By now, you have undoubtedly seen the picture and heard the outrage and indignation caused when the Spanish men's national basketball team took a picture for an advertisement in the Spanish newspaper La Marca. Because Marc Gasol is a member of the Memphis Grizzlies (and Pau Gasol and Juan Carlos Navarro are former Grizzlies), I feel compelled to mention it, but at this point, I'm not sure what else there is to say. No matter what the intent was at the time, I think that we can all agree that it was a dumb, ill-conceived idea that should have been stopped by any number of people along the way. The team and the courier company for whom the ad was created should apologize, rather than offering a feeble defense about their true intention of it being a friendly wink to their Asian counterparts -- whether or not they truly believe an apology is in order. That way we can all move on from it and the P.C. Police can go find something else to set their sights on. I think most of my own thoughts are echoed in Henry Abbott's take on the matter, so be sure to check that piece out.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Ok, let's talk about team photos
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Juan Carlos Navarro signs with FC Barcelona
According to (Chris) Wallace, Navarro has signed a four-year deal with FC Barcelona for the equivalent of $20-$24 million.
Well, that experiment didn't exactly turn out so well, did it? It's not a disaster by any means, but the fact that the Washington Wizards are still owed a well-protected first round pick will have to linger in the back of the minds of many fans. As Herrington noted, they took a calculated risk and it didn't pan out.
I understand the many reasons that JCN decided to return to Spain, not the least of which was the money. I must say that I am disappointed that I won't see him in FedEx Forum next season, though, as his enthusiasm and flair were a source of uplifting entertainment during a dismal period.
The other question that seems obvious is whether or not this will have any effect on Wallace's attempts to lure F/C Marc Gasol to play on Beale Street. That should prove to be an interesting story to track over the next couple of months.
¡Buena Suerte, JCN!
Monday, May 26, 2008
MemphisX's Fave Five at Five
1. Ovinton J'Anthony "O.J." Mayo - 6'5 PG/SG University of Southern California (USC)
O.J Mayo is probably one of the most polarizing figures in this draft. Much like Kobe Bryant, fans either love him to death or do not want him anywhere near their team's roster. I am of the former group. I think the biggest knock on O.J. Mayo has been that after all the hype, casual fans expected to see some Micheal Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant hybrid player that was going to revolutionize NBA basketball. Mayo is not that player. Add to that the fact that Mayo was played out of position by Tim Floyd at USC and taken off the ball for the first time in his career and the results were mixed. Mayo started off the college season very slow but had turned himself into the best shooting guard in college basketball by the end of the season. I don't think people have grasped the difficulty of this feat.
Why the Grizzlies should draft Mayo: Mayo is a big point guard that comes into the league with an advanced three point stroke and an ability to either score at will or get his teammates involved. Even at his size, Mayo has shown the capabilities to play shut down defense at both guard positions. Mayo also would bring a swagger to the Memphis Grizzlies that has not been here in the entire history of the organization. On the court confidence has been a big problem for the Grizzlies. Drafting Mayo also increases the value of one of our other assets: Juan Carlos Navarro. It is a struggle to play Navarro next to the smaller Conley or Lowry but next to the 6'5 Mayo, Navarro would be able to see more court time without being such a liability on defense. Mayo also allows the Grizzlies to keep Mike Miller and deal Conley for some much needed help on the inside.
Why the Grizzlies should NOT draft Mayo: Mayo's best NBA position is point guard and this would mark the 3rd year in a row that the Grizzlies will have drafted a point guard. Although Mayo is capable of playing the two, I think his best and most effective position will be at the point with the ball in his hands causing mismatch problems off the pick and roll. Drafting Mayo probably means trading both Conley and Lowry. I think one has to be traded anyway this summer so I guess it is not that big of an issue. Another issue is Mayo's image. Initially some of our fans will be turned off by the image of Mayo: selfish, arrogant, me-first player. I think this is all hype backlash. One thing I know about perceived bad guys, when you win the fans come out in droves...but if you are losing, he will get the brunt of the blame.
Draft Express O.J. Mayo Workout report
Draft Express O.J. Mayo Interview
ESPN's Chad Ford O.J. Mayo Interview
2. Anthony Randolph - 6'11 SF/PF Louisiana State University (LSU)
Anthony Randolph is probably the one player that is flying to low under the radar. Due to how bad the LSU Tigers were this season and their lack of TV games, most people have not seen him play in games. I did catch a few of his games this season because DraftExpress had him coming out early in the college season before it was known to most. So it really was not a shock to me when he declared. He had to deal with his coach getting fired mid season and a team that just seemed to be out there "balling" for most of the season.
Why the Grizzlies should draft Randolph: Randolph is going to be a nightmare for opposing power forwards on both ends of the court. Although he is very skinny, his length and athleticism will allow him to compete with bigger players until his strength catches up. He has a very long wing span with great ball anticipation and good lateral quickness that should make him able to guard every position except center. His ball hawking allows him to be a great off the ball shot blocker in the mode of Andrei Kerilenko of the Utah Jazz. On offense his ball handling ability and lethal first step will allow him to get to the rack against most power forwards while his length and mid-range jumper will keep him effective even against other hybrid forwards like Josh Smith and Lamar Odom. For a team that wants to run, having a power forward that can grab a rebound or blocked shot and lead the break himself is invaluable. Most power forwards simply wont be able to run with him and the quicker players won't be long enough to stop him from finishing. Did I mention he won't turn 19 until a month after the draft?
Why the Grizzlies should NOT draft Randolph: He is scrawny. Looking at his pictures, you can see he needs a lot of work in the weight room and the dining table. He will never be the bruiser that most Grizzlies fans are wanting after Pau Gasol's departure. However, he is very tenacious and competes on the inside. Randolph has not developed a 3pt shot. In fact, he was horrible in college from long range and probably is 3 years from being effective as a 3pt threat. Might struggle to play power forwards in the league on defense due to lack of strength.
3. Eric Gordon - 6'4 SG Indiana University
Eric Gordon was probably a lock for the #3 pick in January. He was simply sensational coming out of the gate for Indiana. However, he injured his wrist at the end of January and his shot left him. Shortly thereafter, his head coach Kelvin Sampson was dismissed and his fall was complete. For people who did not evaluate Gordon before the injury, it is understandable that they are not high on the kid. However, he was dominant prior to being injured and the two events (wrist injury/shooting slump) were to close not to be related. So I will believe what I saw early in the season and give him the benefit of the doubt.
Why the Grizzlies should draft Gordon: Coach Iavaroni has harped on our need for more shooting and Gordon is the best shooter in the draft. He has range out past the NBA three point line and shoots without effort. Gordon is not one dimensional. He was able to get to the free throw line at a very high clip do to his physical nature and his willingness to drive into contact. He shot 83% from the line. Gordon also has the athleticism to make up for his lack of true SG height. He is 6'3ish with very long arms. Gordon also was an AAU teammate of Conley.
Why the Grizzlies should NOT draft Gordon: He is not the prototypical size for an NBA shooting guard. Even with his athleticism, he might struggle to translate his game from college to the pros. The Grizzlies have a plethora of small guards and the need for another, despite his great stroke, is not that great. Is he that much of an upgrade over Navarro to warrant passing on some interior help?
4. Danilo Gallinari - 6'9 SF Armani Jeans Milano
Danilo Gallinari plays the same position as our best player Rudy Gay but at #5 you take best player available and it could be this Italian import. Unlike other young European players, he comes into the NBA after being the #1 option on his team at the tender age of 19. He is a capable ball handler and scorer that thrives off the pick and roll. More scorer than shooter, he has some point forward capabilities.
Why the Grizzlies should draft Gallinari: Gallinari has a history of being the big dog on his team and should not shrink from big moments. His ability to handle the rock from the wing would be very valuable. I like his fire and his will to compete. Measuring at a length to play power forward would be a plus.
Why the Grizzlies should NOT draft Gallinari: He plays the same position as Rudy which means it will be a struggle getting him minutes. He does not have a lethal shot from long range nor does he have a great rebounding ability. Would thrive in our system but likely only at SF and even then it is a question if he will have the athleticism to defend. Can the Grizzlies sell another Euro at a high pick to the Memphis fans?
5. Jerryd Bayless - 6'3 PG/SG University of Arizona
Originally I had DeAndre Jordan in this spot but I decided to switch because there is a chance that Jerryd Bayless will be available at five and I prefer him over Jordan despite our need for a center. Jerryd Bayless is very similar to OJ Mayo but unlike their reputation, Bayless has more of a scorers mentality. Bayless has the same explosive athleticism of Monta Ellis but he has legit NBA 3 point range to go with his stellar mid-range shot. I think he is more shooting guard than point guard but he has a lot of NBA in his game already. Very adept at getting his defender off balance with freezes and hesitation dribbles. Attacks relentlessly. Has star presence.
Why the Grizzlies should draft Bayless: Bayless would be a better alternative to over paying Monta Ellis in free agency. He is undersized as a shooting guard but in the right system, he could be very effective. He is a big time scorer and his ability to get to the free throw line will help his game translate to the NBA. Turmoil at Arizona hurt his college season but he was still the best player on that team easily. Has the aggressive mentality that the Grizzlies lack on the offensive end and should be able to close games out.
Why the Grizzlies should NOT draft Bayless: Just like Eric Gordon, at the end of the day, Bayless is still just 6'3. Even with his athleticism, he will have a transition period for being an effective scorer. Not particularly bulky nor is he a great defender. However, for anyone wanting to sign Monta Ellis in free agency, he is a lower risk proposition and should be just as effective. Bad fit with our point guards.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
What Do We Call Them?
These guys need a nickname!
Kyle Lowry, Juan Carlos Navarro and Javaris Crittenton have become the best story on the team this season. 'The Great' Kyle Lowry, as Memphis radio heads used to call him, was expected by most Grizz fans to be a spark off the bench. Juan Carlos Navarro came in with the 'La Bomba' nickname and the cute smile and instantly became a fan favorite. Javaris Crittenton is the baby of the three at only 19 years of age but all three should be considered rookies even if Crittenton is the only one who has never played professional basketball before this season.
College teams routinely go small and use three guards. Texas had 5-11 AJ Abrams, 6-0 DJ Augustin and 6-2 Justin Mason playing big minutes this year. North Carolina has 6-4 Wayne Ellington, 5-11 Ty Lawson and 6-5 Marcus Grinyard starting for Tarheels.
Okay, maybe I am falling under the spell of Kinsey Fever again but all year we have wanted to see uptempo basketball, with three point bombs and slashes into the lane and now we finally are getting it from our 3 rookies off the bench. 
Anyone have any better suggestions?
Feel free to leave suggestions in the comments section below. It should be interesting to see what people come up with.
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
Navarro seeking extension...in Memphis
Navarro wants a lucrative contract and his desire is to remain with the Memphis Grizzlies.
"I want to stay here. I'm happy," Navarro said as the Griz prepared to face the Chicago Bulls tonight in the United Center. "We've lost too many games. It's difficult to understand this situation. It would take two or three years to lose this many games (in Spain). But I want to help this team win games. I don't think anybody likes losing."
Navarro will enter the offseason as a restricted free agent. That means the Griz will have about a two-week period to match any offers Navarro receives. There are many people in NBA circles that believe Navarro at least proved he is a midlevel ($5 million per) player with his deft shooting and experience.
Over on the Grizzlies Message Board, there is some debate as to how much La Bomba is actually worth.
Here's my take on it. JCN has proven that he is a capable scorer at the NBA level, displaying an impressive (if streaky) stroke from the perimeter, as well as the ability to get to the lane for his patented floater. He is also a quality ball-handler, giving Steve Nash a dose of his own medicine last week. In fact, when he is in the game with Kyle Lowry, Navarro usually brings the ball up the court and initiates the offense. With all that said, he is 27 years old, so I wouldn't expect him to be signed to more than a 3 or 4 year deal by any team, especially one that is as young as the Grizzlies currently are. I do believe that he is worth $4 million a year though and that a contender would probably be willing to sign him for the full MLE (approx. $5 million a year) if the Grizzlies let him test the market or dragged their feet in getting him resigned. He is also one of the few players who has played at a high level with the best in the world, so his leadership and experience will be valuable to the growth and maturity of this team in the future. I think the Grizzlies will realize that they have a 1st round pick tied to him and either re-sign him themselves or help engineer a sign-and-trade near the draft to acquire another draft pick or veteran contributor.
Monday, February 18, 2008
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
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
Sunday, February 17, 2008
All-Star Flame Out...Again
Well the All-Star Game celebrations are over for the Memphis Grizzlies and once again the results were less than hoped for by Memphis fans.
The Rookie-Sophomore shootout (it was hardly a contest) was a bomb, literally. Game MVP Daniel 'Boobie' Gibson from Cleveland took 20 three point shots and made 11. Yes he took 20 three point attempts, made 11 and didn't set the single game scoring record. It appears this game is supposed to make the teams that are rebuilding feel better that their players are represented. Memphis had three participants in the game. Seattle had two as did Portland, Utah and Toronto. Only one player will be suiting up Sunday as well (Brandon Roy of Portland).
The Slam Dunk Contest was a continuation of the frustration for Memphis fans. Rudy Gay scored an inexplicable 36 points on his first dunk despite the high degree of difficulty. While Rudy's dunk was spectacular by itself, it was not up to the standards set that night. However his score came before the other dunks. Many dunks scored higher in the past were far less spectacular. Not that it mattered as Rudy was obviously not in the class of creativity and explosion as Howard and Green. So for the third time the Grizzlies have someone competing in the Slam Dunk contest and once again he failed to advance joining Hakim Warrick and Stromile Swift in that regard. The off-the stanchion slam dunk was impressive and showed what Rudy is capable of doing but it was too little too late this year.
When you throw in Pau Gasol being the only player not to score in his all-star appearnace (and getting faced by Ben Wallace on back to back shot attempts) the Memphis Grizzlies record in these events is rather poor.
The next thing the Grizzlies have to look forward to is their 4th game against Seattle on Tuesday night. The Grizzlies have won the previous three games and a clean sweep would be a nice accomplishment in what has been a disappointing season.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Rudy, Conley, JCN invited to T-Mobile Rookie Challenge
Rudy Gay, Mike Conley and Juan Carlos Navarro were all invited to participate in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge during All-Star Weekend in New Orleans.
The participants in the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam were selected by the NBA’s assistant coaches, with each team submitting one ballot. The head coaches for the Rookie and Sophomore teams will be the lead assistants from the 2007 NBA All-Star Game coaching staffs.
The T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam will be televised live nationally on TNT and also will be broadcast live on ESPN Radio, while NBA.com will make live audio available to fans in multiple languages.
ROOKIE TEAM ROSTER
Mike Conley - Memphis
Kevin Durant - Seattle
Jeff Green - Seattle
Al Horford - Atlanta
Jamario Moon - Toronto
Juan Carlos Navarro - Memphis
Luis Scola - Houston
Sean Williams - New Jersey
Yi Jianlian - Milwaukee
SOPHOMORE TEAM ROSTER
LaMarcus Aldridge - Portland
Andrea Bargnani - Toronto
Ronnie Brewer - Utah
Jordan Farmar - L.A. Lakers
Rudy Gay - Memphis
Daniel Gibson - Cleveland
Paul Millsap - Utah
Rajon Rondo - Boston
Brandon Roy - Portland
Monday, December 10, 2007
Links: Pete Pranica is an intelligent man, Conley Blogs, JCN's Rookie Ranking, More Rankings,
Pete Pranica reads my mind one more time with his newest blog post "What Rattles Around My Brain". He succinctly captures what is "wrong" with this version of the Memphis Grizzlies -- a lack of leadership and the absence of a "closer" who will grab the game by the...um....throat and take over. Pete, if you read this blog, feel free to send us an e-mail, as we'd love to pick your brain for awhile.
Michael Conley updated his blog yesterday and took some questions from the fans.
SI.com has Juan Carlos Navarro holding steady in the 5th position of its Rookie Rankings this week.
NBA.com has Instant Grits in the #4 spot, up from #7 last week.
Got a few power rankings to throw your way, as well.
MKE Bucks Diary (PVOA Ranking)
MKE Bucks Diary (NBA Offensive/Defensive Performance Rank)
Website/Blog of the Day -- Basketbawful
Sunday, December 2, 2007
Links: Iavaroni, Navarro, Varejao, Rankings
Short of time today, so you're getting the ultra-condensed version.
The Arizona Republic -- Marc Iavaroni sticks with old ways.
Bleacher Report (NBA Rookie Report) -- Juan Carlos Navarro #2 Rookie.
The Morning Journal -- Varejao contract situation has everyone watching (a couple of Grizzlies mentions).
Mike Bucks Diary -- Grizzlies #15 on the Power Rankings.
Sorry for being so brief, but it has become a busy day all of a sudden.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Darko's back, so who goes to the bench?
As Zack told you last night, Ron Tillery is reporting on the Memphis Edge that Darko Milicic is ready, willing and able to play tonight against Minnesota. This brings up an interesting issue as to who will go to the bench if Darko starts. The most common assumption is that either Juan Carlos Navarro or Mike Miller will take a seat to make way for the Dark One. We're going to look at the pros and cons of those two starting or sitting, as well as two other players you might not have considered -- Rudy Gay and Pau Gasol.
First up is Juan Carlos Navarro -- "La Bomba". The 27-year old rookie has been making quite a name for himself recently with his prolific outside shooting and surprising ability to do practically everything on the court - by himself at times. He's the low man on the totem pole, so it is probably correct to think that he would be the logical choice to be sent back to the bench if Darko starts tonight. However, when you look at his numbers when starting vs. sitting, you wonder if it is wise to go that route.
JCN "the starter": 5 games, 35.6 mpg, 14.6 ppg, .517 FG%, .389 3PT%, 4.2 rpg, 3.2 apg
JCN "off the bench": 10 games, 15.6 mpg, 6.8 ppg, .397 FG%, .457 3PT%, 1.1 rpg, 1.4 apg
Obviously there is also a large discrepancy between minutes played per game in those two stats that could still be rectified with Navarro playing a lot of minutes off the bench, but it is clear that he is a more productive player when he starts.
Next, we come to Mike Miller. Miller is a former 6th Man of the Year, which means that he has not only come off the bench before in his career, but thrived in that role. Prior to the season beginning, a few of us pondered whether or not MM would be better served to returning to that role, but were quite willing to ride along with whatever decision the coaching staff decided to make. Now, I'm not so sure that a change isn't needed. By sending Miller to the bench rather than Navarro, you get more size off the bench at the SG/SF positions without sacrificing any scoring ability. If Iavaroni is truly sincere about whittling his rotation down to 8 men, this makes the most sense to me, having Miller come off the bench along with Lowry and Swift for the vast majority of the time, allowing for Hakim, Casey, Conley and TK to get playing time in the event of injury or foul trouble.
Then we come to Rudy Gay, who is surely a surprise entry into this category. In all honesty, I probably wouldn't have even considered him despite his recent poor play if I hadn't seen this post on the Grizzlies Messageboard the other day. While I don't believe that it will happen, as Miller is the more logical choice of the two swingmen to take a seat, it is worth contemplating. Rudy has been a starter all of this season and has appeared to have taken on the mantle of lead scorer for the Grizzlies. His bouts with foul trouble and inconsistency have caused concern among some fans, as well as his perceived unwillingness to pass up open shots when they present themselves. Well, according to Marc Iavaroni's philosophy "If a player is wide open and has a shot he practices, then that player has the green light to shoot." That means you should expect Rudy to keep shooting with the coach's blessing. So while it is interesting to contemplate, I don't see Rudy starting the game tonight as a spectator.
Our final entry comes courtesy of one of our faithful readers, L3ESmith:
Guys:
Great blog. Wanted to pitch this wacky idea, see what you guys thought of it.
I posted a message at the CA boards entitled: "So crazy it just might work. . . ." Here's the body of it:
Now here's a thought. Just a thought: What about NOT starting Pau?
Starters: Damon, Navarro, Rudy, Stro/Hak, Darko.
Bench: Pau, Mike, Kyle, Stro/Hak
This would NOT be to penalize Pau; Hope he's enough of a team player to see the logic of it, which is this:
Mostly, it would be to match him up against the bench front court of other teams. Imagine bringing 20/10 off the bench! He'd still get his minutes, probably in the 2Q; and almost certainly finish games. But I can't help but imagine we'd increase his personal offensive punch, and make us one of the strongest benches in the game (with Mike and Kyle also coming off the bench).
Darko, albeit not totally healthy, has shown that he can be a threat in the post. If we can get early offensive production from Hak, I think it could pay off (and/or showcase him for a trade?). Defensively, Darko and Stro protect the rim, Stro gets to play his natural 4, and he's a better defender than Pau, to keep opposing PFs from getting going too early. Rudy moves back to the 3 and we get those extra 8-9 PPG we need from him. Damon and Navarro, no comment necessary.
But again, the main thing it that I could see it being a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. Let's just look at December:Wolves: Pau matches up against Theo Ratliff and Mark Madsen instead of Al Jefferson.
Blazers: Pau matches up against Joel Pryzbilla and Raef Lafrentz instead of Lamarcus Aldridge.
Rockets: Pau vs. Scola/Mutombo instead of Yao/Hayes
Hornets: Pau vs. Melvin Ely/Hilton Armstrong instead of David West/Tyson Chandler
It's taking too long to look all this up. But you get the idea. Matching our superior player up against the inferior benches . . . Pau could likely eat their lunches, or force the opposing teams to play their starters longer than they really want to, which would help us at the end of games. Either way, it works to our advantage.
Much of this would be contingent on Darko emerging as a go-to offensive threat while maintaining defense, Hak not getting killed on defense by opposing fours, and Stro playing good defense on opposing fours. If a starting lineup of Stro/Hak + Darko could post 30/16 (that's figuring 18-9 for Darko and 12-7 for Hak/Stro), I think it's just crazy enough to work.
Oh yeah. For the record, closers would probably be: Kyle, JCN, Rudy, Pau, Darko.
Of course, I could be delusional. I'm sure several of you will let me know if I am . . .
After a little bit of ridicule from another poster whom I respect, I posted this reply:
But let's think for a sec: Isn't the future core of this team shaping up to be Kyle, MC, Rudy and maybe Darko/Hak/JCN? That's not to say that Pau isn't a contributor; to the contrary, he would be a very valuable contributor. But for all the ranting on this board about how Pau's not a franchise player, why not try him for a while as a very,
very significant role player?
He's not the person you want to throw the ball into at the end of games, agreed? But we could still certainly use his 20/10 a night, and the double teams he commands, even at the end of games. And many of the players he'd be matched up against are not serious offensive threats, thus helping to mask his defensive shortcomings.
Pau is on his way to no longer being THE MAN in Memphis. David Robinson accepted a reduced role in SA and look what happened. And would anybody debate what Manu Ginobli does for the Spurs simply by coming off the bench? Nobody really thinks of him as a bench player anyway.
Why don't we embrace Pau's shifting role on the team? I'd rather have him dominate off the bench then to be sometimey as a starter . . .
While I was skeptical of this idea, I was willing to entertain it just as I had done with the idea of Rudy taking a seat. Then I saw this great article by Ron Tillery in the Commercial Appeal titled Gasol tries to step up game plan. Here's a relevant quote that deals with Gasol's sub-par stats this sesaon:
"I have to be a little more active without the ball," said Gasol, who is averaging career lows in points (17.1) and rebounds (6.9). "There are not a lot of plays called. Period. It's more of a flow game. I haven't felt extremely comfortable with it because I was used to being told you go here, this is going to happen and you're going to get the ball.
"But that's more of a set game; a slower-paced game. We want to increase the tempo, and not let the defense set. I just have to look for the ball, and get my offense in the flow. It's been hard to assimilate (to the new system), but I'm going to do a better job of being more active without the ball and then demanding the ball."
Iavaroni said criticism of Gasol is unfair because the 7-foot Spaniard has complied with the coaching staff's wishes. Gasol essentially sacrifices his low-post game to
conform with the Grizzlies' goal of playing fast and adhering to equal-opportunity scoring.
In other words, Gasol is doing exactly what the coaching staff is asking him to do, so the critics should turn their attention to Iavaroni and Co. when talking about Gasol's stats. In fact, I seem to remember somebody suggesting that Pau's stats might take a hit in this new uptempo system. Also, L3ESmith made mention of David Robinson taking a lesser role to allow for Tim Duncan's emergence. Robinson was 32 years old when Duncan was drafted -- 5 years older than Gasol is now. Also, The Admiral was never sent to the bench, but instead played alongside the Big Fundamental as a starter -- the Two Towers reborn, as it was. In the same manner, it appears that Pau and Darko complement each other well and should play in the same lineup as often as possible. Otherwise I don't get to use the "Ivory Towers" nickname that I'm so fond of.
I'm sure I made it clear earlier, but I think it would be most beneficial for the team if Mike Miller was the 6th man who covers both swingman positions, thus leaving Navarro in the starting lineup. We'll see what occurs tonight and the rest of the season though.
Let me know what you think in the Comments.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Links: International Influx and Issues, All Star Process, The Number 3
Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski discusses the position that Jorge Garbajosa has put the Raptors in with his decision to play this summer even though Spain had already qualified for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. After this interesting look into what GM's like Bryan Colangelo and R.C. Buford face each time they go overseas to scout foreign players, A.W. makes mention of the Grizzlies bringing in Juan Carlos Navarro and what effect Pau Gasol had in bringing him across the pond, as well as Navarro's presence making this a better situation for Gasol than last year's nightmare.
Jack McCallum (SI.com) decided to defend himself (and his fellow media members) in reference to the level of outrage that occured when they decided to place Tim Duncan (as well as Amare Stoudemire and Pau Gasol) under the designation of "Center" on the All-Star ballot, rather than the Power Forward position he typically plays. He lists the criteria that the NBA requires for candidates (which I had never read before) and then explains their reasons for their selections, which occasionally leaves more qualified players out in the cold.
David Berri (Wages of Wins) looks at a question that I saw on TrueHoop yesterday and intend to tackle as he did -- although not from a statistical perspective. That question is "Is Three A Magic Number?" when competing for an NBA title? Good read on his part and expect to see something on 3 Shades of Blue in the near future about the subject.
November 2007 in Review
The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Memphis Grizzlies finished November at 5-10. This marks their fifth losing November in six seasons. Although, it should be expected that a young team with a first time head coach would get off to a slow start, the up and downs this Grizzlies team has had in the first 15 games are perplexing. A significant fact that can't be ignored is that in most of the games in which the Grizzlies looked good, their opponent was either on the second game of back to backs or in the midst of a road trip. The first win against Seattle we were their third opponent of three in four nights. The second win against Seattle was also the third of three in four nights. In the New Jersey win, we were the first opponent at home after a four game West coast road trip. In the Washington win, we were the fourth of four in five nights. Only our win against Houston saw us facing a relatively rested opponent and performing well. This is a trend that bears following. 
Another interesting development was the emergence of Juan Carlos Navarro when the Grizzlies decided to go with the small lineup. Juan Carlos averages almost doubled as a 30+ minute per game starter. However, the downfall was the play of Grizzlies leading scorer Rudy Gay who seemed to struggle with attacking and defending bigger opponents at power forward. With Darko's return coming in December, Coach Iavaroni might look into moving Mike Miller to sixth man to reduce or eliminate the minutes Casey Jacobsen. This also allows the Grizzlies to go small, maintain, or go big by substituting Miller in for Darko/Pau, Rudy or Navarro. It really increases the flexibility of the team without hurting the confidence of Rudy or Darko while getting the most out of Navarro.
December will mark our first reader contest. The 3ShadesofBlue Memphis Grizzlies Fan of the Month contest will debut. To qualify for the contest, our readers just need to comment in eight (8) pre- or post game posts and two (2) other posts in the month of December. The comments can be a score prediction or anything else that furthers discussion (please make sure to leave your email address). The prize for December will be a Memphis Grizzlies replica Road jersey of the 3ShadesofBlue player of the month for December 2007. This contest is open to all of our readers and the jersey will be shipped worldwide (to the best of our ability). All we ask is to email us a picture of you wearing the jersey. Good luck!!!!!!!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Emptying Zack's Notebook
I thought I should empty out some stuff from my Grizzlies Notebook since I am officially on suicide watch after my beloved Titans have fallen completely apart.
The Titans have been absolutely pathetic for 3 straight weeks now. After starting 6-2 on the back of a stout defense and putting themselves in the driver's seat for a wild card spot, they now sit at 6-5, need help to make the playoffs, and the defense all of a sudden is in shambles. This would be like the Grizzlies being 31-10 in January, sitting pretty in the playoff picture, and having the #1 defense in the NBA while holding opponents to under 80 points per game and 35% shooting. Then going on a 15 game losing streak where the average score is 60-140 (and the mainstream media then wrongly concludes that the sole reason is because Darko is hurt). Could you imagine the Grizzlies Messageboard if the Griz lost 15 in a row and look completely pathetic for all 15 games? So here are some random things out of my Grizzlies Notebook, posted either for therapeutic reasons, or to give one last Grizzlies-related post before I jump off the I-40 Bridge if the Titans manage to get their butts handed to them by the Texans on Sunday.
Wrong about Being Wrong
In our prediction post, I predicted Navarro would be #2 in Rookie of the Year voting and be the 6th Man of the Year (apparently forgetting about Manu the Argentinian Flopper). Then after the Seattle game and only 3 games into the season, I rambled on about if I was wrong saying Navarro would make a big impact in the NBA this year. Well, it seems I was premature in questioning my initial opinion. Navarro is going to do just fine this year in the NBA. Starting with JC's 28 point breakout performance against the Hornets (including 8-9 from downtown), La Bomba has recorded 4 double-digit scoring performances in the last 6 games. JC has even started 3 games with Darko sidelined.
Navarro has shown off more than his deadly 3-point touch too. He is finally getting his patented running floater to fall. He is making great passes off the screen and roll (highlighted by a sweet between the legs bounce pass to Hakim against the Sonics). He is playing pesky defense (more on that in a minute). He has shown ball handling and distribution skills that has caused a sizable group of Griz fans on the message board to clamor for JC to be the starting PG.
Obviously the biggest difference between the Navarro at the beginning of the season and the Navarro we see now is that his shot is falling. Some might say that is due to getting acclimated to the speed of the NBA game or whatever. I see it as a good reminder that the ability to make shots is the primary characteristic used when judging not only NBA players, but anyone playing basketball. I don't care if you are 4'6, 300 lbs and have a 1 inch vertical, if you can consistently make your shots, you will get picked to play in the local pick-up basketball game (which is why I made Chris Vernon my first pick a few weeks ago, causing the other players to question my sanity). This principle is also the reason why most Griz fans are against Casey Jacobsen seeing much playing time right now, he just can't seem to make a shot.
On Lowry and Navarro Giving up Outside Shots
Alot has been made about the Grizzlies poor defense (allowing 107 ppg and league worst 47% shooting percentage). One factor in that poor performance is having taller players simply shoot over Lowry and Navarro. I have noticed something else besides height being the reason why it seems a guard is always shooting over Kyle or JC.
When Kyle or JC's man does not have the ball, both players are concentrating more on help side defense than staying with their man. In Kyle case, not only is he looking to get his hand in on dribble drives and in the passing lanes, but he is making a conceded effort to help out on the defensive glass. Many times this year I have seen Kyle anticipate a shot and start to block out someone else's man. Then all of a sudden, there is an extra pass and his man has a wide open 3 point attempt. Kyle has great recover speed, but here is where the height plays a disadvantage. But in reality, he could be 6'8 and his man would still have had an open look because Kyle was busy thinking more about rebounding than staying close to his man.
In JC's case, he is mostly looking to get a sneaky steal. One of JC's more under-rated aspects of his game is craftiness on defense, particularly helpside defense. JC is quick to help out anyone and will not shy away from leaving his man in an attempt to get a steal. Remember that bogus foul called on Navarro in the opening Spurs game when he was standing still against Duncan? That play was the result of Navarro free-lancing in the man-to-man set and he ended up picking up Duncan after TD picked up the loose ball JC knocked loose when free-lancing. The next time you see a drive and kick or skip pass end up in the hands of someone being guarded by Kyle or JC, watch and see if either of them was free-lancing off of their man looking to get a steal or rebound.
Chris Herrington is Good
We might as well just have a stickied post at the top of this blog directing all Griz fans to Beyond the Arc. Herrington - the inspiration behind the obviously inferior Shades of Blue - is a must read after each Griz game, espicially after home games. His latest postgame entry is particularly good (and the word of the post was "modulated", which to a seismologist like myself describes the result of two sine waves of different frequency being superimposed...but I digress). Chris talks about the up and down play of Lowry and Gay against the Wizards, then relays the postgame "conversation" he and Kevin Cerritto had with Coach Iavaroni during the postgame press conference. It was a fascinating read. Seriously, go read it if you haven't already. The audio, via Wes at 730ESPN, is here if you would like to listen to it for yourself. Herrington also relays other interesting game tidbits, like the expletive shouted by Lowry after a pass to the front row, or the first unofficial banter between Iavaroni and someone in the crowd.
Lowry's Turnovers are Not a Big Deal Right Now
Herrington talked about Lowry's turnovers in his Wizards post game entry and if you read the game threads on the Grizzlies Messageboard, you'll notice fans are very concerned about Lowry's turnover rate. In fact, many vocal posters think Lowry's turnovers should dictate Iavaroni limiting the minutes he plays.
I want to talk a bit about why I think Griz fans should not focus so much on Lowry's turnovers right now.
Does Lowry need to work on decreasing his turnover rate? Sure, as does every other PG in the league. Lowry is averaging 2.6 turnovers per game. Kidd is averaging 4.2, Nash 4.1, Deron Williams 3.7, Paul 3.2, Baron Davis 2.75, Jameer Nelson 2.6, Devin Harris 2.6. You get my point, there is nothing alarming about his turnover rate.
And most people like to balance turnovers with assists when it comes to evaluating PG's. That is a valid approach, but usually the gripe about a turnover is that it gives the ball away without getting a shot attempt up. For that reason, I like to see how many steals and offensive rebounds a player has also, since those 2 statistical categories reflect times that a player took a possession away from the opponent. In that light, Lowry's turnover rate is minimized since he is one of the best offensive rebounding PG's in the NBA and at the very least is average when it comes to stealing the ball.
Most of Kyle's turnovers result from him trying to make something happen. Being the aggressor. Surely that is preferred over the turnovers being the result of being passive, being lost, or being outplayed by the other player.
Should we be expecting less turnovers from him? Probably not. Kyle has now played in only 23 NBA games. I doubt most fans usually expect rookie point guards to be mistake free. Especially considering Kyle's full-speed style. By the looks of things, Kyle is still learning how to play the game with different speeds. Most of the time he is stuck in 6th gear with the peddle shoved to the ground. A much more devastating consequence due to this all-out style is the increased risk of injury, not the occasional turnover.
One last point on this subject. Lowry has found consistent playing time (last few minutes of the 1st, all of the 2nd, last few minutes of the 3rd, and all of the 4th), but he has hardly found consistency when it comes to who is on the court with him. Lowry has played with at least 14 different lineup combinations for more than 5 minutes this season. Compare that to Damon, who has seen 95% of his playing time alongside Pau, Miller and Gay and has seen only 4 barely different lineup combinations span his playing time. It seems logical to me that a PG would have more turnovers when his time is spent playing with a dynamic set of teammates being subbed in and out, as opposed to a point guard playing exclusively with the starters and no one else (like Damon is).
The Grizzlies Miss Darko
I'm not for sure if this is a good or bad thing. But during every game that Darko has missed, I have written in my Grizzlies Notebook, "we miss Darko down low". Being serious, this is a testament to how much Darko has grown and evolved as a NBA player. But there is still a comedic value in discussing how much the Grizzlies miss Darko at center. A year ago, who would have ever guessed that in 07-08, some fan would turn to his buddy and say "we might make the playoffs if only Darko wasn't hurt". Get well soon Darko.
Which brings me back full circle. Even though the Grizzlies greatly miss Darko's defensive and rebounding presence down low, any losses suffered while he has been hurt is not because Darko didn't play. Just like the Titans misery is far from only being due to Fat Albert missing the last 3 games. And with or without Fat Albert, if the Titans don't get it together soon, I'm going to completely lose my mind.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Links: The Sports Guy, Navarro speaks, Rookies
Bill Simmons (ESPN) finally got around to his full-fledged Western Conference Preview and has wisely downgraded the Grizzlies from a prediction of 42 wins and a #7 seed to 35 wins and a #10 seed....both numbers that sound strangely familiar to this blogger. He's a big fan of Kyle Lowry -- what's not to love? -- but doesn't seem to understand that Hakim Warrick doesn't fit that well with this Grizzlies team going forward. I guess you cannot expect a guy to be familiar with all 30 teams in the NBA and their bench players, though.
Over on the Grizzlies Official Message Board, poster "frangs" provided a link to a recent interview that Juan Carlos Navarro gave in which he talks about opponents attempting to trash-talk with him and the language barrier that he must cope with. Of course, it is all in Spanish, but I treated it just like the soap operas on Telemundo and make up things when I don't understand what he's saying. It's a two-parter totaling 18 minutes.
Part One
Part Two
David Thorpe has an updated Rookie Watch up on ESPN Insider (free preview) with some good thoughts on Juan Carlos Navarro.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Postgame: Memphis at Seattle 11.07.07
First Times
--The Memphis Grizzlies got their first 2007 regular season win by beating the Sonics 105 to 98. Congrats.
--Coach Marc Iavaroni got his first regular season NBA win last night. Congrats.
--Micheal Conley saw his first regular season action in the NBA last night. Congrats. Conley came in during the second quarter and played about 8 minutes. I suspect this will be the norm in the near future.
From Seattle's Perspective
After some Griz games I would like to highlight what is being said in the opposing city. I'm sure every Griz fan that reads this blog, also reads the Commercial Appeal's coverage of the Grizzlies (Tillery's recap is here). Below are some snippets from the Seattle media...
Jayda Evans at the Seattle Times wrote,
He was told no one on Memphis' team could guard him.
Not that it gave Sonics rookie Kevin Durant any false confidence, but it did make those 14 misses sting a little more. Especially because some were against the player who spoke the words, second-year Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay.
Eric D. Williams at the News Tribune wrote,
Seattle fights mightily in the fourth quarter, but ultimately can’t make enough plays to close out a win.
Memphis must have studied the script while waiting for Seattle to return from back-to-back games in Los Angeles and Sacramento. The Grizzlies followed the plot line to perfection in defeating Seattle, 105-98, Wednesday night in front of an announced crowd of 10,761.
The game was in question with 20 seconds left, but Memphis guard Kyle Lowry put the contest out of reach by nailing a 3-pointer from the wing, pushing Seattle a game closer to some unwanted franchise history.
Gary Washburn at the SeattlePI wrote,
After the shot fell through the hoop, Wilcox slammed the ball into the basket support, a testament to the team's frustration.
To no one's surprise, the Sonics, winless in their first five games, were unable to hold a 65-51 third-quarter lead. But what was surprising was how quickly the lead disintegrated and turned into a sizable deficit.
Earl Watson's jumper gave the Sonics the 14-point lead with 9:25 left in the period. And by the time Lowry completed a three-point play with 5.9 seconds left in the period, Memphis owned an 87-81 lead. The Grizzlies went on a 36-16 run in just over nine minutes, adding to the list of runs against the Sonics this season.
Random Thoughts From a Sleep Deprived Graduate Student
--I think the Griz will make the playoffs. Bethlehem Shoals thinks the Griz will make the playoffs. But is making the playoffs good for the Grizzlies? From a business standpoint in the short-term, yes. Memphis fans are more likely to go watch a team playing for or in the playoffs than a team destined to be in the lottery. But in the long term, the answer is likely no. As new SoB, MemphisX, pointed out, we have a talent gap. This year's draft looks to be talented and deep. We could sure use any of the stud's likely to go in the top 10. Plus, if we finish as one of the top 10 teams in the league, we lose our 1st round pick to the Wizards in the Juan Carlos Navarro trade. However, it will not be fun to see Memphis relying on more high draft picks to develop. The more sensible way to acquire more talent is likely through trades. But getting back to the question of is it good for the Grizzlies to make the playoffs. Probably. Although it is probably best for the Grizzlies to show dramatic improvement, be as good as a playoff team and barely miss the playoffs due to great play by other Western Conference teams.
--I might be wrong about JC Navarro. There is no way he is in contention for 6th man of the year. He might not be in contention for 10th man of the year. JC hasn't shot well from beyond the arc, and has yet to make a shot inside the 3 point line this year as well, missing on all of his patented 'La Bomba' running floater in the lane. Between JC and Casey, we expect pinpiont 3 point shooting. We haven't gotten it. We aren't paying these guys to play defense, they need to start earning their money by being sharp shooters.
--No, Chris Herrington, I don't think it is too early to call Darko the best center in Grizzlies history. At least not from me. He has officially beat out Lorenzen and Jake for that honor already. Darko has really impressed me in the first three games of the season. My biggest complaint surrounding Darko is the inability of the rest of the team to get him the ball in the post when he has his man buried under the basket. Darko might not have shown great touch around the basket, but he has shown an ability to get great position on the block. I want to see our guards and espicially the bigman in the high post to do a better job of getting Darko the ball when he has his man pinned.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Practice Update
I heard from two sources that Juan Carlos Navarro and Pau Gasol both practiced today and should be available for tomorrow nights game against Indiana. I don't expect he will play much but at least he is healthy again.
Of course anyone seeing Gasol walking on the court last night knew he was close to 100% if not fully recovered already.
UPDATE: Ron Tillery who was at the practice today has a better and more detailed report up on today's practice, who was there and how they did. He also mentions that the team waived Dontell Jefferson, which wasn't an unexpected move.
Final Position Battles
As the final week of training camp winds down Marc Iavaroni made an announcement last night on the starting point guard. The Commercial Appeal covered the comments at the press conference and printed a nice piece on it titled Iavaroni Goes with Stoudamire at Point. It is a must read for understanding the way the coach sees that position battle at this time (and yes I am trying to make peace for yesterday's blog that upset people at the CA).
That answers that question for the time being. What is still unanswered is who is winning the battle for some key reserve roles. As has been covered earlier on this blog and confirmed by Iavaroni later, the coach plans on using an 8-9 man rotation this season which shouldn't vary from opponent to opponent. We can somewhat safely assume the starting 5 are Pau Gasol, Mike Miller, Rudy Gay, Damon Stoudamire and Stromile Swift. We now also know that Kyle Lowry will be Damon's backup so that is 6 of the 8-9 players.
Who is next in line?
This really breaks down to two positional battles at wing and the interior. The wing battle is the most wide open right now in my opinion with three players fighting for time. The interior battles revolves around two players. Let's take a look at the wing players today and deal with interior battle tomorrow.
Wing Battle: Juan Carlos Navarro, Tarence Kinsey and Casey Jacobsen
Why it should be Navarro: Juan Carlos comes in more mature than the others having starred in Europe and the International stage for many years. He is someone the team went out of their way to procure and he is Gasol's best friend. He is mature enough to want the ball in pressure situations and confident enough to take the big shot. Wallace and Iavaroni put their necks out a bit to acquire the guy and don't want to see him on the bench. Did I mention he was Gasol's best friend?
Why it shouldn't be Navarro: Defense. Navarro has not shown the ability to play defense at the level required in the NBA. Steve Francis routinely toasted him in Houston and he was torched by Mike Dunleavy at Indiana. These two players haven't exactly been offensive horses the last few seasons. Physically he isn't exactly a specimen. He has little vertical leaping ability and he isn't exactly fast although he is sneaky quick. Also Navarro isn't used to NBA officials or the grind of an 82 game season.
Why it should be Kinsey: Tarence Kinsey is the best defensive player among the three and when combined with Kyle Lowry makes a formidable backcourt combination. He doesn't really have three point range but he can hit the the three and he can definitely score against NBA 2 guards. He proved that last March and April.
Why it shouldn't be Kinsey: He's not a Chris Wallace/Marc Iavaroni hire. He's thin and has had injury problems in the past. His lack of true NBA 3 pt range makes it difficult to combine him with either Lowry or Conley since teams can sag off both players clogging the lane on offense.
Why it should be Jacobsen: Has more NBA experience than either other player, has the best range on his shot when his feet are planted and has worked with Iavaroni in the past while in Phoenix. He is thrilled to be back in the NBA and will leave everything on the court when he gets to play. He's smart, understands his limitations and plays within himself.
Why it shouldn't be Jacobsen: He's not fleet of foot so he won't be beating many people down the court. His shot is only effective when his feet are set and he really hasn't shown any ability to put the ball on the floor and drive. His ball handling skills are not his strong point so it puts more pressure on the point guard bring the ball up the court.
What does this mean? It means Iavaroni has a difficult decision to make. With all three players on one year contracts the losers will probably be looking to move out of town before the summer to get a head start on next season. I believe the job is Navarro's to lose right now due to the commitment that the team made in acquiring him from Washington and his closeness with Gasol. Kinsey seems to be the odd man out but could easily be back in the rotation should Navarro or Jacobsen hit a slump. His defense could also be a factor if that becomes a larger area of concern this season.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Links: Stardom, Altered Outlook, Possible Pickup
Marlon Morgan wrote a good article on Rudy Gay today, titled "Grizzlies' Gay on cusp of stardom". He talks about the strides Rudy has made in maturing as a player and pays specific attention to his versatility, which is one of the most intriguing aspects of his supreme potential.
''Right now, he's the only player we have that would swing between perimeter and post positions. That's the biggest swing there is. Three and four is a big learning curve, and he's handled it well.''
Gay said he doesn't have a problem playing either position, just as long as he's playing. Through the Grizzlies' first five preseason games, the 21-year-old has looked good in both roles.
Against fours, Gay said he tries to utilize his speed and quickness. Against threes, and sometimes twos, he turns to his size as an advantage.
''It's good for me to show coach I can do different things, and it'll help me grow as a player and get more experience,'' Gay said.
Good to see that Rudy is committed to growing as a player -- that gives me hope for his future...and the future of the Grizzlies.
Chip pointed out this post by David Friedman on 20 Second Timeout, where he explains why his expectations for the Memphis Grizzlies have changed. Here's what it boils down to, in essence:
The two NBA teams that lost a game in Europe last year--Clippers, 76ers--did not make the playoffs. Although my initial thought had been that the Grizzlies will be much better with a healthy Gasol, Memphis looked so soft in the loss to Unicaja Malaga that I downgraded my opinion.
So, he is echoing Chip's earlier thoughts that the games against international competition could be an indicator on a team's playoff chances. Still, even though I like Friedman as a writer, I'm going to have to give him our first ever Overreaction Award. Congrats, David! = )
In other news, local Memphis product and former Vanderbilt Commodore Derrick Byars was cut by the Philadelphia 76ers today. Since the Sixers already had Andre Igoudala, Willie Green, Rodney Carney, Thaddeus Young and Kyle Korver under contract at the G/F positions, it was a longshot that Byars was going to find a meaningful spot in the rotation in Philly. However, his scoring ability might fit well back home in Memphis. The former Ridgeway star could be signed to a non-guaranteed contract and then sent to the D-League for the bulk of the year, while being brought over a few times to see how well he plays at the highest level. That would be an ideal situation since Tarence Kinsey is on the last year of his current contract and Casey Jacobsen is on a one-year deal, as is Juan Carlos Navarro. Although I'm sure that if Navarro keeps up his level of play to what we've witnessed to this point, the Grizzlies' front office will find a way to re-sign him next year, even if it means making some one-sided trades. At least, that sounds reasonable to me....and some others as well. This would mean cutting Dontell Jefferson, but if the choice comes down to either the reigning SEC Player of the Year or a guy I hadn't even heard of two months ago, I think I'll take Byars.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Links: Speed, Rookies, Surprises, Beards
Ron Tillery has a good piece up today on the Commercial Appeal that focuses on the Grizzlies committment to speed. There are a lot of good quotes from head coach Marc Iavaroni, as well as some interesting comments:
Acknowledging the difference in personnel, Iavaroni cautioned against the notion that he's going to simply unpack the Phoenix Suns' system in Memphis.
But Iavaroni will guarantee this: He definitely plans to implement more than a thing or two that he learned while working with the NBA's deadliest offense.
"We're not going to be Phoenix. We have our strengths. They have their strengths," Iavaroni said. "But I do believe the league has moved in that direction already. We're not going to sit and mope when somebody scores on us."
David Thorpe lists the players who might beat out Kevin Durant for Rookie of the Year on ESPN Insider (which is free for the moment, so take advantage). He has Juan Carlos Navarro at #3 and Mike Conley Jr. at #9.
3. Juan Carlos Navarro, G, Memphis Grizzlies
NBA coaches are typically loathe to give rookies big minutes, but new coach Marc Iavaroni is likely to buck that tendency with Navarro, a 27-year-old sharpshooter who was the MVP of the second-best professional league in the world. Navarro plays a lot like J.J. Redick did in college -- he feels he can make any jumper.
Like most of the rookies on this list below him, he does have some good competition for playing time, namely another sharpshooter in Mike Miller (who's a lot taller) and the surprising Tarence Kinsey. But Navarro, with loads of Euroleague and international competition under his belt, projects to be the first wing off the bench on a team that plays with some serious pace, so his numbers should be solid.
9. Mike Conley Jr. , G, Memphis Grizzlies
Despite his immense talents, Conley has a few things working against him in this race. One, he is playing the toughest position to play as a rookie: the point.
Two, second-year point guard Kyle Lowry is going to be a very good pro and needs time to develop (either towards a better Grizzlies' future or as trade bait). Additionally, Damon Stoudamire and Navarro, as noted above, will get minutes for the Grizzlies.Still, Conley's ultra-quickness, superior handle and his strong hoops IQ will help him navigate the challenges of playing the lead guard in a fast-paced system, and I see a solid first year for him.
Martin Johnson of the New York Sun says the Memphis Grizzlies are poised to be the surprise team of the NBA this season.
I like both the Hawks' and the Bobcats' chances to move up a bit, but I think the Memphis Grizzlies will trump their improvement.
He details the information that all Grizz fans already know by heart (3 straight postseason appearances, Gasol's injury last year, Fratello's firing, new uptempo system) in making his case for a resurgence by Memphis. In all honesty, it is nice to see some optimism regarding the team ruminating from somewhere other than this blog.
In other words, assuming that the Western Conference's top six teams remain somewhat stable, the battle for the final two playoff spots could come down to a dogfight between the Lakers, Warriors, Hornets, and yes, the Grizzlies. And that
should mark a substantial rebound from a 22-win season.
Finally, The Blowtorch named Pau Gasol to the NBA All-Beard Team, which is a prestigious honor, indeed!
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