Thursday, June 5, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Adrian Wojnarowski Stirs Things Up
If you haven't already read the column that Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski posted yesterday, then read it here. Yesterday, I read the article and I heard him on 730 ESPN with Chris Vernon. I have to say that my initial impression was quite simple: hatchet job. Now that I've had time to sleep on it and allow it to rattle around my head, my viewpoint hasn't changed one iota.
I know that the Pau Gasol trade has been the running joke of the NBA world all spring, with Kobe calling it "a donation", Gregg Popovich calling it "beyond comprehension" and everyone else saying that Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace should be named the Lakers' team MVP. I understand that many fans were upset about what was accepted in return for the gifted 7-footer and that most of them continue to be irked about it. However, it seems that many people have forgotten to examine their history books when they label it "one of the NBA’s worst trades in years", as Wojnarowski does in his column. He states that "you don’t trade your franchise player without getting back a minimum of a sure-thing young star and/or two solid young starters". Oh really?
February 24, 2005: The Golden State Warriors acquired guard Baron Davis from the New Orleans Hornets on Thursday for guard Speedy Claxton and forward Dale Davis.
December 18, 2004: Vince Carter was traded by the Toronto Raptors to the New Jersey Nets for Alonzo Mourning, Eric Williams, Aaron Williams and a pair of first-round draft picks.
August 19, 2003: The Dallas Mavericks finally made a major offseason move, acquiring Antawn Jamison in a nine-player trade with the Golden State Warriors. The Mavericks also got guard Jiri Welsch and forwards Danny Fortson and Chris Mills from the Warriors for guards Nick Van Exel, Avery Johnson and Antoine Rigaudeau, center Evan Eschmeyer and forward Popeye Jones in the deal.
June 17, 1992: Charles Barkley was traded to the Phoenix Suns from the Philadelphia 76ers for Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang, and Tim Perry.
I think I've made my point, haven't I? I'm confident in saying that the Sixers, Warriors, Hornets and Raptors not only bounced back from those seemingly one-sided trades, but actually became better teams down the road because of the trade. So now that I've shown evidence that you cannot judge a trade in just a matter of a few months, how about we take a closer look at the rest of this column, shall we?
The title of it was quite eye-catching: Memphis owner now questions value of Gasol deal. I mean, that's sure to set tongues to wagging and drive traffic, isn't it? I wonder what exactly it was that Wojnarowski got in his 15-minute interview by cell phone (cut short by his own admission) that we were unable to glean in talking to Michael Heisley face-to-face for over 90 minutes? After all, we have Heisley's words out there for everyone to see in five parts (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5), where he describes quite clearly why the Gasol trade went down the way it did. But Wojnarowski has this quote that makes things less clear:
“I don’t know if I got the most value,” Heisley confessed. “Maybe our people should’ve shopped (Gasol) more and maybe we would’ve gotten more, done a better deal. Maybe Chris did call every team in the league. I don’t think he did, but maybe he should’ve…”
Yes, maybe Wallace should have called every team in the league. I mean, it's not like Pau Gasol had been surrounded by trade rumors for over a year since the word of his closed door meeting with Heisley was leaked out to the press and then categorically labeled a "trade demand". Sure, Chicago had seemed to be the most logical destination, given their outstanding need for a low-post presence. But if a team had interest in acquiring the Spaniard, wouldn't their GM have at least made a perfunctory phone call to see what Wallace might have been willing to accept? Doesn't that seem logical?
Well of course it bloody well does! But -- after none of them made an offer that would give the Grizzlies a young star in the making, they went for the next best thing: cap relief and draft picks - the staple of a rebuilding effort. The offer that the Bulls allegedly made (Nocioni, Thomas, Noah, Sefolosha and Griffin) would have put the Grizzlies back into position of being marginally talented, which is good enough for a few years' worth of first round exits in the Western Conference. With the deal that was accepted, the Grizzlies have the opportunity to start over from the ground floor up, as the Raptors, Hornets and Warriors did before them. I'm sick and tired of having to explain this over and over and over to people whose vision and scope stops at the end of their own nose. You cannot judge a trade after 4 months -- especially if future draft picks are involved -- and you cannot judge a draft class after only one season. Proper, informed evaluations take time -- which is lost on everyone in this "instant history" day and age.
The crux of my objection to Adrian Wojnarowski's column is that I feel he is misrepresenting his writing. This appears to me as though it is an opinion-based column posing as an interview. He uses only 6 direct quotes in an 1100+ word column by my count. The rest is his opinion and conjecture. To wit:
When much of the league was determined to make a serious bid for the 7-footer, how could Memphis settle so long before the February trade deadline for such a paltry offer out of the Lakers?
For the first time, even Heisley wondered whether his general manager, Chris Wallace, blew it by caving so soon to the Lakers.
Crittenton is nothing special...
There isn't one, single fact in the three statements above. There is a lot of opinion though. Wojnarowski has shaped this column to reflect either his own viewpoint or at least that which he feels will drive the most traffic. I have no problem with that from a columnist -- as long as they are clear about their intention to do so. Picking and choosing from quotes, while (in all likelihood) leaving out the parts that don't lend themselves to his goal, only gives media members an even worse reputation. Up until this point, I had always like Adrian Wojnarowski. From now on, I'll be a lot more wary of taking his writing at face value though.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Grizzlies Announce 1st Set of Pre-Draft Workouts
Memphis to Conduct First Session on Thursday
Memphis, Tennessee — The Memphis Grizzlies will hold their first pre-draft workout on Thursday, June 5 at Methodist Healthcare Practice Court at FedExForum. It has been reported that this workout will include Israeli small forward Omri Casspi, USC small forward Davon Jefferson, and Mississippi State big man Charles Rhodes.
The Grizzlies have also scheduled workouts on June 9, 11, 12, 16, 18 and 21. Memphis has two selections (5th and 28th overall) in the 2008 NBA Draft, which will be held on June 26. It was reported that Kevin Love and DeAndre Jordan will be at Monday's workout but this has not been confirmed yet.
The workouts are subject to change.
Partial Combine Results Released
Draftexpress.com has the first pre-draft measurements release that I have seen this year. Here is an exerpt from thier early release.
Michael Beasley measured at 6-7 without shoes, and 6-8 ¼ with. His wingspan in 7-0 ¼ and his standing reach is 8-11. He did fairly well in the combine, lifting the 185 bar 19 times, jumping 35 inches on the max vert, but measuring a slightly high body fat at 7.7%
Derrick Rose came out a bit shorter than advertised, at just 6-1 ½ in shoes and 6-2 ½ in. He has a 6-8 wingspan, a 40 inch vertical and ran the 3/4 court sprint very fast at 3.05.
Brook Lopez is a legit 7-footer in shoes. He also has a phenomenal 7-5 ½ wingspan and an outrageous 9-5 standing reach. He did not do very well at all in the combine though, jumping just 30 inches in the max vert and coming dead last in the lane agility drill at 12.77.
Jerryd Bayless is a legit 6-3 in shoes, and he has expected has a very poor wingspan at 6-3 ½. He did well in the combine, though, jumping 38 inches, lifting the 185 bar 10 times, running 11.26 in the lane agility drills, and sprinting ¾ court in 3.07 seconds.
Kevin Love measured out reasonably well—6-9 ½ in shoes (6-7 ¾ without), with a 6-11 ¼ wingspan and an 8-10 standing reach. His body fat is still very high at 12.9%, but in the combine he jumped 35 inches, lifted the 185 bar 18 times, and ran very well (11.17, 3.22)
O.J. Mayo is 6-3 ¼ without shoes, 6-4 ½ with, with a 6-6 wingspan and 8-3 standing reach. He had the second best vertical leap at 41 inches and ran 11.04 and 3.14.
Eric Gordon is 6-3 ¼ in shoes, with a terrific 6-9 wingspan. He jumped 40 inches, lifted the bar 15 times, and ran 10.81 and 3.01. He plays like a great athlete, and tested out well too.
Anthony Randolph is 6-10 ¼ in shoes, with a freakish 7-3 wingspan and 9-1 standing reach. He is skinny as expected at 4.7% body fat, jumped 35 inches on the max vert, and ran just OK at 11.86 and 3.26.
DeAndre Jordan came in an inch short at 6-11, but has an outrageous 7-6 wingspan and 9-5 ½ standing reach that more than compensates. He jumped poorly at 30.5 inches, lifted the bar 8 times, and ran the drills in 12.3 and 3.27 seconds.
The biggest wingspan: John Riek at 7-8 ¾. His standing reach was N/A. Probably too long to believe. We’re told its 9-10, and certainly believe that.
Biggest standing reach: JaVale McGee- 9-6 ½.
Lightest Player: Mike Taylor- 166 pounds, followed by D.J. Augustin at 171.
Heaviest Player: Kentrell Gransberry- 290 pounds
Lowest Body Fat: Lester Hudson- 3.4%
Highest Body Fat: Kentrell Gransberry -17.4% body fat
Best no-step vertical: Patrick Ewing- 35 inches
Best Max-Step Vertical: O.J. Mayo- 42 inches (tied with Ewing)
Bench Press: Josh Duncan 26 reps
Fastest Lane Agility: Sonny Weems- 10.58 seconds
Fastest ¾ Court Sprint: Sonny Weems- 2.96, (Joe Alexander 2.99)
Others:
Joey Dorsey measured in at only 6’6.25 without shoes, and 6’7.25 with shoes, but had a +7.5 wingspan and managed a very respectable 19 reps off 185 on the bench.
DeVon Hardin stands 6’10.75 in shoes with a 7’3 wingspan, he had 20 reps on the bench and recorded a 32” max vertical leap.
Josh Duncan put up 26 reps of 185 on the bench, recorded a 32” max vertical leap, is 6’8 without shoes, and recorded a body far percentage of only 5.4%.
Patrick Ewing Jr. recorded the highest max vertical leap on the day recording 42”, but struggled on the bench, finishing with only 2 reps. His is 9.4% body fat was surprising for a player of his build as well. At only 6’6 without shoes, he’s between positions with his measurables and game very much in conflict.
Richard Hendrix tested out very well. He is a hair under 6-9 in shoes, has a 7-3 wingspan, a 9-0 standing reach, and ran a 10.62 and 3.27. He jumped just 28 inches in the max vert.
Monday, June 2, 2008
A 10 Man Team vs 3 Individuals
Do people remember the great Hubie Brown and his 10 man rotation anymore?
It was only 4 seasons ago that Hubie was NBA Coach of the Year, Jerry West was NBA Executive of the Year and the Grizzlies with their unorthodox rotation were the talk of the NBA. Hubie's 10 man rotation involved two 5 man units interchanged almost simultaneously with both squads playing approximately half the game. Hubie was supposed to prefer having only two players on the bench unhappy about playing time to the normal four players. It took the Grizzlies from the laughing stock of the NBA to a 50 win season in less than two years.
Of course the glory days didn't last long in Memphis. By Thanksgiving the following season Hubie was gone and the team was in a slow painful fall back to a losing program. Oh sure, it didn't happen right away. Memphis made the playoffs for two more years but the embarrassment of three consecutive sweeps in the playoffs and three coaching moves over the next four seasons doomed what was supposed to be a promising beginning in Memphis.
But what caused Hubie to leave? Was it really health issues as the city was told? Over the years certain rumors have come out that there were troubles behind the scenes with certain players and the coach. Three players in particular were rumored to hate the 10 man rotation and were the real reason Hubie quit the team. Those players supposedly were Jason Williams, James Posey and Bonzi Wells. The three wanted more playing time and an end to the 10 man rotation. It has been also rumored that Hubie demanded all three be traded during training camp so get rid of their negative attitudes.
Looking back over the last four years one has to wonder why?
The three players that were among the biggest beneficiaries of the 10 man rotation have done little since to warrant their demands for greater playing time. Prior to Hubie's system Jason Williams was viewed as an unschooled playground player who couldn't work within a system. James Posey was a journey man who was supposed to be good defensively but not worth much more than an average NBA contract if that. Bonzi Wells was a troubled talent who couldn't follow team rules and was a huge distraction on his teams. Under Hubie they became respectable players who were considered among the elite in the league.
All three players were gone a 9 months later. Two have gone on to win NBA Championships with their new teams but has their play on those teams warranted the mutinous behavior they exhibited in Memphis?
I believe not. Take a look at what has happened to these players since leaving the Bluff City.
Jason Williams' feud with the Brown's became very public when he verbally attacked Brendan Brown on the sidelines during a game against the Mavericks. His trade at the end of the season came as no surprise to most people. The Heat won the NBA championship the next season as JWill's minutes went from 27.4 mpg in Memphis to 31.8 mpg in Miami. However he also missed more games that season to injury than any season he played in the NBA. In fact JWill has averaged more minutes per game every season in Miami (31.8, 30.6 and 28.1) but has played fewer minutes in each year (1874, 1865 and 1886) than he did in any season under Hubie (2407, 2115 and 1952).
Has the increased wear and tear be having an adverse effect on his body? His passing skills surely haven't decreased but his assists per game fell as well in Miami despite the presence of two bona fide scorers in Dwayne Wade and Shaquille O'Neal for most of his time there. His shooting percentages went up but his flair seems to have fallen away. He no longer runs up and down the court making no look passes to cutting players or hoisting up a three point shot in mid-stride. Gone is White Chocolate. Instead the Heat have a slow, conservative PG who doesn't defend well. JWill will be an unrestricted Free Agent this summer but there is little interest in him anymore.
James Posey had been the team MVP the season before Hubie quit. However he came into camp out of shape and injured. While his problems with Hubie didn't become public until much later but many reasons have been put forth for his unhappiness including the playing rotation, the totalitarian approach advanced by Hubie and Brian Cardinal's contract to name a few. His move to Miami was seen as a chance for Posey to prove he was more than a half a game role player.
That opportunity never developed. Posey never averaged 29 mpg in Miami and saw his production curtailed dramatically. Apparently it wasn't Hubie's system that kept Posey from playing more minutes either. Unlike JWill, Posey's minutes have dropped despite playing a greater number of games than his last season in Memphis too. So he is healthy but just not being chosen to play more. It appears that Posey's breakout season had more to do with Hubie's system than despite it. Posey was a free agent last season and signed with Boston but for less than the MLE.
Bonzi Wells is the exception. He hasn't won an NBA Title since leaving Memphis and in fact has never settled on a home since leaving the Grizzlies either. He did average a career high in minutes played per game his first season in Sacramento but he only averaged 32.4 mpg and he missed 30 games do to injury. Then came one of the worst decisions ever made by an NBA player. Bonzi turned down a lucrative contract by the Kings and found that not only was that his best offer, it was the best offer by a large margin. Instead of a 5 yr deal worth $37 million Bonzi signed with Houston for two years and less than $4.5 million total. Bonzi Wells game disappeared with the Kings contract. He has not averaged the 21.9 mpg he averaged his last season in Memphis over the last two years and failed to average 20 mpg this past year which was split between Houston and New Orleans.
So the three players most displeased with the 10 man rotation and limited playing time under Hubie Brown have averaged fewer minutes since leaving the Grizzlies while seeing dramatic increases in games missed do to injury. Bonzi is also a free agent this summer but interest seems muted at best currently. All three have experienced greater playoff success since leaving the Grizzlies but their actual playing time has decreased as has their influence on the teams they play for.
Maybe the problems were inevitable. Call it character flaws from the players combined with a demanding taskmaster of a coach but should anyone be surprised that Bonzi Wells, Jason Williams and to a lesser extent James Posey would cause problems for their old school coach?
Still one has to wonder how much better the Grizzlies would be today if Hubie had not had to fight the battles he did.
And one also has to wonder how much of the lessons learned from that time will apply to the rumored players rebelling against coming to Memphis for workouts?
Predicting the Future
While doing all the usual preparation for this year's draft -- basically immersing myself in DraftExpress, mock drafts, message boards and sports talk radio -- a very different kind of question presented itself. In fact, it was mentioned so many times here in Memphis in the months leading up to the draft lottery that I am absolutely dumbfounded that nobody is bringing it up now. That question is: What position do we avoid taking in the draft?
This might seem to be a rather strange question, but allow me to give you some background. As my co-blogger Chip wrote a few weeks back, a few Grizzlies fans had actually taken the stance that selecting Mike Conley with the #4 pick last year was a mistake of colossal proportions, given that everyone knew that this year's draft would be chock full of quality PG's, headlined of course, by the Memphis Tigers' own Derrick Rose. In other words, the Grizzlies front office should have known that they were going to be getting another very high draft pick this offseason (and that they would be trading Pau Gasol without receiving a quality big man in return), so they should have taken a big man last year. Never mind the fact that Damon Stoudamire was still recovering from a career-threatening knee injury and that backup Kyle Lowry was still unable to do anything with the wrist that was injured 10 games into his rookie season. After all, you're supposed to draft based on talent/potential instead of need, right? Remember that these are the same fans that were predicting 40+ wins for this team back in September/October.
So with that in mind, shouldn't we be looking ahead to the 2009 draftees before deciding who to draft this year? That makes sense, doesn't it? So, do the Grizzlies avoid Anthony Randolph or Kevin Love (or even Michael Beasley) this year, because they could take Blake Griffin, Earl Clark or Patrick Patterson next June? Or should they shy away from centers Brook Lopez and DeAndre Jordan, because the early mock drafts have 3-4 centers listed among the Top 15? I need to know, so I can inform Chris Wallace. After all, he'll need to formulate a gameplan based on the fortune telling ability of the fanbase, since they were way ahead of the curve last year at this time.
Obviously I'm not lumping all Grizzlies fans into this group -- they know who they are though. They are the same ones who knew that Kendrick Perkins would turn into a decent NBA player after 4 years of barely reaching mediocrity. They also knew that Amare Stoudemire was going to be a phenom -- even though none of them had actually ever seen him play -- and that the Grizzlies should have drafted him even though he refused to work out for them. And they'll never let you forget that they were all for drafting Carlos Boozer and Josh Howard. Any day now they'll start talking about the fact that they insisted we should have taken Jason Maxiell or Ronny Turiaf over Hakim Warrick in 2005 (but only because they have to wait for people to forget that they originally said Jarrett Jack). After all, they've never been wrong about anything....ever.
Sorry if this seems like an attack on a segment of a dwindling fanbase, but it gets a little tiring listening to the people who insist on living through hindsight and the idea that they are more qualified to run an NBA franchise than the current front office. So step up to the plate, all-knowing collection of wise men and soothsayers. Tell me now who should be on our wish list for next year so that we'll know who the best pick is this year. I'll be waiting in rapt anticipation to publish your spot-on prediction so that you can proclaim your brilliance at this point next year.
As for me, I have no idea and readily admit to it. I make my best-guess picks and then live with it. Last year I had Al Horford, Mike Conley and Corey Brewer on my wish list for the #4 pick. Horford went at #3, we took Conley and I was very pleased at the time -- and I still am. The year before that, I wasn't expecting the trade that landed us Rudy Gay, so I only did research for the #24 pick, where I hoped that we would choose Jordan Farmar. I learned later that Farmar didn't want to come to Memphis and that his agent discouraged the Grizzlies from taking him, which left them to select Kyle Lowry at that spot. Given the choice between an unhappy Farmar or a pleased-as-punch Lowry, I'll take Kyle, even though Farmar has proven to be a very solid player with the Lakers.
This year, I truly have no idea what to make of this draft class after the first three spots. I believe that Derrick Rose, Michael Beasley and O.J. Mayo will go in those positions and I have no idea who the Sonics will take, although it appears that Jerryd Bayless is a good bet. I could make the case that any one of Eric Gordon, Anthony Randolph, Brook Lopez, Kevin Love, Danilo Gallinari, Russell Westbrook, DeAndre Jordan, Darrell Arthur or even Joe Alexander is the "best talent available" at #5 if that's how the first four picks shake out. The simple truth is that I don't know and I do not envy the Grizzlies front office for having to make that decision. What separates me from those I outlined earlier is that I put it out there for others to see now, rather than waiting to see how Player A performs versus Players B - F through their first, second and third seasons and then proclaiming "what should have been done".
I guess that's the good thing/bad thing about being a blogger. Once I hit that "Publish Post" button, it is out there for everyone to see and for them to refer back to after I have been proven to be correct or to be a fool. I can live with that though. Now who's with me?
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