarter but it was nearly enough.
The team is gaining confidence in themselves and it should result in better results as the season progresses.
On a side note there was no Mazola Dance Program tonight. Very disappointing in that respect!
Memphis has 5 players averaging double figures scoring a night. The Grizzlies also have 4 more players averaging more than 7 points a game. The problem is that Head Coach Marc Iavaroni only wants 8 men in the rotation. That leaves someone out in the cold. Pau Gasol's injury however has allowed Coach I to play his rotation now without concern and he is building some continuity finally. How long that last depends on how long Gasol stays injured. Rudy Gay has emerged as a long shot for All-Star consideration this season and has taken a huge step forward in Gasol's absence but the small ball lineup the Grizzlies have been running means Gay is on Tim Duncan. I guess it's no time like the present to see how much further Rudy has to go in his pursuit of All-Star recognition. The Grizzlies need this win to split the two game home stand after losing to Golden St on Monday night.
San Antonio has had to fight thru injuries as well this season. First Duncan went down with a sprained ankle and then Parker went down with a bad ankle although it is rumored he may be back for the Grizzlies. Without Parker and Duncan San Antonio has managed to remain on top of the difficult Southwest division but not without some bumps along the way. Back to back losses to Golden State and the LA Lakers may have only awakened the sleeping giant however. Manu Ginobili is running away with the 6th man of the year award this season and has really stepped up his production in Parker's absence. Poppovich is a solid coach who doesn't allow the team to get too high or too low. Memphis had better not count on a let down from the Spurs in this game especially after losing their first home game of the season against Phoenix Monday night.
Zack's Keys to Victory
1.) Strong Interior Defense by Darko and Swift. In the first Spurs meeting, Darko impressed all Griz fans with his tough interior play against Duncan. However, now he is banged up and has been getting into constant early foul trouble. One of the main ways to keep this game close will be for Darko and Swift to play at a high level on the defensive side.
2.) Rudy Continuing His Strong Play. With Pau out, Rudy is the primary offensive weapon. An off night for him will spell trouble for the Griz.
3.) Our Shooters Getting Separation. I'm worried about Navarro and Miller finding room to get their shots off. In the half court set, both are likely to find Finley, Manu or Bowen giving them little space to shoot with. Usually, the transition game allows for many open 3-point looks, but the Spurs are probably the best transition defense team in the league. I suspect our 3-point shooting percentage tonight will be closely tied to Navarro and Miller being able to get space to shoot.
Bonus Key - Assisted Field Goals.
Point Guards: Damon Stoudamire vs Jacque Vaughn
If Memphis gets lucky, and it would be the first time this season that happened, then Tony Parker will rest his ankle one more game before returning. Vaughn is a solid point who makes intelligent decisions but he isn't Tony Parker who's blazing speed and ability to break down defenses is among the best in the league. Damon Stoudamire's shot has been hot and cold as has his overall play. Damon, more than anyone else on the Grizzlies team, needs to hit some shots to stay involved in the game. When contributing on the scoreboard early, the passing and overall play is better from him. If Parker plays then all bets are off.
Advantage: Memphis
Shooting Guards: Juan Carlos Navarro vs Michael Finley
Finley has lost the ability to play all out for 40 minutes a night but he can still do it in spurts and he trusts his replacement. If Navarro can light up Finley early maybe that will force Manu to play more minutes than usual, but is that a good thing? Navarro has rebound his shooting stroke and that helps tremendously in opening up the interior for Rudy and others to work. Navarro's size won't make it hard for Finley to get his shot off however.
Advantage: San Antonio
Small Forwards: Mike Miller vs Bruce Bowen
Mike Miller continues to hit 50% of his shots, 40% of his threes and grab a ton of rebounds for a SG/SF but has yet to make an impact when it mattered or so it appears. Mike had a huge 4th quarter against Golden St but the game was already decided before he started lighting it up. Memphis needs Mike aggressive from the start not in spurts. Bruce Bowen is known for one on one defense so Mike will have to step up his game again. In the two previous games Rudy scored a combined 25 pts against Bowen. With no Gasol he needs to be back in the 25 pt range tonight. Bowen is old and crafty. That won't be easy.
Advantage: Memphis
Power Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Tim Duncan
Rudy Gay has scored 32 points in back to back games while shooting 24-39 over that stretch. Unfortunately Rudy has only 2 assists in the last three games but that is a little deceiving. It isn't like Rudy is selfish. He's just the best option. No one else wants to shoot. Rudy passes and the open player passes it on. It is hard to get assists that way. Tim Duncan is back from his sprained ankle and will make it extremely difficult for Rudy on the defensive end while forcing Rudy to hit outside shots. Speed could work in Rudy's favor but you know Duncan will get the benefit of every call so Rudy has to be very careful not to get in foul trouble.
Advantage: San Antonio
Centers: Darko Milicic vs Frabricio Oberto
If Darko's ankle allows he should be able to control Oberto. He will predominantly be matched up defensively with Duncan anyway. If Rudy draws Duncan away from the hoop Darko will have to be aggressive to the glass. Oberto is a crafty vet who will play on Darko's tendency to fade away from the hoop. As long as he keeps Darko off the boards he's done his job. Darko's so beat up that shouldn't be a problem for Oberto.
Advantage: San Antonio
Benches: Memphis vs San Antonio
San Antonio has more all-stars on their bench than Memphis has had in their franchises history. Okay that sounds dramatic since Memphis has only one all-star in their history but it is true also. Manu Ginobili, soon to be announced as the 6th man of the year award winner and first to be so proclaimed before January 1st, leads the bench but Brent Barry, Robert Horry and Matt Bonner all contribute. If not in scoring per se then in doing the 'glue' things that make teams champions. Memphis bench has been playing better of late. Warrick provides 'point a minute' production and Stromile Swift is erratic but good when playing well. Kyle Lowry weathered his first slump as a pro and seems to be back on fire. The problem comes at back up SF where no one has contributed. Miller can't play 45 minutes a night. Jacobsen has been terrible offensively which was supposed to be his strength and Kinsey has not been any better plus his size makes it difficult to put him on the blocks.
Advantage: San Antonio
Other Previews/Commentary Sites:
Pounding the Rock
Spur of the Moment
Memphis is coming off the Turkey Day Holiday facing the same team they played on Opening Night. Why do the Grizzlies always seem to play the Spurs at the wrong time? When will we get to catch them on the 3rd game in a four day road trip or something? Anyway, Darko's return will be much anticipated and needed for the Grizzlies to match up against the Spurs. Last night it was reported that Darko is close to being day to day. I don't know what that means but I am planning on Darko. Duncan on Gasol/Swift/Warrick is just to dreadful to imagine only surpassed by Duncan against Andre Brown. The Grizzlies will need a big effort from their little men to slow down Tony Parker, an absence of foul trouble from their wing men (most notably Rudy Gay) and some serious team defense down low on Duncan while hitting a high percentage of shots and hoping the Spurs ate some bad turkey to win this game but I felt the same way about the Dallas and Houston games and the Grizzlies played above expectations in both so I am trying to keep an open mind.
San Antonio hasn't played in two days either but of course they got to stay at home after Thanksgiving. That has to be a nice scheduling concession for having to play on the road for Christmas. Wait a minute, they are in the middle of a four game home stand from before Christmas until after New Year's. It's good to be the Champs I suppose. The Spurs are chugging along beating everyone they are supposed to beat and only losing to teams giving the supreme effort on an off-night. It isn't that the Spurs don't try hard every game but they aren't going to get too excited about regular season games. They save that intensity for the playoffs. They seem to have the attitude of 'let the minions fight over playoff seeding while the Spurs figure out where to put their 5th ring.' Maybe someday the Grizzlies will have that attitude as well.
Fast Facts
-- Memphis has yet to win two or more games in a row.
-- San Antonio has yet to lose two or more games in a row.
-- San Antonio only committed 3 turnovers in their last game against Orlando.
-- Memphis made only 5 3-pointers in 24 tries in their last game against Toronto.
-- Memphis starts 2 players over 7 foot tall, yet 6'8 Mike Miller is the teams leading rebounder.
-- San Antonio starts former MVP's Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, yet 6th man Manu Ginobili is the teams leading scorer.
-- Manu Ginobili is averaging over 2 steals per game.
-- Out of the 11 games the Grizzlies have played this year, 7 of them have been essentially tied within the last 2 minutes. The Griz are 2-5 in those 7 games.
Questions
-- Will Darko return to action?
-- Can the Griz continue their strong play against Southwest Division opponents?
Keys
-- Play effective defense against the pick-and-roll.
-- Don't let San Antonio's transition defense dictate the tempo and flow of the game.
-- Rudy be productive on offensive.
Matchups
Damon Stoudamire vs Tony Parker
Coming off the most incredible summer anyone could ask for Tony Parker faces an aging point guard who is showing that experience can out-play youth and talent. Parker doesn't have a lot of support behind him and will be pressured all game from the PG's Memphis can throw at him. The key to stopping Parker is to not let him get into the lane, something easier written than done. Damon will be pressured to do this since he's not that great on defense. Damon just needs to play his game and keep them team controlled. Slowing down Parker man to man will fall on Kyle Lowry's shoulders. Unfortunately, Parker is just too experienced and fast for the Grizz to contain. Lowry will need to play tough defense and not make silly turnovers.
Advantage: San Antonio
Mike Miller vs Michael Finley
It still amazes me that these two players are expected to start for their teams. Finley was considered over the hill when San Antonio signed him three years ago. His massive minutes in Dallas had supposedly robbed him of his game and he was rumored to be burned out. While it is true he isn't the player he was in Dallas, Finley has proven to be an intelligent player who knows when to step up his game and when to allow others to lead the way. Miller was supposed to be the consummate 6th man. A scoring threat from anywhere on the court, Miller's lack of speed and toughness was rumored to be too much to overcome as a starter. Last year he proved his critics wrong becoming a dominant #2 scoring threat and surprisingly tough. A suspicious knee injury sidelined him the last month of the season keeping him from playing in 80 games last year for the 1st time since his rookie year. Miller is leading the team in rebounds, is near the top in scoring and assists but somehow isn't doing enough for some people.
Advantage: Memphis
Rudy Gay vs Bruce Bowen
Bowen is a defensive master (or dirty player depending on who you talk to) who will get inside players shirts and drive them crazy. Rudy can physically outmatch almost anyone in the league but his propensity to commit offensive fouls and Bowen's ability to draw them makes for a tough match up. With a 39" vertical leap and long arms Rudy is both a shot blocking threat and a decent steals man but still needs to learn the other facets of the game to be truly effective. People aren't looking for Rudy to be the next great defensive SF. He is expected to be a 5 category threat starting with scoring. Rudy has range to the 3 pt line and can jump over almost anyone in the league. Bowen is old and will have to use all of the tricks left in his bag against Rudy. Unfortunately the bag is pretty big with tricks.
Advantage: San Antonio
Pau Gasol vs Tim Duncan
Pau Gasol is one of the few players in the NBA that is capable of averaging a double double in scoring and rebounding over an 82 game season. He is also among the top 10 in the league at blocking shots. He shoots a high percentage from the floor and is a good enough passer to possibly post a triple double on any given night. He hasn't been playing like that this season however and he is hopelessly outclassed in this match up. Tim Duncan could quite possibly be the greatest power forward to ever play in the NBA. His career averages are 21.8 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.3 apg, 3.1 bpg and 52.1% FG shooting. That is a 10 yr average. He had routinely been named to both the All-NBA first team and the All-NBA Defensive first team. Does he have a weakness? Well it is written that he is afraid of heights and sharks. Seriously, his free throw shooting is abysmal which does allow teams to play a sort of 'Bonk a Dunc' defense in reference to the old Hack a Shaq ploy but late in games you don't want him on the line either.
Advantage: San Antonio
Darko Milicic vs Fabricio Oberto
If there is a bigger surprise on the team this season than Darko Milicic then I don't know what it is. No one saw Darko battling Yao Ming toe to toe like he did before he did it. At least I didn't. The wrist may not be 100% (it hasn't even been announced if he will play at the time I am writing this) but Memphis needs Darko to play and play well. Oberto emerged in the playoffs last season. This season he has apparently gone back into his shell and at 31 you have to wonder if the big playoff games were an aberration. A healthy Darko and motivated Swift should keep him that way.
Advantage: Memphis
Benches
Memphis' bench is as deep as it has been with since Hubie Brown paced the sidelines. With Kyle Lowry, Juan Carlos Navarro, Casey Jacobsen, Hakim Warrick and the Grizzlies have someone at every position to offer support and often the bench is faster than the starters. What they lack is experience. San Antonio's bench is long on experience and age. With Brent Barry, Matt Bonner, Francisco Elson, Manu Ginobili, and Robert Horry the Spurs bench averages over 30 years old and will be hard pressed to stay with the Grizzlies if the game picks up pace. It is the Spurs job not to let the game get fast and they are good at that. It will be interesting to see if former Tiger Darius Washington has an impact in this game.
Advantage: Memphis
Coaches: Marc Iavaroni v Gregg Popovich
Iavaroni has elevated the Grizzlies play from the opening night game that the Grizzlies barely lost but seriously is there a better coach in the NBA than Gregg Popovich? It isn't just that he has 4 titles without repeating once but he has kept his team competitive in almost every season he has been in control. He did lose valued assistant PJ Carlisimo but how important are assistant coaches anyway? This will be Iavaroni's first visit to the Alamo as a head coach. It is one thing to coach against the Spurs on Opening Night, quite another to take them on when the team is on a roll and playing like they intend to return to the Finals this season.
Advantage: San Antonio
Make sure you post your final score predictions in a comment!
Other Previews
Hoopsworld
USA Today
MySanAntonio.com
CBS 42 (Austin, TX)
Welcome to the first Live Blog that actually counts!
It's Opening Night in Memphis, TN and I'm laid up with flu-like symptoms. Yes, the same flu-like symptoms that plagued Darko Milicic in the preseason and kept Brian Cardinal out the past few days. That's how close we are to the players -- we share the same illnesses.
Pete Pranica and Sean Tuohy spoke about Darius Washington making the Spurs squad and then turned it over to Rob Fischer who interviewed D-Wash prior to the game. Nice fluff piece for the Memphis crowd, although I find it very disconcerting to have to watch Fish after listening to him on the radio for the past few years. He's one of those guys who doesn't look like you would expect him to. He's certainly no Tony Luftman either -- I haven't heard him squeak in excitement yet. ;^)
Also, D-Wash is rocking a serious beard. As a fellow bearded one, I can say that it is quite impressive.
Fish interviews Coach Marc Iavaroni and then Rudy Gay, neither of which seems tense tonight, which is a good thing. Rudy seems very ready to get out there and perform at a high level.
Starting lineups
San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker, Michael Finley, Bruce Bowen, Tim Duncan, Fabricio Oberto
Memphis Grizzlies: Damon Stoudamire, Mike Miller, Rudy Gay, Darko Milicic, Pau Gasol
We've got the Trampoline Guy, Grizz Line and other assorted performers all over the court prior to the Grizzlies' introductions. Quite a spectacle, as they have the blacklights going and all the acts are glowing in the dark. Nice work!
Michael Buffer is in the house! Way to go all out guys! And he's doing the player introductions.
Anyone want to place a wager on whether or not Rudy Gay takes Bruce Bowen to flight school tonight?
Q1 - 11:00 -- Pau wins the tip-off and we are underway. Miller misses an 18 footer off a curl. Duncan cooly puts home a long jumper.
Q1 - 10:30 -- Darko hits a lefty hook from the left block. Duncan gets a sneaky basket to go in, but then Pau comes back and hits from the right baseline.
Q1 - 9:00 -- Tony Parker is crazy sneaky as he snakes in for a 1-on-2 layup. Rudy comes right back and hits a short turnaround over Bowen. Darko runs the floor to get an easy basket and then Parker comes right back again for another highlight style layup. Grizzlies 8, Spurs 8
Q1 - 7:33 -- Duncan somehow gets a leaner to go over Pau's outstretched fingertips, but then Pau gets fouled the next trip down the court and hits both free throws. Tied at 10.
Q1 - 6:40 -- Mike witht he steal and feeds it to Darko running the floor, who slams it home with the left hand!
Q1 - 5:56 -- Parker hits a long jumper from the left wing to tie it back up at 12 all. Pau gets called on a questionable offensive foul for a clear-out. Parker misses everything on another long jumper, prompting "Airball!" chants around the FedEx Forum. He looks for a foul call and gets none as we take our first timeout. Grizzlies 12, Spurs 12
Darko looks good. Perhaps the Dark One has decided to come out to play on Halloween.
Q1 - 5:12 -- Manu Ginobili into the game and he immediately heads to the rim in his slithering style. Misses the layup, but still got to the rim effortlessly. Damon rushes down the court and takes an ill-advised three pointer, which rattles out.
Q1 - 4:58 -- Darko inadvertently pokes Duncan in the eye, sending him to the bench. They call a foul on Rudy against Bowen on the next play, despite the fact that he was standing still with arms straight up in the air. Nothing like a makeup call so quickly after the non-call! Stro into the game now. Bowen misses both, because he can't hit free throws.
Q1 - 3:39 -- Bowen hits a runner from the left side, proving he can do more than hit corner threes. Miller comes back with a three from the left wing. Parker with another easy layup to give the Spurs the lead back. Spurs 16, Grizzlies 15
Q1 - 2:39 -- Wholesale changes as Navarro, Lowry and Jacobsen are now in the game. Duncan misses a bad pass, Navarro picks it up, feeds Casey for the fastbreak layup. Grizzlies take the lead 18-16 and the Spurs want a timeout.
Q1 - 1:50 -- Both teams hate free throws, as Ginobili misses a couple, then Stro hits one of two. Duncan hits another leaner that Navarro immediately answers with a three-pointer from the right wing. Grizz 22, Spurs 20
Q1 - 0:42 -- Pau fumbles the ball, recovers and hits a fallaway from the lane. Duncan gets fouled, hits one of two, but Manu gets the offensive rebound off the miss. Ginobili drives to the basket and Darko fouls him, giving him two fouls -- enter Hakim Warrick.
End Q1 -- Manu hits them both. Kyle Lowry is a force of nature. He drives the left side of the lane, dishes back out to Gasol, who slams it home! D-Wash tries to take the Spurs last shot, but is rejected by Pau! Grizz 26, Spurs 23
Q2 - 11:22 -- Finley hits a jumper from the right side over Hakim. Kyle continues his high energy play, blowing by D-Wash to get the foul call and head to the line for two free throws....and hits them both. Grizzlies 28, Spurs 25
Q2 - 10:20 -- Ginobili answers with a three-pointer from the top of the arc. La Bomba doesn't fall, leading to a miss by Ginobili, a scramble for the ball that winds up in Manu's hands again for another three-pointer.
Q2 - 9:32 -- Hakim grabs his own miss and puts it back in with one hand. Then Hak gets a ridiculous foul called on him when Finley acts like he's been thrown from a moving vehicle. Hakim couldn't throw one of the ball boys that far. Ginobili hits the three-pointer on the other end. Spurs 34, Grizzlies 30
Q2 - 8:10 -- Great set play as Gasol passes to Lowry at the top of the arc, who swings it to Navarro on the left wing.....alley-oop to Pau! Parker answers with a mid-range jumper. Hakim with a turnaround over three Spurs defenders that misses. Matt Bonner then hits a three from the left wing. Spurs 39, Grizzlies 32
Q2 - 7:22 -- Pau gets hacked on a trip through the lane and hits both free throws. We have our first Pau checking for blood sighting of the year! Finley misses a contested jumper, Rudy grabs the rebound and feeds Kyle who sprints down the floor for the easy transition layup. Next trip down, Brent Barry steps out of bounds and we get another TV timeout. Spurs 39, Grizz 38
Q2 - 5:50 -- Rudy abuses Bonner for a spinning hook shot to give Memphis the lead. These refs are horrific!!! Navarro is standing perfectly still next to Duncan, who elevates for the shot and gets a foul call. The Forum crowd is really giving it to them now! Pete and Sean agree that there was no foul to be called. Grizz 40, Spurs 39
Q2 - 5:36 -- Duncan misses them both -- the one chink in his armor still. Rudy vs. Bonner is a frightening mismatch as he blows by him and gets hacked to prevent the easy basket. Rudy hits them both, showing Duncan how it is done. Thank you Mark Price!
Q2 - 4:15 -- Rudy picks up another foul, giving him 3 on the night, which brings the return of Stro to the floor. Duncan uses the glass to score over a good defensive effort by Pau. Damon answers with a mid-range jumper from the left side of the floor. Ginobili misses a three-pointer and Miller gathers the rebound. Grizzlies 44, Spurs 41
Q2 - 3:20 -- Ginobili is fouled by Navarro, and JCN goes to the bench in favor of Lowry. Manu hits both free throws. Stro with the offensive board off Kyle's miss and then works into the lane for a basket over Duncan. Spurs take another timeout. Grizzlies 46, Spurs 43
Q2 - 2:15 -- Grizz are on a 14-4 run right now and are +7 in the rebounding department. Parker misses a three-pointer with the shot clock winding down. Miller coasts down the lane for a layup. Parker hits a three from the right corner to answer. Grizzlies 48, Spurs 46
End Q2 -- The Spurs hit two threes in a row and then Miller answers with one of his own. Lowry takes the hard foul driving from the left side and challenging the Spurs' big men. Kyle hits them both to tie the game again at 52 all. Spurs hold for the last shot -- Finley takes a bad shot, one step inside the three-point line, leading to a strange play where Ginobili flips the ball over the top of the backboard, turning the ball over to Memphis, who miss the final shot. Grizzlies 52, Spurs 52
I'm taking a break to eat some dinner, but if you have any questions, leave them in the comments.
Q3 - 10:36 -- Finley opens up with a fadeaway over Miller. Pau misses a fallaway over two defenders. Francisco Elson (the answer to "Who is that masked man?") hits a mid-range jumper. Rudy misses a long three. Memphis allows Bowen to set his feet and he knocks down a 17 footer, prompting a 20-second timeout from Iavaroni. Spurs 58, Grizzlies 52
Q3 - 9:21 -- Out of the timeout Damon hits a three-pointer. Then after a defensive stop, Rudy gets down the floor and hits a mid-range jumper to whittle the deficit down to one. Offensive foul on Duncan relieves the Spurs of another possession.
Q3 - 7:55 -- Rudy loses the ball and Duncan rattles one home on the ensuing possession. Pau answers back with a short leaner of his own. Duncan gets fouled by Gasol and manages to hit both free throws. Damon answers that with a three-pointer to tie it up at 62 all.
Q3 - 6:09 -- A rendition of "Can you top this?" breaks out as Parker and Damon both hit long two-pointers. Bowen breaks that up with a three pointer from the right corner. Darko comes back with a hook shot from the lane. Spurs 67, Grizzlies 66
Q3 - 4:13 -- Parker misses a long jumper. Mike misses a three, Pau grabs the offensive board, passes to Damon who misses another three. Duncan misses a shot on the right block as Darko came over for the intimidation factor. Rudy misses from the left elbow. Nobody can hit right now. Elson finally breaks the monotony with a slam off a nice feed by Ginobili. Gasol answers with the bucket and the foul. Spurs 69, Grizzlies 68
Q3 - 3:14-- Pau hits the free throw to tie it up and give him 17 points for the game. Oberto squeaks by Darko for the lay-in. Damon hits the three-pointer from the left wing. Then Damon steals the ball right out of Parker's hands, feeds Rudy who lays it in and gets fouled. Grizz 74, Spurs 71
Q3 - 2:52 -- Bowen tries to pass it in to Duncan, but the Grizzlies grab it, run down the floor and Miller hits the three from the right-hand side. Grizz 77, Spurs 71
Q3 - 1:33 -- D-Wash misses the three from the right side. Rudy turns it over after getting stuck in No Man's Land and D-Wash takes it coast-to-coast for the layup. Right now, it appears that they are trying to get Darko actively involved in the offense again. Rudy misses an open three and the Grizzlies slap the ball out of bounds. Kyle back in the game now.
Q3 - 0:22 Offensive foul on D-Wash after he pushes Kyle to the floor. Rudy tries another shot from the left side and makes this one. Bonner answers with a three. Grizz 79, Spurs 76
End Q3 -- Gasol says that "if the goofy-looking redhead can do it, so can I" and cans a three from the top of the key. Bonner misses his shot at retaliation as the buzzer sounds. Grizzlies 82, Spurs 79
Q4 - 12:00 -- Enter the final quarter with Gasol, Gay, Miller, Lowry and Swift on the floor.
Q4 - 9:55 -- D-Wash hits a floater to cut the lead to one. Lowry gets to the rim, but cannot finish. D-Wash misses from the left elbow, but Rudy and Stro knock the rebound out of bounds, allowing Brent Barry to hit a three-pointer on the extra possession. Spurs 84, Grizzlies 82
Q4 - 9:18 -- Rudy with a great save to get the ball back to Pau after a tipped rebound nearly went out of bounds. Kyle sprints down the floor and coasts in for another layup. He's quicker than a hiccup.
Q4 -8:03 -- The Spurs start to take over, making three baskets without an answer from Memphis, prompting a timeout from Iavaroni. Spurs 90, Grizzlies 84
Q4 -6:33 -- Navarro comes in and immediately hits a three-pointer. Parker misses a long shot and Lowry gathers the rebound. Navarro travels on the next possession running a pick and roll with Darko. Barry misses a three badly, Navarro brings the ball down and gets hammered on the shot -- no call. These refs will be getting a call from Ronnie Nunn tonight -- I guarantee it. Spurs 90, Grizz 87
Q4 - 5:05 -- Finley hits a three and Navarro answers. Darko with the block on Duncan! Lowry pushes the ball, feeds Warrick who gets clobbered from behind. Spurs 93, Grizz 90
Q4 -4:44 -- Come out of the TV timeout to see Kyle Lowry with ice on his hip after he took a leaping dive to save a ball a few plays earlier. Warrick at the free-throw line for two shots -- hits one of them to cut the lead to two points. Finley misses a three, but Duncan grabs the offensive board. Then Duncan gets the offensive foul! Spurs 93, Grizz 91
Q4 - 3:07 -- Back-and-forth we go, with both teams missing close shots. Miller misses a long jumper, then Duncan responds in kind.....but the Grizzlies fight over the rebound and lose it out of bounds. Duncan misses badly on the shot and Bonner knocks it out of bounds, but the officials give it to the Spurs. Where's Nunn's e-mail address again?
Q4 -2:40 -- Ginobili misses a wide-open shot and Darko boxes out Duncan for the rebound. Rudy gets the ball on the left wing, drives in and hits the jumper from 8 feet to tie it up at 93 all.
Q4 - 1:52 -- Finley misses another mid-range jumper with Rudy applying defensive pressure. Rudy gets the ball to Gasol who sets up Duncan and drives right around Timmy for the reverse layup. Duncan works into the lane to score over Darko and tie it back up. 95 all
Q4 - 0:27.7 -- Bonner misses a three, ball out of bounds to the Grizzlies. Gasol drives the lane and gets blocked by Duncan -- ball OB. Gasol gets the ball on the in-bounds and misses the shot across the lane with three defenders hanging on him. Ginobili hits the runner on the left side to give the Spurs the lead. Spurs 97, Griz 95
Q4 - 0:19.7 -- Crunch-time lineup: Gasol, Rudy, Mike, Darko, Damon. Ball goes in to Rudy who gets an offensive foul called on him when he lowers his shoulder and Ginobili flies into the next area code. Flopper. Spurs get the ball inbounds to Manu and force him to give it up to Duncan who is fouled. Ginobili gets fouled and goes to the line and only hits one of two. Spurs 98, Grizz 95
Q4 - 0:13.5 -- Iavaroni is setting up the play to either get a quick two or a set play to make the game-tying three. Casey in the game now for Darko. Miller goes down the lane for the deuce, but gets tripped by Ginobili and goes to the line. Mike misses the first one, makes the second. Spurs 98, Grizz 96
Q4 - 0:8.1 -- They foul Ginobili who hits them both this time. Damon down the floor for the quick layup. The Spurs are forced to take a timeout when they cannot inbound the ball.
Q4 - 0:3.1 -- Ginobili to the line again. He hits them both again. Damon comes down the floor and hits a huge three-pointer! They foul Manu yet again. Spurs 102, Grizz 101
End Q4 -- Ginobili hits them both. Long outlet to Rudy Gay who heaves it up from 40 feet and misses off the backboard. Final score: Spurs 104, Grizzlies 101
What a game. That's all I can really say at this point.
Don't forget the Opening Night BLOG Party (or posters party for those so inclined) at Jack Daniels Old #7 starting at 6:00 pm. Eric Haseltine may make an appearance so be there early.
Read Chip's pregame commentary and excellent breakdown of the matchups. Below is my commentary for the 10-31 Grizzlies-Spurs game. Hopefully we will also be featuring pregame commentary by an 'enemy' blogger for each Grizzlies game.
Storylines of the Night:
--Will Pau play? Evidently Pau's availability for the game is still up in the air. The Grizzlies absolutely need Pau to play for the hometown fans hopeful for a win (more on that below). To gain any advantage we can against the dominate Spurs, I hope word is leaked that Pau won't play, then have him in the lineup come gameday to go mano-y-mano against the Big Fundamental.
Update....Yes, Pau will play. It was reported today there is no way he would miss the regular-season opener. Great news for the Grizzlies, obviously.
--Can the Grizzlies win a home opener? The Grizzlies historically have a difficult time winning the first home game of the year. Lost to Dallas in 02-03, Boston in 03-04 (curse you, Mike James), Wizards in 04-05 in the opening night of the FedEx Forum, Miami in 05-06, and New York in 06-07. I know personally attending the home opener is more important than most other early season games. A win would be nice. Playing the Spurs isn't.
--Will the early back-to-back affect the Spurs? In what I'll interpret as a partial attempt to make up for the fact that we have to see the Spurs come to town for the home opener, the NBA scheduled the Spurs with back-to-back games to start the season out. Having the Spurs play Portland the night before sounded a lot better before Oden (and other) Trailblazers got injured. Still, the fatigue of an early season back-to-back for an aging veteran team might be to the Grizzlies advantage, especially with our young and deep bench.
Update...Bonus Storyline: Darius Washington returns. I didn't think it would happen, but our beloved D-wash has made the Spurs team. And with the trading of Beno Udrih, his foot hold on the 3rd string PG spot is more solid than I ever would have guessed.
Key's to Victory:
--Keep Tony Parker out of the lane. Last postseason I saw Tony Parkers driving penetration be more of a factor to the Spurs success than the steady hand of Tim Duncan (that might be because Tim Duncan is so steady, his effectiveness gets overshadowed). The Grizzlies seem to unravel defensively when the defense is required to help out on players driving into the lane and the backside rotation can't properly react. Damon and Kyle need to keep Parker out of the lane as much as possible. And do it without fouling too much. The task is not an easy one.
--Rebounding. Rebounding totals are not as important as 'rebounding margin'. However one slices it, the Boys in Blue are in constant need of rebounding better. Oberto will likely be a pest on the offensive boards (who, when I am sitting in the upper deck of the FedEx Forum, looks identical to Rocket's rookie Luis Scola). The Grizzlies are too suspect on defense to sustain allowing many 2nd chance points off of San Antonio offensive rebounds.
--Shooting percentage. One way or another, the Grizzlies are going to have to shoot well to win. Shooting well from all aspects (FT, FG, and 3) will not necessarily be required, but some type of hot hand is. It could be that Lowry and company get enough charity attempts to make FT percentage meaningful. Or Miller, Rudy, Navarro, and Jacobsen light it up from beyond the arc. Or Pau, Swift and Darko convert at a high rate around the basket. In some offensive aspect, the Grizzlies need to have a hot hand. Seeing the basket shrink for Grizzlies shooters will likely lead to a typical opening night result.
OPENING NIGHT!!!
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis enters their 7th season in Memphis with a team filled with more potential than at any time since the Grizzlies were in Vancouver and Stu Jackson was the GM. That isn't to say the team is going to be the best team in Memphis history but just that the opportunity for greatness seems more palpable than at any previous time. Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, Rudy Gay and Tarence Kinsey are the young guns now and look like all can contribute, Darko Milicic, Casey Jacobsen and Andre Brown were FA signings that bring a lot of upside and some experience and the vets of Miller, Swift, Stoudamire, Warrick and of course Pau Gasol all look to improve on previous years. Memphis is a young, fast and talented team that needs to put it all together in the toughest division in the toughest conference. Rookie Head Coach Marc Iavaroni has an interesting job ahead of him.
San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio opens at home against the Greg Oden-less Blazers on Tuesday night. Talk about a letdown for the networks. The Spurs also get their World Championship rings before the game. They then travel to Memphis to face the Grizzlies. One could understand the Spurs overlooking this game. The Spurs are veterans however who have been simultaneously proclaimed the team of the decade and criticized for their failure to be able to repeat as champions. Obviously a repeat has to be high on their list of things to accomplish this season. However the team continues to age at an alarming rate. Tim Duncan is 31. Manu Ginobili is 30, Michael Finley is 34, Bruce Bowen is 36, Francisco Elson is 31, Fabricio Oberto is 32 and Robert Horry is only 37 but seems to be closer to 50. The only young contributor on the team is Tony Parker, 25, and coming off an incredible summer where he won the NBA Championship, was named NBA Finals MVP and then married Eva Longoria. Talk about a nice couple of months.
Damon Stoudamire vs Tony Parker
Coming off the most incredible summer anyone could ask for Tony Parker faces an aging point guard who is recovering from major knee surgery and was expected to be more coach than starting PG this season. Parker doesn't have a lot of support behind him and will be pressured all game from the trio of PG's Memphis can throw at him. The key to stopping Parker is to not let him get into the lane, something easier written than done. Damon will be pressured to do this since his reputation is not that great on defense. Damon just needs to play his game and keep them team controlled. Slowing down Parker man to man will fall on Kyle Lowry's shoulders. Unfortunately, Parker is just too experienced and fast for the Grizz to contain.
Advantage: San Antonio
Mike Miller vs Michael Finley
It still amazes me that these two players are expected to start for their teams. Finley was considered over the hill when San Antonio signed him three years ago. His massive minutes in Dallas had supposedly robbed him of his game and he was rumored to be burned out. While it is true he isn't the player he was in Dallas, Finley has proven to be an intelligent player who knows when to step up his game and when to allow others to lead the way. Miller was supposed to be the consummate 6th man. A scoring threat from anywhere on the court, Miller's lack of speed and toughness was rumored to be too much to overcome as a starter. Last year he proved his critics wrong becoming a dominant #2 scoring threat and surprisingly tough. A suspicious knee injury sidelined him the last month of the season keeping him from playing in 80 games last year for the 1st time since his rookie year. He still set season highs in scoring, rebounding and assists and at 27 is in the prime of his career.
Advantage: Memphis
Rudy Gay vs Bruce Bowen
I don't know how often these two will be paired up against each other. Bowen is a defensive master (or dirty player depending on who you talk to) who will most likely draw Miller for a defensive assignment but an offensive liability who will most likely be guarded by Miller as well. But the positions are what they are. Rudy showed glimpses of the ability Jerry West believed in when he traded fan favorite Shane Battier for Rudy's rights in 2006. Just turned 21, Rudy has height, talent and determination. Most importantly he wants to be among the best and worked hard this summer to take another step toward that goal. With a 39" vertical leap and long arms Rudy is both a shot blocking threat and a decent steals man but still needs to learn position to be truly effective. However people aren't looking for Rudy to be the next great defensive SF. He is expected to be a 5 category threat starting with scoring. Rudy has range to the 3 pt line and can jump over almost anyone in the league. Bowen is old and will have to use all of the tricks left in his bag against Rudy.
Advantage: San Antonio
Pau Gasol vs Tim Duncan
Pau Gasol is one of the few players in the NBA that is capable of averaging a double double in scoring and rebounding over an 82 game season. He is among the top 10 in the league at blocking shots. He shoots a high percentage from the floor and is a good enough passer to possibly post a triple double on any given night. And he is hopelessly outclassed in this matchup. Tim Duncan could quite possibly be the greatest power forward to ever play in the NBA. His career averages are 21.8 ppg, 11.5 rpg, 3.3 apg, 3.1 bpg and 52.1% FG shooting. That is a 10 yr average. He had routinely been named to both the All-NBA first team and the All-NBA Defensive first team. Does he have a weakness? Well it is written that he is afraid of heights and sharks. Seriously, his free throw shooting is abysmal which does allow teams to play a sort of 'Bonk a Dunc' defense in reference to the old Hack a Shaq ploy but late in games you don't want him on the line either.
Advantage: San Antonio
Stromile Swift vs Fabricio Oberto
If there was a bigger surprise on the team this season than Stromile Swift then I don't know what it is. No one gave Stro a chance to be in the mix for a starting job but he beat out returnee Hakim Warrick and free agent Darko Milicic quite easily to win the job. Swift has a history of failing to capitalize on opportunities and will have to prove he can play a full season to win over a lot of people. Oberto emerged in the playoffs last season but a broken bone in Elson's his face forces Oberto into the starting role and at 31 it is more likely the playoffs were a fluke than a trend.
Advantage: Memphis
Benches
Memphis' bench is as deep as it has been with since Hubie Brown paced the sidelines. With Kyle Lowry, Juan Carlos Navarro, Casey Jacobsen, Hakim Warrick and Darko Milicic the Grizzlies have someone at every position to offer support and often the bench is faster than the starters. What they lack is experience. San Antonio's bench is long on experience and age. With Brent Barry, Matt Bonner, Francisco Elson, Manu Ginobili, and Robert Horry the Spurs bench averages over 30 years old and will be hard pressed to stay with the Grizzlies if the game picks up pace. It is the Spurs job not to let the game get fast and they are good at that. Back to back games hurt the legs of these old guys and Memphis will be fresh and anxious.
Advantage: Memphis
Coaches: Marc Iavaroni v Gregg Popovich
Iavaroni waited until the time was right and is ready to go but seriously is there a better coach in the NBA than Gregg Popovich? It isn't just that he has 4 titles without repeating once but he has kept his team competitive in almost every season he has been in control. He did lose valued assistant PJ Carlisimo but how important are assistant coaches anyway? Iavaroni will be tested by the best to start his head coaching career. Iavaroni has carried the clipboard with some of the best coaches in the game in Mike Fratello, Pat Riley and Mike D'Antoni but everything changes when you have to make the tough calls. Welcome to the hot spot Marc.
Advantage: San Antonio
Make sure you post your final score predictions in a comment!
Comments from Pounding the Rock (San Antonio Spurs blog): Record: 1-0
Up Next: @ Memphis Grizzlies
And just like that, as Matthew pointed out, we've got our first segababa of the year. A loss here wouldn't surprise me in the slightest as conditioning will probably be an issue for Tony, who's still trying to work himself into shape, and who knows how Finley and Barry will respond? If we play defense like we did tonight, we're gonna be 1-1. Fortunately, nobody on Memphis' roster is all that defensively imposing and I think we'll be able to take advantage of some of their youngsters. I predict a double-double from the Red Rocket, 25+ points from Opus, and a narrow Spurs win, let's say 99-95.
Posts
All Comments
