Number Five is Alive!

A few thoughts on the draft lottery, if you will.

I know that several fans are unhappy with the results of Tuesday night's NBA Draft Lottery. I'm not among them. In fact, when Chip asked me what my preference was prior to the lottery taking place, I told him that I wanted the #2 or #5 pick. My reasoning for the #2 is simple and should be obvious: With the #2 pick, the Grizzlies get to select whoever remains from Michael Beasley/Derrick Rose. I know that most teams (other than Minnesota, who doesn't need a PF like Beasley) would be happy with either of those players, despite what Pat Riley has intimated about trading the pick if Derrick Rose isn't there (total poppycock, by the way -- more on that later).

If the Grizzlies had been fortunate enough to receive that pick, then the decision would have effectively been made for them, similar to how Seattle recently wound up with Kevin Durant, after Portland selected Greg Oden #1 overall. Of course, having the #1 pick would have had a lot of extra pressure given that Derrick Rose is Memphis' favorite son after leading the Tigers to the national title game less than two months ago. The Grizzlies selected Mike Conley with the #4 pick last year and took Kyle Lowry with the #24 pick the year before that, so they have some quality PG's already on the roster. At the risk of drawing Zack's ire, I'll also mention that both Javaris Crittenton and Juan Carlos Navarro are capable of filling in at PG if needed, in my opinion. So if there is one position that the Grizzlies shouldn't be looking at when assessing their draft needs, Point Guard is that area. I know that some people will clamor that there is no way you can pass up a "potential Hall of Famer" just because you have a good, young player already at that position. I agree with that stance -- I just disagree that Derrick Rose fits that label. (Ducking beer bottles being chucked at me by Tiger fans everywhere.) My evaluation of Rose is that he will be a great player in the league for the next decade, but I do not believe that he will be the Top 5 player overall that so many fans have rated him to be already. I'll gladly go point-by-point on his strengths and weaknesses in my pre-draft rankings that will be coming soon, so save your howls and jeers for that future post.

Now that we have that out of the way, let me explain why I wanted the #5 pick, instead of the #3 or #4. There are two players currently being rated in the Top 10 by many draft sites and experts that scare the ever-lovin' crap out of me: Brook Lopez and O.J. Mayo. I said in a previous post that when I look at Brook Lopez, I see a solid starter, but nothing special -- certainly nothing transcendent that is worthy of a top five selection. Lopez's game is based upon achieving great positioning around the basket. He was able to do that in college due to having superior size to many of his opponents, but the NBA is full of guys that are every bit as big and strong as he is. He won't be Michael Olowokandi, Eric Montross, Cherokee Parks or Jerome James, as he does possess some quality basketball skills, but he's not going to be David Robinson either. I see him being a solid big man like Zydrunas Ilgauskas as a best case scenario. If he can concentrate on rebounding and develop the wide range of offensive moves that Big Z has, then he could wind up matching his career averages of 14.5 ppg and 7.9 rpg, which is a very solid career indeed.

I also said that when I look at O.J. Mayo, I see Steve Francis. Stevie Franchise was a great player at one time -- but he was never a "winner". He put up tremendous stats for the first 7 seasons of his career, but the fact remains that Houston got markedly better and Orlando got noticeably worse after the Francis for McGrady trade. I see several of the same attributes in Mayo that I witnessed in Francis, both in terms of skillset and personality. With the right mix of players and coaches surrounding him, Mayo could turn out to be a tremendous, MVP-level player. But unless that "perfect scenario" happens, I don't see it happening and would rather not have this franchise set back by making the wrong choice with another high lottery pick. We already selected Steve Francis once -- remember?

Earlier, I said that Riley's assertion that he would be open to trading the pick if Rose wasn't available, because "they have a pretty good PF" already was ludicrous. Here's why: Shawn Marion is a great all-around player, let there be no doubt about that. Even if he doesn't opt out of the last year of his contract, Shawn Marion just turned 30 years old this month and there have been whispers about his athleticism starting to wane, which is a very bad thing for a player whose game is predicated on being more athletic than an overwhelming majority of his opponents. Furthermore, why wouldn't a team want to take the talented Michael Beasley, who appears to be capable of playing either forward position, meaning that the Heat could trot out Wade/Beasley/Marion in the same lineup if they desired. Of course, I fully expect the Chicago Bulls to take Beasley at #1 overall, so Miami will likely get the player they appear to covet, which will (as usual) render all my ramblings meaningless. The point is, either Pat Riley is full of mularkey or he truly has gone insane and believes that he'll be able to duplicate what the Boston Celtics did this past offseason in turning the worst team in the Eastern Conference into a title contender practically overnight. At this juncture, I'd make that bet a 50-50 proposition, since the hair gel has to be affecting his brain waves by now.

Rest assured, we'll have plenty of player evaluations, mock drafts and the always entertaining "what Team X should do/what Team X will do" posts for the next month. And, of course, I'll be sure to talk endlessly about who I think the Grizzlies should select with each pick or if they might be better off trading down. Make sure to vote in the polls on the right-hand sidebar so that we know who you think the "right" pick is and, as always, let me know what you think in the Comments.

Memphis at Chicago - 3.4.08

Memphis hasn't enjoyed their last few visits to Chicago. Of course Memphis hasn't enjoyed much of anything lately having lost 8 games in a row and not really being competitive in most of those games. Starting a rookie backcourt of Mike Conley and Juan Carlos Navarro bodes well for the future but Navarro is 27 yrs old and while he should become more consistent it is doubtful his game will develop that much. Rudy Gay is struggling in the role of team leader but Hakim Warrick is improving his play. The dark cloud right now is over Darko Milicic who needs to start showing consistency in his 5th season in the league.

Chicago lost a tough game at Cleveland on Sunday. The rebuilt squad continues to bring effort to the floor despite the front office's apparent tossing in of the towel this season. Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden bring a veteran presence to what is still a very young team. Joakim Noah is the main beneficiary of the trade as he assumes the starting center role and is doing well so far in that capacity bringing energy and effort to the court. Kirk Hinrich has disappointed this season. Ben Gordon is probably playing his last season in Chicago and that reality may be affecting his play.

Point Guards: Mike Conley vs Kirk Hinrich
Kirk Hinrich struggled early in the season but has adjusted nicely to a new running mate in Larry Hughes. Over the last 5 games Hinrich has found his scoring touch by not having to take so many shots. Being the playmaker better suits Hinrich's game and Larry Hughes's presence allows Hinrich to be that. Mike Conley doesn't appear to be hitting the rookie wall yet but only playing 33 games so far could have something to do with that. His consistency of performance has been shocking for a rookie. He's averaging 9.3 ppg and 4.6 apg over the season, 10.2 ppg and 4.3 apg over the last 10 games and 10.2 ppg and 4.6 apg over the last 5 games. Most rookies have more variability in their games. This matchup favors Hinrich on experience but Conley on speed. Old age over youth every time but it is closer than most people would think.
Advantage: Chicago

Shooting Guards: Juan Carlos Navarro vs Larry Hughes
Memphis is targeting this game for Miller's return and he will be needed against the tall and aggresive Hughes. Hughes is aggressive offensively and defensively which translates into a lot of turnovers on both sides of the ball. When he is on his game he can shoot very well but shooting 37.7% from the field and 34.1% from the arc means he thinks he is hot more often than he really is. He averages over 2 turnovers a game as well but offsets that with 1.5 steaps a game. Navarro has finally left the rookie wall behind him and is getting comfortable in the starting SG role for the Grizzlies. Despite an ice cold February where Navarro shot just 36% for the month from the floor he has been relatively accurate in his last 5 games hitting 42% of his FG attempts and 40.7% from behind the arc. His defense has improved as well but he will need to be careful with the ball against Hughes. Navarro could actually win this matchup if the refs call it fair but Navarro hasn't been on friendly terms with the refs all season.
Advantage: Chicago

Small Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Luol Deng
The only real reason to watch this game is the battle between Rudy Gay and Luol Deng. Deng entered the season being listed among the top free agents in this summers class but has disappointed this season, along with the entire Bulls team. His scoring is down nearly 2 pts a game, his percentage is off from 52% to 47% and his rebounds are down as well. Rudy Gay on the other hand has been soaring up the charts this season despite the Grizzlies poor play. He looks to become the 3rd player in franchise history to average over 20 ppg over the entire season (something Deng has never done) and all of his numbers are above last season's marks.
Advantage: Memphis

Power Forwards: Hakim Warrick vs Drew Gooden
An interesting matchup here as Drew Gooden was shipped out of Memphis because he couldn't unseat Gasol while Warrick was kept behind Gasol and now has replaced him. Warrick has responded well as a starter after not getting into the lineup much early in the season. As a starter Hakim is averaging 17 ppg and 9 boards while shooting 55% from the field. Gooden is on his 4th team in 6 seasons. He consistently averages around 12 ppg and 8 rpg but is rumored to be a lockerroom cancer. He has the experience and agility to give Warrick fits however and it will be interesting to see if Warrick can keep Gooden off the glass. If he can't this could get ugly.
Advantage: Chicago

Centers: Darko Milicic vs Joakim Noah
Darko vs Noah may one day be an interesting battle of big men. Not today however. Darko is 22 and Noah is 23 (yes Noah is older than darko) so they are basically the same age. Both are limited offensively but Darko has the reputation of being able to develop while Noah will always be at best a scorer on breaks and offensive rebounds. He has no range and his unorthodox shot probably precludes him from becoming a good shooter. Noah does have a spring in his step absent from Darko's game right now. He runs the court better than nearly any big man not named Amare right now and he is very active on the defensive end of the court. Once refs start giving his flop respect he will be difficult to deal with. The key is Darko is strong enough to overpower Noah right now and the refs don't respect Joakim's flop. Darko should win the battle as long as he keeps finishing at the rim and not settling for hooks and jump shots.
Advantage: Memphis

Benches: Memphis vs Chicago
Ince again the difference comes down to the benches. Chicago can roll out Chris Duhon, Ben Gordon, Andres Nocioni and Tyrus Thomas. Memphis may have Mike Miller back so that could help. Kyle Lowry and Javaris Crittenton would be interesting to see play more together as they bring a level of excitement not seen off Memphis's bench since Bonzi played here. The problem is matching up with Chicago's bigs. Tyrus Thomas and Aaron Gray are simply better than Collins and Kwame.
Advantage: Chicago

Enemy Blogs:
Blog a Bull
Bull Riding
Hoopsworld

Post Game Thoughts - Chicago

(Getty)

Memphis broke an interesting streak by winning on MLK Day against someone other than Houston. Memphis is now 1-3 against teams not named Rockets on MLK Day.

If Gasol wanted to impress Chicago into making a sweeter offer for his services he did nothing tonight to make Paxson think he needed Gasol's interior scoring. Most of Gasol's points came from outside or the line. I am not sure Gasol didn't have a cold/flu or something because he seemed very uncertain on the court but still fought through whatever was bothering him to post a double-double with 12 pts, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. Not bad production for a bad game.

Mike Miller's value to the team should not be argued right now. When the team was looking for a spark it was Miller who made the fast break plays, the big three pointer or the big rebound. His double-double with a team high 24 pts and 10 boards couldn't have been more impressive, especially after the Charlotte let down without Miller.

Chicago has some troubles with this team. Their best players appear to be Deng, Nocioni and Gordon. However they get very small if all three are on the court at the same time. It gets even worse with Ben Wallace on the court as he has lost a lot of the speed and hustle that made him one of the most feared defensive players in the league just three years ago. Wallace got credit for 13 boards but when Gasol gets 10 that is not a big enough advantage to off-set the lack of offensive skills. Gasol had 3 blocks to Wallace's 1 as well.

Rudy Gay is starting to get more comfortable on defense. His four steals and only 3 fouls in 41+ minutes means either Rudy is starting to get more respect from the officials or that he is playing smarter and choosing his opportunities better. His offense is terrific as well. 24 points, 3-6 from the arc and 10 boards to go with the steals means a very well-rounded game against some tough competition. Luol Deng and Andres Nocioni aren't chopped liver after all. It was announced tonight that Rudy Gay has been invited to the All-Star Slam Dunk contest too.

Mike Conley is so cool it is scary. How many rookies will take it right into the heart of Chicago's defense and challenge Ben Wallace. The first time he did it I told a friend that next time in the lane Wallace was going to kill him. Not two minutes later Conley did it again and was so quick Wallace couldn't stop it again. Conley's 10 pts and 10 assists were very encouraging against Kirk Hinrich who was on the FIBA team with Mike Miller this summer.

Stro and Hak played solidly off the bench. Darko struggled and will likely continue to see his minutes drop if the bench bigs continue their strong offensive play. Navarro was pretty quiet but still made some nice three pt shots. Chicago did eat up his only attempt at the La Bomba runner in the lane however. After that Navarro stayed mostly on the perimeter. Lowry was unspectacular but also didn't commit too many silly turnovers. The most disappointing play tonight was from Bobby Jones who seemed in a fog and let a Darko pass go out of bounds simply because he didn't make a move to get it.

Great win for the Grizzlies in front of a 'sell out' crowd. Apparently some people in the lower bowl especially came dressed as empty seats. Pretty sad considering the distinguished guests in the audience and the talented half-time show. The Grizz pulled out almost all the local talent as well. The Grannies and Grandpas performed, GrizzLine pounded out a number, the dance team performed well and there were lots of give-aways all night including Mardi Gras beads, t-shirts and mini soft basketballs. Good job by the Grizz front office on putting on a good show for the crowd. The noise was absent early but really was great in the 4th quarter.

From Zack

Good win tonight with the icing on the cake coming from beating one of NBA darling franchises on national TV. Suck on that Sam Smith!

Everybody except Darko and Bobby Jones played good to great games. And those 2 only combined for 10% of the available playing time, so it is easy to see why the Griz won.

4 Memphis players had a double-double. That's a sure recipe for success.

Congrats to Micheal Conley for setting his new assist career high and for finally getting a Memphis player this year to have over 10 assists.

Tonight, in my eyes, showed why being able to make shots and also get to the foul line is the secret to winning in the NBA. The Bulls had 10 more offensive rebounds, 5 more steals and committed 5 less turnovers, yet the Griz dominated virtually the whole game because the Griz shot better (52% vs 37%) and shot twice as many free throws (29 vs 14).

A little about the Bulls. They looked bad tonight. Bad in that "we have an interim coach, no identity and players with contracts and trades on their mind" bad. Out of all the Grizzlies games this year, this Bulls team is clearly the team most afraid of taking the ball into the lane. Are they allergic to close shots? Is the coach dictating that they only take jump shots? I think the NBA needs to investigate the Noah suspension. I suspect he got suspended for violating the "only shoot jumpshots" rule.

Also, I think my pregame Key to Stomping a Mudhole in the Bulls was pretty spot on. Clearly the Bulls had no legs, nor felt comfortable playing at a fast pace. Like I mentioned before, the Bulls have yet to win when their opponent scores more than 100 points. I especially liked the long, almost full court passes to people like Mike Miller for easy transition buckets. This team needs to "Go, Go, Go" (that is my favorite line to yell during the games) as much as possible.

I really like the way Conley/Miller/Gay/Pau are starting to play together (with an emphasis on the Conley/Miller/Gay part), as I also am liking the chemistry the bench is developing, as Lowry, Navarro, Hak, and Stro seem to be having more success together. All signs point towards Darko not starting anymore, but I can also see where he is better stuck with the starters than the bench. Hak doesn't need to be taking shots away from Rudy, Mike and Pau.

What was up with the occasional Chicago collapse on Gasol with all 5 players? What is that called? A "double-double-plus-one" team? A "double-triple" team? A "pentagon" team? Sheesh. But also I thought playing Gasol with multiple defenders coming at him was a solid plan (maybe one or two, but not all five players though), because Pau is committing too many silly turnovers when getting double teamed. (Chip, if Lowry having 0 turnovers equals "didn't commit too many", how do you classify Pau's?...hahaha...j/k)

I also want to mention the good job the Griz did at weathering the 3rd quarter slump. This season, the 3rd quarter has been pretty bad at times. And we started the 3rd with about 8 boneheaded, terrible plays, that resulted in 4 or 5 turnovers, 2 Chicago offensive rebounds, and a few stupid fouls. But Iavaroni called a timeout, and after one last turnover coming out the timeout, the team regrouped and pushed the lead back into double digits. Nice resiliency.

Tonight was a needed feel good win. Enjoy it. And congrats to Rudy for being named to the Dunk Contest!

UPDATE...

Go Over to Blog-a-Bull and read about Matt's trip to Memphis to watch his Bulls get mauled (thanks, AP) by our Grizzlies on MLK day. He had nice things to say about downtown and the FedEx Forum. He likes the stadium being in the middle of downtown. He also mentions the powerful T-shirt Gatlin gun thing (what is it called, the T-Machine?).

But you didn't think I was going to end this without mentioning his thoughts on Pau Gasol do you? I'll quote this part for you.

As suspected, Grizzlies fans do not like Pau Gasol (who they do like: Miller, Navarro, and Gay). He sure looked like crap during the game, which didn't help. One fan next to me kept saying they'd be happy to send him to Chicago, and that he earned the nickname of 'GassHole'. In the 2nd half when Pau was isolated with the ball, the fans collectively made a sound similar to what the UC sounds like when Wallace has the ball. I told Griz fans that we'd still be happy to take him, as he seems to have all the characteristics needed to be considered a Bull.

I've actually never heard "GassHole" before, surprisingly. Though I am not surprised that it was quite evident that alot of the crowd does not like Pau. I figured he would have heard fans call him "Paula" or some version that hints at a feminine side. Anyway, makes sure and check out Blog-a-Bull. Matt is likely to have some more posts up about his trip for the MLK game.

Memphis vs Chicago - MLK Day

Memphis is privileged to host the 6th annual Martin Luther King Jr Day game again. This year the team honors Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob Lanier. The events for the day include a symposium, a high school game and the main event with Chicago coming to town to play our Grizzlies. The game will be televised on TNT (the only national network broadcast of the Grizzlies this season) with Mike Fratello doing color commentary. The game will also be a Pepsi Value Night. This means fans can get 4 hotdogs, 3 Pepsi drinks and 4 tickets starting at only $48. The halftime show includes a performance from Boys II Men.

Memphis took a beating in Charlotte 87-105. Playing short-handed with Rudy Gay still suffering the effects of the flu and Mike Miller out with back spasms Memphis didn't have enough firepower to handle the Bobcats. Pau Gasol continued his strong play with 28 pts but only 7 rebounds as the Grizzlies went small to counter Charlotte's small lineup. Juan Carlos Navarro scored 21 pts and Rudy Gay 17 for the Grizzlies. 40 games into the season Coach Iavaroni made the first clear cut statement that the lineup may be changed when he stated "Not to make excuses, but we’ve got to find guys who are eager to score, guys who are going to run the floor." This is the Grizzlies 3rd game in 4 days so fatigue may play an issue.

Chicago is playing some of their best ball of the season as the Bulls defeated Detroit97-81 to remain undefeated against the Pistons. Luol Deng missed the game with a sore Achilles heal and is questionable for the game against the Grizzlies. Andres Nocioni, a player the Grizzlies recruited this summer before re-signing with the Bulls, scored 21 replacing Deng and Ben Gordon exploded for 33 points in the win. The only downside for Chicago was when backup PG Chris Duhon was carried off the court after injuring his keft ankle. He too is questionable for Monday's game. This is also Chicago's 3rd game in 4 days after traveling to Golden St on Friday before the Detroit game in Chicago Saturday night.

Interesting College Connections
--Rudy and Ben Gordon both attended UCONN.
--Miller and Joakim Noah both attended Florida.
--Stromile and Ty Thomas both attended LSU.
--Hak and Demetrius Nichols both attended Syracuse.

Did You Know - The Griz are 2-3 all-time in MLK games, with both wins coming against the Rockets.

Pau + Bulls + Trade Talk = Overwhelming Storyline of the Game
In case you haven't heard, Pau Gasol has been prominently mentioned in trade talks for the last year of more now, with 90% of the mindless chatter centered around Pau being traded to the Bulls, who need a legit low-post scorer and don't need any more offensively challenged energy guys (then why in the hell did Paxson not draft Aldridge instead of Tyrus freaking Thomas, why? I have yet to hear a good explanation for that draft day blunder). What makes this meeting even more interesting in this whole "I'm a Chicago columnist and I think the Bulls should trade Tyrus Thomas and PJ Brown for Gasol because the Grizzlies HAVE to save money and rebuild" nonsense is that last year after the MLK game against Phoenix was when Pau went to Heisley to talk about being traded, prompting Jerry West to get mad and leak the info of that meeting to which he wasn't involved in.

Must Read Link Before Tonight:
Trade Talk Involving Gasol on Back Burner (analysis by the Great Ron Tillery)

Zack's Key to Stomping a Mudhole in the Sam Smith Chicago Bulls:
Make this Game a Track Meet
This is my one and only key for this game, because it involves a few aspects that should favor the Griz. Behold:

--The Bulls have yet to win a game when the opponent scored over 100 points. The Griz have scored 100 points or more in 6 of the last 8 games and average 101.4 per game for the season.
--According to 82games, the Bulls have the most difficult time winning against teams that 1) Score a lot of points (see above), 2) Have a high FG%, and 3) Have a high pace. Sounds good to me because the Griz score a lot of points (101.4 per game, 9th overall), shoot a good percentage (46.2, 7th overall) and also are near the top in pace too.

I don't know if Miller will be available, but I'd bet my puny weekly wage he is. I would also bet that Navarro starts tonight in place of Darko. Miller and Navarro need to be ready to pull the trigger early and often (Navarro is averaging 22.7 points in his last 3 games while shooting over 50%). Conley and Lowry also need to look to push the ball as much as possible, regardless of the numbers in transition. Being our only national TV game, I think the Griz will be motivated and will be shooting just fine, so let's convince the Bulls they should run with us and make this game a track meet.

Point Guards: Mike Conley vs Kirk Hinrich
Kirk Hinrich will probably be back in the starting role after missing 3 games with an injury due to Duhon's injury. Hinrich has not played well this season scoring 11.3 ppg on 38.9% shooting from the field. Mike Conley has been steady since taking over the starting role in January averaging 10.4 ppg and 5.3 apg. More importantly Conley has shot 33.3% from the arc forcing teams to honor that shot. Keeping the opposing team's PG on the perimeter allows the Grizzlies more room to operate inside.
Advantage: Memphis

Shooting Guards: Mike Miller vs Ben Gordon
If Miller can go he has a distinct height advantage against the diminutive Gordon. Miller has been playing the most minutes of any Griz player this season but the emergence of Bobby Jones could give Mike some much needed time to rest. When playing Miller has been very efficient this season scoring 16.5 ppg on 51.8% from the field and 44% from the arc. He is also averaging a career high 6.8 rpg. Gordon, despite being the highest scoring Bull this season, has rotated in and out of the starting lineup. Like most of the Bulls, Gordon hasn't scored very efficiently hitting only 42.1% from the field but still shoots 38.1% from the arc.
Advantage: Memphis

Small Forwards: Rudy Gay vs Andres Nocioni
Andres Nocioni will likely start for the Bulls as Luol Deng injured his Achilles and those usually take more than a few days to recover from. Nocioni was the first player Wallace targeted for a FA signing this summer (ahead of Darko Milicic) but Nocioni made it clear he wanted to stay with Chicago. Nocioni is averaging 14.5 ppg on 43.8% shooting and 36.1% from the arc. Nocioni is a physical player and will drive the ball hard in an attempt to draw fouls. Rudy has been avoiding fouls but has sacrificed defensive intensity to do so. Rudy has athleticism over Nocioni but will need to keep Andres on the perimeter and not give up silly fouls. For the first time this season Rudy is not the highest scoring Grizzlies player as his 19.3 ppg is tied with Gasol for team lead.
Advantage: Memphis

Power Forwards: Pau Gasol vs Joe Smith
After a slow start Gasol is now averaging above his career averages in scoring and rebounding. His 19.3 ppg and 8.9 rpg are not career highs but his averages January are as good as they have ever been (24.2 pgg and 11.0 rpg). Containing Gasol will not lie solely on Smith but Smith will be given the first opportunity. Smith is averaging 10.7 ppg and 5.1 rpg in 22 minutes a night. Backing up Smith will be Jaokim Noah who is having a turmoil filled season. Gasol has been taking the lead in generating points lately and will have the opportunity to do more damage against the Bulls but will have to be aware of Chicago's tendency to shoot from outside when playing defense. It has been rumored that Gasol wants to play for Chicago if traded and this game would be a great time to impress the Bulls front office.
Advantage: Memphis

Centers: Darko Milicic vs Ben Wallace
The battle of the disappointing Free Agents. Ben Wallace was the biggest name in free agency in 2006. Darko Millicic was the biggest name last season. Neither player has lived up to the hype. Wallace was supposed to be the interior muscle the Bulls needed but has been more of a 33 yr old undersized center than the answer to the interior. Wallace has never developed an offensive go-to move and his rebounds, blocks and staals are all below his career averages despite being respectable. The real probably has been his less than stellar rebounding. Milicic has been battling injuries from his ankle to his back to his thumb but the team has been pleased with his defensive effort. What has been disappointing is the apparent inability for Darko to score with any shot outside of the left handed hook. Milicic needs to be injury free and show a greater array of moves to justify his contract.
Acvnatage: Chicago

Benches: Memphis vs Chicago
Normally one would look at the Bulls bench and assume they have a big advantage over the Girzlies. Ben Gordon and Chris Duhon as experienced bench players, Nocioni bring punch and energy and Noah is a lottery pick. Now with most of these producing players either in the starting lineup, injured themselves or in trouble with the team it is less certain. Thabo Sefolosha is starting to show some promise and Tyrus Thomas can explode at any time but the consistency is questionable. Memphis' bench has been getting great production from Lowry and Navarro while Hakim and Bobby Jones have been hot and cold.
Advantage: Memphis

Relevant Links and Game Previews
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