Because I'm Just Crazy Enough To Think It Could Work

Most of the news surrounding the Grizzlies right now is about Darrell Arthur's mistake in a hotel room or the possibility of Zach Randolph donning Beale Street Blue this season. I think that we've covered the first one pretty well, and I don't even want to think about the second one. But the potential Randolph deal did get me to thinking about another issue facing the Grizzlies. If they deal Darko & Marko to NYC, then the Grizzlies have 2 rookie C's, 4 PF's and still no backup SF (unless Greg Buckner plays out of position). That will also mean that the Grizzlies go from 13 players under contract down to 12. That opens up some possibilities.

I thought about moving Antoine Walker over to backup SF, given that he has played that position quite a lot over his career. But even then, the team will still have to sign at least one more player -- probably two. Obviously, one of those players will have to be a veteran center, given that Marc Gasol and Hamed Haddadi have played a combined ZERO minutes in the NBA so far. Any number of minimum contract stiffs could fill the bill of being the backup center, so I'm not too concerned about who they sign for that spot. But what about that other potential signing? Who should they take there?

The depth chart would look something like this if that trade took place:

PG - Conley, Lowry
SG - Mayo, Crittenton, Buckner
SF - Gay, Walker
PF - Randolph, Warrick, Arthur
C - Gasol, Haddadi, Token Stiff

I don't know about anyone else, but I'm comfortable that our PG spot is fine, given that Conley, Lowry, Mayo and Critt all have played that position in their recent careers. I'd love to use that last spot to shore up the SG/SF positions though. This is especially true if 'Toine comes in less than 100% motivated this season. But who could we sign for a low level contract (a given with this regime) that could actually contribute if called upon? I know of a guy that's sitting out there in free agency, just waiting for his phone to ring. A player who is already familiar with the nuances of Memphis.

You know him, you love him, so let's welcome him back to the Bluff City..........Mister Bonzi Wells!


Before you start sputtering about his past with the Grizzlies, hear me out. His play on the court was rarely ever an issue -- his conflicts with the head coach (Mike Fratello) were a problem. No more Czar = no more problem. He was a fan favorite and Heisley absolutely loved the guy while he was here. He can play both swingman positions and is a veteran who can contribute, and could even start if called upon. People want a guy who won't back down, plays with heart and wants to win every single night? Here's your guy. Am I worried about having Bonzi, Zach and 'Toine in the same locker room with all these young, impressionable players? I'm scared to death of it. But if we're going to bring Z-Bo in, then why not go all out and find another guy who is long on talent and has a questionable head? Especially if that guy might bring a few more fans back to the FedEx Forum who think of him fondly.

The contract that he signed with Houston two years ago was for 2 years and $4.5 million. Anyone else think that kind of deal would fit in with the fiscally responsible Three Year Plan? Yeah, me too. Let's be honest - Zach Randolph isn't going to bring in more fans than having Adriana Lima in the stands would have. But bringing back Bonzi might -- especially if it rekindles memories of postseasons trips in the minds of fans who are looking for something to believe in.


Bring. Back. Bonzi.

Friday Roundup: Links and such

Well it was not quite as quiet a week on the Grizzlies homefront as most people wanted with the news that Darrell Arthur was expelled from the Rookie Transition Camp. While it hasn't been released whether or not Darrell was actually involved in drug use, the women in the room was enough to ban him from the event. While mostly embarrassing it does cause on court issues to come into question such as his reputation for zoning out. Hopefully the financial penalty will be all that is neccessary to remedy this problem but the league can add on a suspension of indeterminate length and the team can impose their own penalties as well.

Chris Herrington is back from vacation and back being one of the best reporters of Grizzlies news in the business this week. Welcome back Chris and we hope you had a pleasant vacation with the family.

TrueHoop is kind enough to link to us from time to time so when Henry Abbott takes the time to write a full article on the Arthur situation I felt it appropriate to link back to him.

Ron Tillery has also been busy on the Edge Blog lately keeping fans informed on the recent trade rumors involving the team. Ron also wrote an insightful article on the Grizzlies in the paper. See Ron, we can write nice things about you too!

Our friend Tom Ziller over at Fanhouse puts his two cents worth in on the Arthur story as well. I really can't argue with his logic (mainly because it agrees with mine). TZ also ranked Rudy Gay at #39 in his ongoing listing of the Top 50 Players in the NBA.

Final word comes from David at David's Memphis Grizzlies Blog who says that players should only be punished for performance enhancing drugs and he would rather have Darrell high than skateboarding or motorcycling.

Lost in the smoke from the Arthur scandal was the fact that both O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol were at the Rookie Camp too. It is unclear at this time if Hamed Haddadi was also at the camp. Since Haddidi signed right before the camp was scheduled to begin it is understandable if he didn't make it. There is also the question on his being able to understand anything being said there anyway.

Inside Hoops is confirming Ron Tillery's entry that the Grizzlies and Knicks are in discussions about Zack Randolph. This is interesting since Chris Wallace said on Chris Vernon's radio show that very few trades are done in September and October as most teams are focusing on the getting the team ready for the regular season and he fully expects the current roster to be in training camp on September 30th. I guess you can call him a liar if the deal gets done according to Dr. Zack.

The sad news here is that rumor involves Marko Jaric and Darko. Darko isn't a great loss but would leave us very thin at center. Losing Mr. Adriana Lima before the first pre-season game would be heart-breaking! Come on Grizzlies, at least let us have one game with Adriana in the stands before you ship him off!

Matt over at Hardwood Paroxysm must have seen our back to school series last week and has added his touch of Science to the world of Blogging. He rated us with some impressive blogs so I wanted to make sure everyone sees it.

Notes From Memphis has an interesting view of the Hamed Haddidi signing.

The Case for Zach Randolph

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

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

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

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

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

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

(1) Darko Milicic, Antoine Walker for Zach Randolph

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trade Talk

Since the Josh Smith offer sheet was matched by the Atlanta Hawks, it seems that most of the talk surrounding the Grizzlies making another acquisition this offseason has centered on potential trades. Plenty of names have been bandied about on the Grizzlies Fan Boards and on websites/news papers around the country. Let's take a look at who has already been mentioned and find a few more that might prove to be interesting.

Zach Randolph for Darko Milicic/??? - Ron Tillery mentioned him in a brief, one-line comment after the Hawks matched the offer sheet. It caused quite a stir among Grizzlies and Knicks fans when they saw it, but now that comment has been removed from the online piece where it originally appeared (which is why I don't see the point in linking to it).

My thoughts on Z-Bo are quite simple. He's a talented PF and he's a knucklehead. Yes, he puts up good stats, but he doesn't play well in a team concept, plays no defense and is a certifiable black hole on offense. He's a cancer -- and I don't throw that term around loosely. On top of all that, he has the exact same contract that Pau Gasol has, which the organization and its fanbase were so eager to get rid of. He's a glorified role player with a max-level contract, which means that the Grizzlies shouldn't consider him for any reason.

Matt Harpring/Jarron Collins for Darko Milicic - This one popped up in the Salt Lake Tribune column that we linked to earlier in the week, as Steve Luhm answered a reader's question about Darko's ability to fit in with the Jazz. This isn't even a real rumor, as Luhm even labels it a "hypothetical trade" in the column, but it is interesting. On the one hand, Harpring does give the Grizzlies that veteran backup SF that they desperately need behind Rudy Gay. On the other, Jarron Collins is known as "Collins the Lesser" among my circle of NBA friends. That's right, he's not even as good as his brother, Jason, who we fans had the pleasure of seeing last year. Not to mention that this would thrust Marc Gasol directly into the starting lineup when we don't have a clue as to how well he's going to adjust to the NBA. I don't have a problem with taking a calculated risk (Rudy for Shane, Mayo for Love, Miller for Gooden), but this seems to be a needless chance to take just to acquire a SF who will probably only be needed for 10-13 mpg this year. I think that Darko has more value than this trade.

Keith Bogans/Draft Pick for Javaris Crittenton - I've had a lot of back and forth with an Orlando Magic fan about this trade rumor. I think that it could be a win-win for both teams, but it all hinges on the draft pick. I don't think that a 2nd rounder is enough for Memphis to do the deal, but a protected 1st rounder probably would. I like Keith Bogans game a lot. He's a solid defender who can play the SG and SF positions off the bench. He's only 28, which means that he could still fit into the Three Year Plan if they re-sign him beyond the current deal. I'd much rather send them Kyle Lowry (PG only) in this deal than JCritt (combo guard capable), but getting another 1st rounder and thinning out the "young guard" group would probably prove to be worthwhile.

Al Harrington/Marco Belinelli for Antoine Walker/Hakim Warrick/Kyle Lowry - A Warriors fan who was high on Hak/Lowry sent this one to me the other day. Ummm....where do I sign? I'm not a huge fan of Harrington's SF game at the PF spot, but he has the same price tag as Walker for this year and twice the production. Belinelli (Summer League All-Star!) would be solid as a backup SG and might actually get some playing time in Memphis -- something he hasn't gotten much of in Oakland. They are both in the last year of their current contracts, so if they don't work out, then you don't have to keep them. Honestly, this deal feels like something you should have to wear a ski mask to pull off.

Reggie Evans/Willie Green for Hakim Warrick/Javaris Crittenton/Greg Buckner - The Grizzlies get a proven frontcourt presence in Evans, while the Sixers get some instant offense off the bench behind Elton Brand in Hak. Willie Green is a solid guard off the bench who started for Philly much of last year. Critt and Buckner would be quality depth for a team that has dreams of winning the Eastern Conference next year. Evans (28) and Green (27) are both young enough to qualify for the Three Year Plan, too.

Those are the ones that I'm aware of at the moment, although I'm hearing rumblings of Andrei Kirilenko being available, too. AK-47 is a tremendous talent and was always better as a PF than the SF role he has assumed since the arrival of Boozer/Okur. But, he also has the same max contract that Gasol and Randolph have, which means that it would be counter-productive to trade for him at this juncture. That's really too bad, since the combination of him with Darko/Marc in the frontcourt backing up Conley/Mayo/Lowry in the backcourt would display a fearsome level of defense. C'est la vie.

Be sure to either email us any rumors that you've heard of recently or just leave them in the comments.

The Case for Not Trading a Point Guard

There has been a lot of discussion among Grizzlies fans about the apparent logjam at Point Guard on the team and how Memphis needs to make a move immediately to address this problem. I disagree and for some simple reasons.

First off Conley is only 20 yrs old and has started a grand total of 46 games in the NBA. That is not exactly a ringing endorsement to give him the keys to the franchise. Sure his statistics almost mirror Tony Parker's when he was a rookie and are actually superior to such prominent PG's as Gilbert Arenas, Chauncey Billups and Steve Nash as rookies but that doesn't mean you can stamp the future All-Star label on Mike just yet. Lowry doesn't have much more experience after only playing 10 games his rookie season. Right now it appears Conley will be the superior PG in the NBA to some people but he hasn't shown that on the court yet. There is no reason to rush the decision before someone has clearly won the job.

OJ Mayo is a dynamic player who has stated that he feels his best position is PG. That doesn't mean he is right and from what we have seen so far that is simply not the case. Mayo is a scorer who struggles against quick PG's and makes bad decisions at times when pressured with the ball. He may develop into an excellent PG at some point but right now he is a turnover waiting to happen.

Javaris Crittenton is similiar to OJ Mayo without the outside shot. He has excellent size to be a PG (compared to the dimunitive Conley and Lowry) but his ability to control the ball and run the offense hasn't develop yet. He also doesn't appear to NBA level vision when driving in the lane. A PG can always drive in the lane and shoot but to be a truly effective PG you need to get into the lane and then find the open man as the defense collapses. So far I haven't seen Crittenton capable of making that play.

Jaric can play PG, SG and SF. He is very versatile in that respect. He came over playing PG but last season he was almost exclusively a SG and at 6-7 he has decent size to play SF. Frankly with his lack of foot speed I feel more comfortable playing Jaric as a SG/SF than at the point. Jaric will bring experience and knowledge to the young guards on the team and that is important. His role is clearly more mentor than player at this point.

What's more, Lowry and Conley give the Grizzlies two different PG skill sets that most teams will struggle matching up against. Right now JCritt and Mayo don't appear to take care of the ball well enough to run the point but both can defend well at the SG and allow the Grizzlies to add more playmaking ability to the backcourt.

This doesn't even take into account the serious problem the Grizzlies have had lately keeping Point Guards healthy. In 2005 Damon blew his Patello Tendon out. In 2006 Kyle Lowry broke his thumb and missed the remained of the season. Last year Mike Conley hurt his shoulder and missed a total of 30 games. It isn't like the Grizzlies haven't had a big need for strong backups at the point lately.

At some point in the future I expect at least one of the backcourt players to be moved to fil a hole in another part of the team but that definitely doesn't mean they have to make a move right now.

Rumors, Rumors, Rumors

Your main sources for the latest and greatest rumors.

Ron Tillery: Draft Day Musings Includes talk of acquiring Michael Beasley and/or Josh Howard, trading down with Charlotte and the latest word on Marc Gasol.

Chris Herrington: Beyond the Arc Herrington's own proposal to get Beasley, who to pick at #5, who to trade with to move down from #5.

Message Boards: As always, these guys are far more creative than anything I could ever come up with on my own.

Links: Quick Thoughts Edition

Chris Herrington (Beyond the Arc) did a lot of hard work to round up the biggest and best rumors revolving around the Grizzlies as the draft approaches. As always, it is a must read -- especially since it talks about the possible return of Whit E. Boy.

Via TrueHoop: Brian Windhorst, the great columnist for the Akron Beacon-Journal, is in the hospital right now, so I'm asking all of you to send your thoughts and prayers his way.

Mediaverse has some information on the recent decision by Gary Parrish and Geoff Calkins to leave 730 ESPN.

Hardwood Paroxysm continues to drop knowledge and insight.

Mike Miller didn't make the Team USA roster that is headed to China in a couple of months, but that's okay. Upside and Motor have you covered on everything you need to know about the guys who did make the cut.

Seven Dirty Grizzly Words from The Nation of Grizzlam

Grizzlies Insider Returns with Behind-the-Scenes Look at 2008 Draft

Links: Catching Up on the News

Hoopsworld.com says that the Grizzlies are definitely not looking to move Mike Miller.

Ira Winderman (South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com) with his own trade proposal that has Miami and Memphis swapping draft picks.

Speaking of eye-catching rumors, Matt Steinmetz (Examiner.com) has a doozy: Grizzlies targeting Monta Ellis this offseason.

Boston Globe: Chris Wallace responds to criticism over Gasol trade.

Dustin Starr has some news on Grizz (Eric McMahon) over on m3mphis.com. It's good to know that Eric is continuing his recovery right on schedule.

At least someone who is currently a member of the Memphis Grizzlies will be associated with the Finals. Timekeeper Bob Young worked Game 3 in Los Angeles last night and will also man the clock for Game 4 on Thursday.

David Booth, a scout for the Grizzlies, is hosting a basketball camp in his hometown of Peoria, Illinois.

Speaking of basketball camp, Mike Conley hosted a few of his own.

Where Sport and Thought Interact takes a look at what he thinks the Grizzlies should do this offseason.

Preetom Bhattacharya (Hoopsworld.com) says that the plan should be to rebuild around Rudy Gay.

For the 2nd year, the Memphis Grizzlies will share the Dakota Wizards as their NBA Developmental League team with the Washington Wizards.

Links: Draft News

First up is the Commercial Appeal, where Ron Tillery reports live from Orlando:

What some critics view as nominal compensation in receiving the Los Angeles Lakers' 28th pick in the first round of the June 26 draft, Griz general manager Chris Wallace sees as a calculated risk that can pay high dividends.

He also lists some players that the Grizzlies might be targeting:

Among the players the Griz will consider at 28 are: Wayne Ellington (North Carolina), Shan Foster (Vanderbilt), Darnell Jackson (Kansas), Jeremy Pargo (Gonzaga), Richard Hendrix (Alabama), Joey Dorsey (Memphis), Davon Jefferson (Southern California), Trent Plaisted (Brigham Young) and JR Giddens (New Mexico).

Of course, the name that stands out to most Memphis fans is that of Joey Dorsey, as evidenced by our poll to the right. However, Geoff Calkins says "Now, don't get all sentimental on us, Grizzlies" when it comes time to make the tough choices in the draft. In fact, he outlines a few flawed ideas that many fans have about the draft this year. It is a great read that I highly recommend.

After Chris Herrington posted this blog entry last week, the Grizzlies Messageboards lit up with the idea that new assistant coach Kevin O'Neill was being brought in as a replacement for head coach Marc Iavaroni. I said then that it was nothing more than conjecture (which Chris himself admitted from the beginning) and maintain the same stance now. Fortunately, Pete Pranica rode in just in time to back up what I said upon hearing of the news:

Back now, I’ve been encouraged by the reports of hiring Kevin O’Neill as an assistant coach for Marc Iavaroni’s staff. O’Neill has a track record of putting good defensive teams on the floor. Give credit to the Grizzlies’ front office and coaching staff for considering the move as it underscores their commitment to addressing the Grizz’s most glaring weakness.

This is a great move to shore up an obvious weakness and everyone should leave the conspiracy theories alone for a little while.

There have also been a number of trade rumors floating around, which is not unusual leading up to the draft. Some of the more entertaining ones:

Hoopsworld: PG's for Sale? - "We've heard rumors that the Heat would deal their #2 overall pick to the Grizzlies for #5 and either Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, Juan Carlos Navarro, or Javaris Crittenton. In fact, basically any team that needs a point guard is rumored to have a trade scenario on the table or at least in discussion with Memphis GM Chris Wallace. The simple truth, however, is that the Grizzlies are not nearly as infatuated with making a deal as the rumor folks would have you believe."

DraftExpress - "There is already some talk that Minnesota will look to make a trade with Memphis GM Chris Wallace, who would then have the option of fortifying his front-court by drafting Brook Lopez at #3, or swinging for the fences and taking O.J. Mayo. Memphis could offer Minnesota the young prospect of their choice in Kyle Lowry, Hakim Warrick or Javaris Crittenton to help facilitate the deal. Wallace only has two more years left on his contract and needs to make as big a splash as possible in this draft to jump-start Memphis’ rebuilding process, meaning he could be leaning more towards taking Mayo, especially if his team is drafting 5th."

Blazers Blog (OregonLive.com) - "It appears the Memphis Grizzlies have interest, offering Mike Miller to Portland for Travis Outlaw and the No. 13. Excuse me? As expected, Kevin Pritchard and the Blazers respectfully declined the offer." Chris Wallace strongly denied this offer ever took place while talking to Chris Vernon on 730 ESPN yesterday afternoon.

Speaking of Mike Miller, he and his wife made the local news recently by donating $200,000 to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. That is the single largest donation to the hospital by an individual Grizzlies player. Good job Mike and Jennifer!

Websites to read while waiting for the draft:
Ridiculous Upside
Wages of Wins Draft Preview
DraftExpress
Yahoo! Sports: Pre-draft camp Day 2
2008 NBA Mock Draft Database (DC Pro Sports)

Miller Trade Watch: No Trade?

With the trade deadline looming, is the Mike Miller Trade Watch cooling off?

It looks that way.

Miller's name has been all over the NBA trade rumor grapevine in the last week (e.g., here, here, here, here)

But now, Verno just posted that Miller is likely to stay in Memphis.

I am told that a betting man would bet the Grizzlies would stand pat, but anything can happen.

Now, on to Miller... the Grizzlies point of view is that they will not trade Miller in a simply financial deal. Any deal for Miller would have to make basketball sense (this was a nice thing to hear). They are worried that if they move Miller they will lose real outside shooting and virtually any veteran presence (from a guy that plays). The thought is that if you keep Miller that you could put something good together within a few years, whereas if you move him for what you would get in many of the deals you could quickly become 4-5 yrs from being really competitive (like the Bulls did). The other thought is that at the top of the draft (where the Grizz pick will be) there are pg's and bigs, but really only one outside scorer (Gordon). So let's say that you more than likely get an interior guy (Beasley, Love, Arthur, whoever) in the draft, then you want to have Miller and you could be something other than an abomination in the near future. Again, Miller's outside shooting and the fact that he is a vet make them very skeptical of moving him. I understand the value that they see in keeping Miller if teams are not bowling them over with the offers.

I would bet that Miller is not dealt, but again, anything can happen. Wallace will be on the show tomorrow.

Makes sense.

And we also have some additional evidence that supports what Verno is saying.

During the Clippers feed of the game, their sideline reporter was talking about Miller not being active due to back spasms and that the timing may seem odd due to the trade deadline, she reported that she had it on "good authority" that Miller will NOT be dealt before the trade deadline. She then mentioned a few reasons that were exactly in line with what Verno said.

So, the tone seems to be that Miller will not be dealt for just expiring contracts. It has to make sense basketball wise. And the team seems to be scared of losing his outside shooting presence.

I'd say the Mike Miller Trade Watch should remain at Yellow, but I do believe reports that odds right now are that he likely wont' be dealt.

Now we just wait to see if anyone presents Wallace with any better trade offers in the next 12 hours or so.

Update I

Tillery has an article saying the same thing as above.

Anything can happen by the NBA's 2 p.m. CST trade deadline.

Then again, nothing is likely to occur regarding the Grizzlies.

That was the tone within the organization late Wednesday with regard to potential deals, specifically regarding guards Mike Miller and Kyle Lowry.

The two most sought-after players will remain in Grizzlies uniforms through the remainder of the regular season barring an 11th-hour, earth-shattering pitch from suitors.

"We value these guys," Griz general manager Chris Wallace said Wednesday before the team faced the Los Angeles Clippers. "We have not committed to any deals. There's nothing that I would consider imminent. If I had to put odds on it, I'd say it's more unlikely than likely that we'll do something."

So there you go, similar to what Verno said. Nothing likely. Door not closed, but expect no deals. Team insists that the team isn't being stripped down financially and that they are considering the basketball standpoint.

Wait....just saw another mention somewhere about us not trading Miller. This time it is Yahoo.

It will be interesting to see what the beat writers from Denver, Miami, and Cleveland say in the morning.

Update II (not about Miller)

A Houston paper reports that we are somehow acquiring Marcus Vinicius from the Hornets in a 3-team deal. Doesn't give any details and sort-of implies we get him for free. I suspect the Hornets needed to make room since they are trading former Grizzly Bobby Jackson for 2 players (former banned Grizzly Bonzi and Griz Killer Mike James). Maybe we use any cap space we have or an exception of some sort or send over future considerations or a 2nd rounder or something. I'm sure we will find out on Thursday sometime if this report is true and the full details.

Miller Trade Watch Inching Closer to Red

The trade deadline is less than 48 hours away. The Mike Miller Trade Watch is as hot as ever.

There are so many Mike Miller rumors out there, I'm not even going to attempt to provide all the links. Go to the hoopshype rumors page and see most of them.

I'll summarize where we are at:

-- Mike Miller is clearly the most mentioned name right now in NBA trade rumors. He also might be the player most likely to be traded that can make an immediate impact on the team he is traded to.

-- Miller's name has been linked to something like 11 teams (Denver, Clippers, Miami, Dallas, New Jersey, Indiana, Spurs, Blazers, Bulls, Cleveland, Lakers).

-- Denver seems to be the most interested, but also seem to be looking at either Miller or Artest (wait, they also want Lowry too!).

-- Cleveland seems to be the next most interested in Miller (and Lowry as well, imagine that). Although the problem with Cleveland is that they have very little to offer. Check out this craptastic trade offering Chad Ford spits our way.

The deal, as described to me by a player agent, would send Miller, Cardinal and Lowry to the Cavaliers for Ira Newble, Donyell Marshall, Shannon Brown, Cedric Simmons and Dwayne Jones along with cash and at least one first-round pick from Cleveland.

The trade works using the RealGM Trade Checker, but I still say Yuck! I understand this pu-pu platter contains the prerequisite expiring contracts and draft picks, but I would hope we could land at least 1 current player to add to our nucleus when trading Miller (and/or Lowry). Even getting rid of Cardinal's two more years isn't that exciting because Marshall has one more year left. I understand the reasoning in also trading Miller now and increasing our cap space even further, but I'm still dumbfounded why a cheap and producing player like Lowry must also get traded for nothing? He cost very little, has been a solid backup, and currently nobody else on the roster looks like a full time backup PG. Why is it a must we trade Lowry before the deadline again?

-- Rumor has the Clippers wanting to send Sam Cassell and filler for Miller (what? how does that makes sense? are we buying him out too?), but the Griz wanted their pick and they said no to that.

-- Rumor has it that Indiana has offered Daniels and Diogu (I'm not appalled, at least).

-- On the radio, Verno and Hassletine were fairly certain that Miller would be traded.

-- Miller, after getting undercut by Ridnour, was suddenly done playing for the rest of the Sonics game. Didn't want to risk injury before a trade???

-- A report was that Miller said bye to all his teammates before the all-star break, just in case he was traded before the Sonics game. And another report then mentioned that he flew to Seattle for the game on his own and his teammates were happy to see him show up for work at the team hotel.

It sure seems that Miller is going to be traded before Thursday. And if not then, it is highly unlikely he plays with the Griz in 08-09. Miller's trade value seems to be as high as ever right now, as many teams are rumored to be chasing him pretty hard. I hope Wallace can turn a Miller trade into something good for the team. If Miller does make it past the trade deadline, I'd fully expect to see him moved during the draft. The Mike Miller Trade Watch never seems to end...

Links: All-Star Hangover Edition

Hope everyone enjoyed the All-Star weekend festivities. I, myself, didn't actually watch any of it other than the Slam Dunk contest, because the Rookie/Sophmore game is an abomination, the Celebrity game and Shooting Stars competition are beyond horrendous and I find the Skills Challenge and 3-point Shootout rather pedantic. And, of course, the Knight Rider movie came on last night, so I skipped the All-Star game. Priorities and all. I know that Hardwood Paroxysm made the trip down there and snapped a quick picture of Juan Carlos Navarro, so that's something, I guess.

Chris Herrington compiled the Top 10 Grizzlies Dunks in preparation of the Dunk Contest.

The 700Level.com has the lowdown on what the Sixers' scouting report for newly acquired player-coach Aaron McKie looked like the other night.

• Savvy vet
• Not as good a shooter as he thinks
• Used to defend
• Don't guard
• Rotate off of him

Nice to see that they think enough of him to have some fun at his expense.

Trade Talk: Miller/Lowry to Denver? Lowry to Cleveland?

Even though it doesn't make the news every time it happens, the Grizzlies try to do their part in the community. Hakim Warrick does his part in his hometown, too.

Speaking of Hak, Empty the Bench lists him as one of their Ten NBA Players Poised for Better Things Down the Stretch, along with rookie Mike Conley. Some interesting analysis to be read there.

Pau Gasol is adapting to the Triangle just fine. Now, will somebody get him the number to a real estate agent?

Speaking of Pau, add Tim Duncan to those who think the trade was fairly craptastic. Wait, what's that? Tim Duncan whining about something? I'm shocked.

In the "piling on" portion of the program, we have Epic Carnival saying that Chris Wallace is no Rocket Surgeon.

The Bismarck Tribune has a nice article on assistant coach Dave Joerger.

Blog/Website of the Day: The 22 Worst Dunks Ever

Miller Trade Watch Raised to Orange

The trade deadline is less than 6 days away and the Mike Miller Trade Watch is heating up, moving into the Orange Level.

You don't know what the Orange Level is? Well, let me fill you in.

Level 1 - Green or Low...Just a normal day in the trade friendly NBA.
Level 2 - Blue or Guarded...Name is thrown around the NBA trade rumor grapevine.
Level 3 - Yellow or Elevated...Name is thrown around in rumors AND other indicators point towards the likelihood of a trade.
Level 4 - Orange or High...Either exceptionally strong trade rumors OR the Yellow Level near the trade deadline.
Level 5 - Red or Severe...Trusted media sources basically assuring us a deal is imminent.

If you read this blog much, you've probably noticed that I like to review what events have transpired to get us to where we are now. Let's do that now as it relates to the Mike Miller Trade Watch. To a lesser degree, the Mike Miller Trade Watch has been going on for a while now.

-- In 2006, after yet another playoff sweep it became obvious that some changes needed to be made, it was rumored that Houston had their pick of either Shane Battier or Mike Miller in the Rudy Gay trade.

-- During June of 2007, it is probably safe to say that the Watch was at a Gaurded Blue Level. There were rumblings around town that Miller may be traded on draft night. One possible destination thrown out before the draft was Charlotte, who had a late lottery pick cap space to absorb Miller's contract. Charlotte ended up trading their lottery pick (and cap space) for Jason Richardson.

-- The beginning of season was more of the same. Tom Ziller at AOL Fanhouse thought Mike Miller was likely to be traded this season. Spartacus replied to TZ, which is a particularly interesting read now considering how the season ended up unfolding.

-- The Watch stayed at a Guarded Blue Level this season until Pau Gasol was traded, when it was then raised up to the Elevated Yellow Level. Part of the reason the Watch immediately went to Yellow was the manner in which Pau was traded. Chris Wallace has been highly criticized for the deal he accepted for Pau, which was a pu-pu platter of expiring contracts and draft picks. If Pau is being traded for cap space and picks, it is logically to think Miller may too, right?

-- Chris Sheridan thought so and named Miller one of the most likely players to also be moved by the trade deadline. At this point the rumors of Miller being traded were loud enough the Commercial Appeal ran the obligatory "I'm not thinking about the trade rumors" article.

Now, things are heating up. In the presence of a looming steaming hot trade deadline, amid swirling trade rumors all across the country that Miller is on the block and in the face of a evidence the Grizzlies are in a fire-sale, the Mike Miller Trade Watch has been raised to the Orange Level. Let's expand on those thoughts.

-- Miller's name is being thrown around in trade rumors all across the country (more on that in a bit).

-- It has even been reported Miller has told friends he believes he will be traded before the deadline.

-- Chris Wallace (or Micheal Heisley depending on your viewpoint) has shown he has a plan for the future and that plan apparently includes increasing both future cap space and future draft picks. On top of that Wallace has shown he will not hesitate to pull the trigger on a deal if it fits his plan (look no further to trading Pau 3 weeks before the trade deadline for cap space and draft picks). If someone offers cap space and picks for Miller, it is reasonable to assume Wallace just may say yes.

-- Chris Vernon, who I can't remember ever being wrong about the Griz, says that Heisley has the team in fire-sale mode and that if Miller gets traded for money and picks, the fire-sale will be completely undeniable. I have learned to always believe Verno and when he tells me there is a good chance that the Pau trade will lead to a similar Miller trade before the deadline, I take him seriously.

-- In what may be the most active trade season in recent memory, there are still 6 days for NBA GM's to make deals and load up in the apparent Western Conference Arms Race (including a yet to be completed Jason Kidd to Dallas trade). I'm sure other teams are talking to Wallace about Mike Miller.

Ok, so there are plenty of reasons to pay attention to the possibility of Miller being traded. What are some of the rumored trades and possible destinations for Miller?

-- Heat. A popular rumored destination is to Miami where they have expiring contracts in Jason Williams (oh, the irony) and Ricky Davis (who if you didn't know is a proud member of the Griz Killer Dream Team). One catch is that they can't trade their 2008 draft pick right now since it could be owed to the Twolves from the Walker-Davis trade.

-- Nuggets. A local rumor floating around that I've heard a number of people tell me about is with the Denver Nuggets. With the rest of the West loading up and the Nugs on a 50 win pace yet still on the bubble for the playoffs, they could make a play to improve their club. They have an expiring contract in Najera as well as their pick to trade. Oh ya, they also have a knucklehead named JR Smith ready to poison any locker room he gets put in.

-- Mavericks. Here is a new one, allegedly a sports radio host in Dallas talked about a local rumor of Dallas signing Keith Van Horn for 1 year and 20 million (!!!), then trading him for Miller, Brian Cardinal and Jason Collins. Talk about a Memphis salary dump!! I wonder if that could be a way to fill in the Dallas roster after a Kidd-for-half-the-team trade takes place. But that would mean a heck of a lot of luxury tax Cuban would have to pay. Anyway, it is just a rumor and likely without merit and completely untrue, but I just wanted to pass it along.

-- Nets. A New Jersey paper reports the Nets are interested in Miller. They have expiring contracts in Magloire and Nachbar and possibly extra draft picks from any impending Jason Kidd trade.

So there you go. In the next 6 days don't be surprised if Miller is traded for more cap space and draft picks.

One more aspect I think I should mention. There are 3 other Griz players being routinely named in these same Miller rumors:

-- Lowry (everybody assumes he is the odd-man-out among our young guard trio)
-- Hak (very few people see a role for him on this team in the future, so why not try to get something for him now)
-- Cardinal (please, will someone freaking take his contract off our hands)

Personally, I go back and forth on if Miller will end up getting traded before the deadline, however, I will safely predict that if Miller is traded, it won't be for current talent, but rather more cap space and more picks.

If any new information is leaked in the coming days and a trade seems imminent, we will be sure to raise the Watch Level to Red and promptly fill you in on the details and give you our analysis.

Swift for Collins Almost Done?

A New Jersey Paper is reporting that a Stromile Swift for Jason Collins trade could be finalized as early as today or this weekend.

They (the Nets) are set to acquire athletic 6-foot-10 forward Stromile Swift from the Memphis Grizzlies for Jason Collins, league sources said. The deal was being worked on Thursday night and could be finalized today or sometime over the weekend.

This follows numerous reports yesterday where Ron Tillery, Yahoo, CBSsports, and Chris Vernon all mentioned the possible trade of Swift for Collins.

Collins and Swift have nearly identical contracts, both expire next year, with the big difference being that Stro has a player option for next year. This comes after Stro was suspended for conduct detrimental to the team. He may be getting traded for locker room/chemistry reasons.

Also, check out the Chris Vernon post, where he says that some big changes could be coming for the Grizzlies (firesale?!?), and that a less than desirable Pau Gasol trade could be done where expiring contracts (like Kwame Brown) would be coming to Memphis. The purpose of such a firesale could revolve around Heisley looking to sell the team, possibly by the summer.

Kwame and Darko on the same team can't be good for baskeball karma, can it?

Links: Rudy's Dunk Blog, Sam Smith's Backtracking, Mascot News

Rudy Gay has had a pretty big year so far. On his All-Star Dunk Blog, he answered a few questions from the fans and thanked all the fans who have sent in entries for him to use in the dunk contest. He also had a strong statement for MVP candidate Dwight Howard:

Before I go, I have a message for Dwight:

You have that idea about moving the goal to 12 feet? If you want to do it, go ahead and do it. I'm pretty confident in my jumping ability. If you go before me, I'll leave it up there and do my dunk.

That, my friends, takes cajones the size of basketballs, given the known quantity that is Dwight's athletic ability. If anyone can pull it off, I believe that #22 can.

It appears that Sam Smith is reconsidering his well-known obsession with Pau Gasol. In a recent mailbag, he had the following exchange:

Chris Feldman, Dubuque, Iowa: What is with the obsession with Pau Gasol? OK, he's a big who can score. However, he's definitely not a superstar, and he's not tough. The last time the Bulls traded for a mid-level superstar who fit those qualifications (Jalen Rose), it cost them Ron Artest, Brad Miller, and other parts of the core, and the team still floundered. I'd almost rather see the Bulls pick up someone like Jason Kidd, who at least is willing to drive to the basket once in a while and make his teammates better, even though he isn't a big. Am I nuts for thinking that taking the best player off a team with a worse record than the Bulls isn't the answer?

Sam Smith: Not completely. I don't believe there's an obsession since they haven't gotten him. He's a nice piece, but it tells you something when the Bulls won't give up one of their starters. They know Gasol's flaws. Everyone does. After all, it's not easy to be 0-12 in playoff games in your career. That's why no team can give up much for him. He's injury prone and not a big rebounder. Defense isn't a priority. He's hardly well regarded in Memphis. I believe they end up keeping him because they don't get a big offer and maybe do something with him around draft time. As for losing Artest and Miller, it hardly made a difference and perhaps saved plenty of embarrassment. Jalen just didn't care to defend. He was hardly a big problem.

Well, well, well, doesn't Smith sound like the victim of unrequited love? Since there is virtually no way that Pau is headed to the Windy City, ol' Sam is backtracking to make it seem like they didn't lose out on anything now. Pau's 0-12 record in the playoffs will keep as many people away as stopped Danny Ainge from taking on KG's history of postseason failure. Not a big rebounder? He's averaging 8.8 rpg this season and 8.6 rpg for his career. To put that in perspective, the Bulls currently have zero players besting him in that department. That includes the great and powerful Ben Wallace. Pssst.....he also blocks more shots per game than anyone on their team, even though defense isn't a priority. But you couldn't use a guy like that, right Sam? In two years, expect a Rudy Gay to Chicago in exchange for Thabo Sefolosha and a 2nd round pick from him. He's nothing if not predictable.

The Grizzlies are doing something to improve the game experiences by inviting other teams' mascots to perform at games in the absence of Eric McMahon, the man behind the mask of beloved team icon Grizz. From Grizzlies.com:

Beginning with Saturday’s game against Utah, a different mascot will be appearing at almost every Grizzlies home game through the end of the season. The schedule of appearances is listed below.

To show their support for McMahon while he undergoes treatment, each mascot is traveling to Memphis at their own expense or their team’s expense to help entertain Grizzlies fans at FedExForum.

Fans can show their support as well by purchasing a Friends of Grizz wristband for $3 from the Grizzlies Den Team Store at FedExForum. Proceeds from the sale of the wristbands will go to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The organization is also continuing the Friends of Grizz program, where patients of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and their families are invited on behalf of Grizz to each home game as a show of solidarity for their battle and his.

Fans can send get well wishes to Eric online, by mail: care of Grizz, to 191 Beale Street, Memphis, Tennessee, 38103, or via e-mail. Fans wishing to donate to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital can log on to www.stjude.org.

Obviously, this is great news for fans and should provide something to help lift the spirits of Eric and his family. Get well soon Eric.

Wallace Said No?

You have got to be kidding me?

File this nugget of information away in the file that contains examples which contradict the old adage of "the best trade is sometimes the one you don't make".

From the Great Ron Tillery:

Past interest (in Stro) indicates New Jersey might emerge as one suitor. Earlier this season, the Griz are said to have turned down a deal that would have sent Swift to the Nets for Jamaal Magloire, who is in the final year of a deal that pays $4million. (emphasis mine)

What? Am I reading this right. Am I not thinking rationally since it is late at night? Has the 27 hours of no power (or heat) at the house drove me delusional?

We were offered Magloire's expiring contract for Stro and turned the deal down??!?!?!?!?!?!!?

On what planet does that make sense?

Stro has a player option this summer and everyone is crossing their fingers that he won't pick it up (and a good conspiracy theory out there is that poor treatment, like no playing time followed by a suspension, could entice him not to pick up that player option). But still, trading Stro for an expiring contract guarantees we won't pay that money next year.

First, we turn down a Damon trade because it wasn't in his best interest. And now this.

To be fair, RealGM Trade Checker tells me Stro for Mags straight up doesn't work, so maybe the filler was what Wallace was concerned with and that caused him to turn it down. Maybe Wallace didn't take the deal because he hadn't had 50 games to fully evaluate Stro (if so, he should have asked Barone, or any Griz fan what kind of player Stro is). Stro has been disappointing during his entire career in Memphis. He has been disappointing this year. He has barely played in the last month. Have I mentioned he is currently suspended? And should I remind you that he is a certified bum!!! Turning down a trade of an expiring contract for Stro seems absolutely crazy to me.

I need Chip or Spartacus to make the case to me why not trading Stro for Magloire is a good idea. Please, guys, I'm open minded and ready to learn why Wallace would turn this trade down. There easily could be a perfectly sound reason why flipping Stromile for an expiring contract isn't a great idea. I hope.

ChipC3's Response:
First, Swift for Magliore is not a legal trade according to RealGM.com and ESPN's Trade Machine. A little bit of investigation would reveal that.

Second, I find it curious that someone who predicted that the Grizzlies would be winning more than 40 games and competing for the playoffs 'early in the season' is now questioning why a deal wasn't made that would severely weaken this season's team 'early in the season.'

I also find it rather curious that Ron Tillery would just happen to drop this nugget in the press after the one game suspension of Stromile Swift. Did he know about this previously and just happened to forget to mention it until this moment? If Tillery knew of this offer does he also know what else was included that would make it a eligible deal? And what the heck does 'early in the season' mean anyway? Was it early November or Mid-December? If he knows of the offer he should know of when the offer was made as well shouldn't he?

This type of reporting irritates me because it appears as if it was done simply to inflame passions of Grizzlies fans. While I have always believed that Swift would be perfect at New Jersey I don't believe this deal was rejected out of hand by Wallace once the season was lost. I imagine that Swift and Magliore may been pieces in a bigger deal that was not attractive to Memphis. That makes a lot more sense.

But then again I am trying to think logically and not emotionally here.

Update by Zack:

A few interesting tidbits...
--Magloire couldn't be traded until mid December because he signed in the summer, so that gives some sort of timeline.
--Assuming that no one else from Memphis was included and only filler from New Jersey was included to make it work (big assumption). New Jersey has no bad contracts under ~2 million. They have something like 5 expiring contracts and 3 good prospects under ~2 million.

Update II by Zack:

Some stuff from Verno...
--Says that a Stro-Magloire deal was never on the table. In other words, Tillery was not telling the truth. Surprise, surprise.
--Says that IF the deal of Stro for expiring contract(s) were offered, Chris Wallace or any NBA GM would be crazy and a moron for not taking that deal.
--Also says that the Nets would be crazy for offering an expiring contract for the opportunity to pay Stro 6.2 Million next year.

Update III by Zack:

Tillery checks back in with the Stro-Nets stuff. Via MemphisEdge:

The New Jersey Nets continue to make a push for Stromile Swift, and have apparently offered center Jason Collins this time. It is not known if this is a straight-up proposal. But it could be (unlike the one Memphis turned down earlier this season involving Jamaal Magloire and other players) because Collins and Swift’s salaries essentially are equal this season and next.

As of this morning, however, the Grizzlies balked at acquiring Collins. The Griz coaching staff is said to be less enamored with Collins, who is not even as athletic as Darko Milicic.

Swift, meanwhile, returned to practice Thursday ready to put his one-game suspension behind him. The 6-9 forward/center did say, however, that it’s time to move on if the Grizzlies don’t intend to play him.

Stay tuned. (emphasis mine)

No one in the right mind would want Collins over Stro. Collins is a bigger bum than Stro, makes the same amount next year for his last year on his deal, but doesn't have the player option which Stro might exercise.

But Tillery is also sticking with his information that Magloire was offered for Stro. Interesting.

And the last bolded part is interesting and could hint that if we don't play Stro he won't take his player option.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UPDATE BY ZACK...RE: Casey

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

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

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

Blog/Website of the Day: 20 Second Timeout

Links: Hardwood Paroxysm is my homepage

Hardwood Paroxysm comes through with two fantastic posts this week. The first is a serious look around the league at what the value of a true scorer is with some quotes from your's truly. The second just might be the greatest thing they have ever done. Make sure to abstain from all liquids while reading it.

You've heard of Power Rankings, right? Well, meet the Powerless Rankings: East and West.

The Lodi News-Sentinel has a great article about Grizzlies assistant coach Ron DuBois who is in his first season with Memphis.

Jay Mariotti joins the rest of Chicago in pining for the services of Pau Gasol.

Bleacher Report is among those who considers this Memphis team a disappointment, listing them among their Early Season Flops.

The Idaho Press-Tribune reports that the Grizzlies have scouts at the D-League Showcase.

Sixers4Guidos has the latest Blogger MVP/ROY Rankings up.

Blog/Website of the Day: American Basketball Association of America