Z-Bo an All-Star!

The Commercial Appeal is reporting our Zach Randolph will be announced as an All-Star tomorrow. Good for him and good for the Grizz. Heres the article if you haven't seen it yet.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jan/27/sources-grizzlies-zach-randolph-all-star/

I'm more excited about the Grizz than Doc Maroda is about baking cookies.

Grizz Straight

A Trade Brew(er)ing?

Before I get to discussing the possibility of a Ronnie Brewer trade, I want to say one thing about the 99-94 win over the Magic last night. With the win, we are now officially in playoff contention. As of this morning, the Grizzlies sit at the 8th spot in the Western Conference, 1/2 game behind Phoenix and 1/2 game ahead of Houston, New Orleans and Oklahoma City. I know, I know, the Grizzlies still have 39 games to play, but this 8th spot validates everything the Grizzlies have done the past 34 games. Although the Grizzlies are obviously excited about matching last season's win total, they are looking ahead. "It's unreal how far we've come," said Mike Conley. "Our goals are set alot higher."

Now on to the trade talk...A few days ago, various sports news outlets (including GrizzLife) reported that the Grizzlies were attempting to deal for Jazz guard Ronnie Brewer. No official news has been reported in the last few days regarding the trade, but we at Grizzlife.com wanted to dig deeper.

So, what's the deal with Brewer? This weekend (thanks to a simple Google search) I found the name and number of Brewer's agent, Henry Thomas, and put in a call to his office asking if talks were still happening between the Grizz and Jazz. Yesterday afternoon, one of Thomas' assistants left me a voicemail saying that, "in regards to Ronnie Brewer and talks between the Grizzlies and the Jazz, he [Thomas] can neither confirm nor deny that." What does that say to Grizzlies fans? Personally, I'm encouraged by the non-admission. If talks were dead, Thomas would have confirmed that. I'm not saying the trade will definitely happen, but it's definitely not dead yet.

In his postgame notes from last night, Commercial Appeal Grizzlies beat writer Ronald Tillery had this to say about a trade: after passing on free agent Von Wafer, "it appears the Grizzlies are now in a holding pattern with regard to any potential trades... Griz brass has been exploring potential trades... in hopes of acquiring a swingman. Miami's Dorell Wright and Utah's Ronnie Brewer are players of interest for the Griz." As always, count on Grizzlife for information regarding any potential trade. Go Grizz!

Owen

Grandfather's Keys to the Game

We all know and love Sean Tuohy's Keys to the Game. They are always very simple, and my response is always "Well duh Sean, if we hold them to under 30% shooting well win the game." But to me, the wisdom is in their simplicity. There are about 5 keys Sean has for all games, and he just randomly chooses 3 for that particular games. My favorites are "shoot 83% from the free throw line on the road, shoot 75% from the free throw line at home, hold the opponents to under 100 pts, and outscore the team by 20 in the paint."

In honor of Sean's infinite wisdom, I'm going to post my keys to the game for tonight's game versus the Magic and hopefully many more games down the road.

1. Get Dwight Howard in foul trouble.

2. Rudy scores 25+ points

3. Have less than 12 turnovers

If we do these things, I think the Forum streak continues. Feel free to add any keys of your own.

Grizz 4 Life

LJ

Two Thoughts

It's good to be a Grizzlies fan right now. We've won a franchise-record 10 straight home games, are owners of a 23-19 record, and are a mere one game out of the 8th and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. After watching my Grizzlies pull out the win over our rivals, the Oklahoma City Thunder, last night, I have two thoughts I would like to share with Grizz Nation.

First, Rudy Gay's two dunks in the first half last night were two of the nastiest, most Earth-shattering dunks I have ever seen. Both can be found in the first 30 sec of this highlight video: http://www.nba.com/video/games/grizzlies/2010/01/22/0020900630_okc_mem_recap.nba/. For the first dunk, Gay scooped up a loose ball, dribbled behind his back to get past Kevin Durant, and then took just 4 (4!!!) steps on the Memphis side of the halfcourt line before taking off just inside the foul line and slamming the ball home. I remember jumping up from my computer, yelling, begging to see a replay. It was unbelievable. (Here's a picture if you need a new desktop background: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/photos?photoId=396108&gameId=300122029) The second dunk was just as impressive. Jamaal Tinsley grabbed a Hasheem Thabeet block, threw a hail mary to a streaking Rudy, who flew over OKC's Eric Maynor and unleashed a tomahawk jam that can only be described as violent. I was in awe. Rudy didn't stop at dunks, however. His 20-footer with 1.3 seconds remaining (his only FG of the 4th quarter) proved to be the game winner. We are all witnesses.

Second, the Memphis Commercial Appeal is reporting that the Grizzlies are discussing a potential trade with the Utah Jazz regarding Jazz guard Ronnie Brewer. The Grizzlies have been trying to add bench support for some time and are apparently willing to part with two late first round picks in the 2010 NBA Draft and (possibly) a pick in the 2011 Draft. Brewer's agent, Henry Thomas, has confirmed talks between the Jazz and Grizzlies but has reportedly told Brewer "not to worry too much" because Thomas' other clients are often involved in trade rumors. A call to Thomas was not immediately returned. Brewer was one of the 10 players in my Trade Talk post that I hoped the Grizzlies would target. I hope that the two sides can reach an agreement because the addition of Brewer would be a huge addition for a team that is one injury away from disaster. Continue to check back with GrizzLife as we will post whatever information becomes available.

Owen

How Z-Bo is like Denzel

Going straight to the movies to see Denzel's new flick, The Book of Eli, after watching Memphis beat Oklahoma City, I couldn't help but make comparisons between the Grizz and the Thunder and characters in the movie. For those of you who have yet to watch Eli, I'm afraid that this post won't make much sense, and may spoil the movie for you, so read no further.

Z-Bo and Eli, Denzel's character, are eerily similar. Throughout the movie, I was confused as to whether Eli could actually see or not, for he constantly bumped into tables, searched things out with his hands, and displayed superhuman senses of hearing and smell, sniffing out ambushers and locating a bird through the sound of the fluttering of its wings. Watching Randolph haphazardly drive to the hoop and seemingly randomly throw up shots, I am often confused in much the same way as to if he ever looks at the basket. He bulls his way wildly through the lane, looking at the ground, into the stands, at the basketball, in the general direction of the scantily clad Grizz Girls, and almost every other area of the Forum except for the basket, but always seems to score. Clearly he is using one of his senses other than sight to locate his target. As well as not using sight, both have the agility and strength of much younger men. Eli was a young man when the great war happened 31 years before the story, so he is into his late forties or early fifties, but he routinely takes down groups of 10-15 men who are at least half his age. Z-Bo's knees have untold milage on them, and he is almost an old man in NBA years, but he is averaging somewhere in the area of 20 points and 11 rebounds for the season.

If Z-Bo is Eli, then Lionel Hollins is clearly God. God has given Eli clear instructions and a vision of how to achieve success, telling him to head West to safety and protect the Bible from all those who should stand in his way. To help Eli, God gives him constant encouragement and protection. Hollins has given Randolph and the Grizz a recipe for success, telling them to play defense and share the ball, and as a result of their obedience, Memphis is winning and performing far better than anyone thought that they could. Because they have listened to him, Hollins has fought on their behalf with the refs and the media and has been a players coach, allowing them to continue to gamble on the plane despite the recent downfall of Gilbert Arenas.

Gay is like Solara, Mila Kunis' character. Solara was lost before Eli and God came to her. She was destined to be nothing more than the prettiest girl in a post-apocalyptic hell-hole of a town and married off to the villain's evil head henchman. Similarly, Gay was stuck in hell, destined to be nothing more than the best player for a forgotten small-market team at the bottom of the league. After receiving their positive influences, both of their lives have markedly improved, as Gay makes Sportscenter and is being talked about as an upcoming big-time free-agent and Solara made it to safety at Alcatraz(this makes sense if you've seen the movie, trust me).

Kevin Durant is the head henchman. Durant is playing for a team that should be hated by all serious basketball fans for what they did to their loyal fan base in Seattle, killing that which Seattleans held most dear, but he does everything that he can to be likable. He's young, he's hungry, he's charismatic, but he's still a force for evil. Likewise, the henchman may not be a terrible person in a different situation. He shows tons of potential as he does not fire on Eli as he is exiting town, he fights for the welfare of Solara, and he dies somewhat nobly. However, he kills untold amounts of innocent people at the instruction of the villain(as Durant hurts Seattle residents with each top-10 play that he makes and each stride that he takes toward superstardom at the instruction of Clay Bennett).

The villain is Clay Bennett. Both are evil, both have hidden motives, both just suck in general. The villain put a town where a town had no business being, manipulating untold masses, employing evil doers, raping and pillaging a population with the ultimate goal of world domination. Bennett manipulated the city of Seattle and the NBA, he stole from them a storied franchise and placed it in that post-apocalyptic hell hole that is Oklahoma with the ultimate goal of world domination. Unlike the villain, had Bennett been trying convince Eli to hand over the Bible, he would have been successful. He would have fleeced over God just as he pulled the wool over David Stern's eyes in moving the Sonics to the dust bowl. Basically he is the purest form of evil currently in the league, as the villain is the purest evil that is in the movie.

Some of the comparisons may be a bit shaky and poorly explained, but it made sense to me. Go Grizzlies. Go Memphis. I believe.

Big Shot

USA Today Article

There is a article on Z-Bo in today's Sports section of USA Today. Here's the link

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/grizzlies/2010-01-21-randolph-leads-young-team_N.htm

It's about time we start having some national coverage. Long overdue

Big game tonight. We gotta beat our rivals!

Grizz Straight!

Support the Movement

For the Grizz nation, MLK day has always been a special one.

Earlier this evening, our Grizzly bears made many into believers. In front of a sellout crowd and a national TV audience, the guys in Beale Street Blue beat another playoff team. And strangely, it didn't feel that unique. This team can play with anybody.

As I pondered the significance of this win within the context it was placed, I happened to look up to see my Grizz posters on the walls. One reads, United We Slam, another, Viva Los Underdogs, and another Support the Movement.

Support the Movement. Isn't that what MLK was saying years ago? He was calling many to a movement of non-violence and love. Heisley and Co. are calling many this year to a movement-one of enthusiasm, support, and hope.

I'll go further. Let's look at the civil rights movement. Did it not take time to develop into a force? Surely, a movement revolving around forgiveness could not have been easy to support for many African-Americans who had been affected by the slavery of the South. Secondly, at the time of MLK's movement there were other movements, such as Malcolm X's and The Black Panthers'. These were surely more attractive to some African-Americans who desired instant change. And finally, to fuel the movement, MLK constantly cast vision for the people following him (see, "I have a dream").

For the Grizz nation, "supporting the movement" has great implications. We, like those who fought for racial equality, are fighting for NBA relevancy. (My OJ Mayo poster reads, Join the Fight). We, like many who marched with Dr. King, are often told to give up and go home, hearing that this franchise is hopeless and should be in Seattle. It is not easy to support this movement, just as it wasn't easy to support Dr. King's. And finally, this movement of ours is fueled by vision, by a dream, just as civil rights movement was. "The three-year plan" comes to mind. So does Lionel Hollins saying, "This is what the playoffs are all about-and we can do that."

So, to the Grizz nation out there, whether you're in a castle on Cherry Lane, a dorm in Winston Salem, or a log cabin in Vancouver, Support the Movement.

That's what Dr. King said years ago, and that's what I and the brilliant Grizz marketing team are saying now.

I live the GrizzLife and love it,

Paul

The Season that Could Save Memphis

David Aldridge of TNT recently wrote an article in which he argued that the Memphis Grizzlies should be moved to Seattle for the 2010-2011 season. Among other considerations, he noted the superior Seattle fan base, as well as the departure of John Calipari leading to a loss of money in the Grizz-Tigers partnership.

While we all know that Memphis has a lease with the FedExForum that does not run out for a couple more years--and would require a massive buyout by anyone wanting to buy and move the team--it is time for us to face the fact that long-term basketball in Memphis is not a given.

That being said, i believe that the 2009-2010 season could be the year that saved professional basketball in Memphis.

The paid attendance at the Forum today was 18,119. For anyone who does not avidly follow the team, that denotes a sell-out. Now, there is no telling how many of those tickets were given away, but it's a start.

And this year in Memphis could be the start of something special.

John Calipari leaves? I see the fact that the Tigers being down gives people a chance to proactively support the Grizzlies.

Bottom 5 in attendance? There's nowhere to go but up, and more fans are coming to the Forum every game. Sorry, concession worker in Section 227, you actually need to work today...

Poor front office? I can't remember the last time the Grizzlies made a draft pick/ signing/ trade that I did not approve of (with the only possible exception being DeMarre "Dude, Where's My Jump-shot?" Carroll).

Irrelevant? Anyone who listened to TNT today knows that that is no longer true.

Laughing-stock? I don't think the Suns or the Spurs are laughing right now. Give the Grizz another month, and those teams may be looking up to Memphis in the standings.

Now, one win is one win. But one more win also puts the Grizzlies within one game of matching their win-total from all of last season.

And if we are on a 3-year plan, than the improvement is only starting.

This team knows how to win, and they know how to win in a variety of ways. Take the recent 4-game homestand. Comeback victory? Check. Outscore a team? Check. Win a defensive struggle? Yep. Go toe-to-toe for an entire second half against one of the best in the west on national tv? Believe it.

Two more years of player development, attendance improvement, and sound front office moves, and I believe that we will look back on 2010-2011 as the year the Grizzlies saved professional sports in Memphis.

Sorry, David, call the Seattle City Bureau and tell them they overestimated Heisley's hospitality.

United We Slam

We just beat the Spurs... Let it sink in... The San Antonio Spurs. Is this win as sweet as the win over the Cavs back in early December? Probably not, but in my opinion, it is more important. Here's why:

1.) It confirms our growing suspicions of being a playoff (yea, I said it, PLAYOFF) team. We are 20-10 in our last 30 games. That is a long stretch of an inconceivable .667 win percentage. If we continue for the rest of this season at this percentage, we will finish with a 49-33 record. 49-33!! With that record, teams in the West have made the playoffs nine out of the past ten years. Well, you might be thinking to yourself, "Common Jumpstop, you're not looking at the whole picture. Yes, we have a good starting lineup, but we are not deep. How can you expect us to keep this up the entire season. We are going to wear down eventually." This rebuttal might be true, but the Grizzlies are looking to change this. They have added Lester Hudson as of recently hoping he might provide an offensive spark off the bench. Also, it seems like the new guys like Thabeet and Sammie Young aka "The Microwave" are getting better and better as the season rolls on.

2.) Our players are becoming individually more consistent. In the past three games, the starters' point production have been 23(Randolph),19,14,10,8(Gay); 21(Gay),20,20,18,12(Gasol); and 24(Gasol),24,20,15,13(Conley). As you can see, everyone of our staring 5 are becoming consistent and we are not always relying on the same guy to produce. If someone is having an off night (like Rudy was tonight) others have stepped their game up to compensate and help the Grizz win.

Finally...

3.) We are coming together as a true TEAM- an entity that is more important than its individual parts. Since mid-December I have seen our team grow a ton. We are no longer the selfish team we were last year. A lot of the growth can be attributed to the coaching of Lionel Hollins and the system he has us running, but I believe much has to do with the maturity of our players. I have watched OJ Mayo pass up a completely uncontested layup for the much needed crowd spark of a Rudy Gay dunk. I have also seen Z-Bo (previously considered a team cancer), on multiple occasions, stand up for a fellow Grizz after being fouled. I can specifically remember Zach getting in an opponent's face, backing up the other half of the Gaz-bo after being fouled. This brotherhood is what we have been missing and we have been wanting.

So, is it a little early to be even mentioning playoffs? Will we be jinxing our hometown team? I don't think so. We are young. We are hungry. We are well coached. We are DANGEROUS.

What I learned from Clips at Grizz

Tonight I was sitting in my room, watching the Grizz on NBA League Pass Broadband, and I was frustrated. Grizz were down 65-52 at half, and Baron Davis already had 17-9-9. My hopes for the Grizz were grim. My buddies invited me to go see a late movie, but I had to say no. For a reason unknown, I had a good feeling about the rest of the game. Then, the strangest thing I had ever seen in an NBA game happens: The Clippers t.v. announcers report that everyone must evacuate the building because of an emergency and then the coverage of the game shuts off. Being a native Memphian, I fear for the worst. Thoughts of bomb threats and guns filled my mind, but thank God, it was only a water main breaking. The players filled the media buses for 35 minutes before the game started back, but the Clippers never really got back off the bus. They took a 11 point lead into the stoppage, but that lead diminished quickly.

In my opinion, the Grizzlies played three quarters of uninspired, bad basketball, but the Clips let us hang around. Our scorers took that chance and made the best of it outscoring the Clippers 25-12 in the fourth quarter.

All the craziness aside, I learned a lot about our Grizzlies:

1. We're tired. We have had a brutal schedule so far in the season, already playing games in all four time zones. We had a two day rest before today's game, but we need more than that. Our young team is experiencing bumps and bruises as we are right in the middle of the 82 game NBA grind.

2. We need depth at the forward positions. Z-bo and Rudy both played 42+ minutes tonight, and that is going to hurt us down the road. As much as I thought I would never say this, we need Darrell Arthur back badly.

3. The Grizz won't die. A theme of the new Grizz is that we just don't give up. Almost every game, we show our youth and have a quarter where we forget we're playing NBA basketball, but somehow we usually fight back. This refusal to go away shows our growing maturity as a team. This is the first Grizzly team that I have ever seen that can respond to adversity and compete through the whole game.

4. Z-Bo is an All-Star. We've been saying it. ESPN is finally saying it. Let's make it happen

Tonight was a crazy night for the Grizz and Grizz Nation, but the bottom line is we came away with a win. In years past, tonight's game was a loss, but this year is different. The Grizzlies are continuing to get better and continuing to excite me.

24 hours (Explained)

As the week of January 3-10 approached, I was faced with a dilemma. With school starting Wednesday the 13th, I had options as to when to go back to Wake Forest since the holidays were long past. Option 1: Go to one final Grizz game at the Forum before the playoffs (fingers crossed). Leave the Sunday before classes, stop in Nashville or Knoxville for the night, move in to dorm on Monday, start class Wednesday. Option 2: Skip Jazz game in Memphis, and instead leave Friday and drive to Charlotte for the Grizz-Bobcats. First Grizz road game, could be great. Option 3: Stay in Memphis one more night, go to Pig on Beale during Elvis week with 5 other rabid Grizz fans and one fake Elvis, watch Grizz-Jazz, wake up at 5:15 the next morning, drive ten hours to Charlotte for Grizz-Bobcats, buy 15 dollar seats, meet Pete Pranica, and then pull strings with Angela to move from the Upper Deck to the tenth row to watch the Grizzlies for the second time in 24 hours. Option 3 was taken, GrizzLife was lived.

24 hours (Continued)

24 hours of GrizzLife

Pessimism be Damned

As a fan of the Grizzlies, Cubs, and Vanderbilt Commodores, I have had very little reason in my life to be optimistic about anything related to sports. In their best year, the Cubs could get to the NLCS, but I always knew there would be a Bartman. Vanderbilt could have one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but they weren't going to a bowl. They could make it to the Sweet 16, but Georgetown would be given three-steps to end the game instead of the customarily allowed two. The Grizzlies could make the playoffs, but couldn't win a game. They could have good odds in the lottery, but not have the winning combination. Even in the best years, I knew that my teams, mired in losing traditions with peaks in mediocrity, could never break through and become true winners.

This past summer, my good friends and fellow Grizzlife contributors Jumpstop Montague, Jordan Griesbeck, and Paul Billings sat around Griesbeck's living room and predicted wins for the season, how long Hollins would last as head-coach, next Grizzlies playoff appearance, and other various Grizzly-related statistics. The list of our expectations, based on pure conjecture as well as the assumption that AI would play for more than three games, is currently stored in Jordan's dormitory, so I do not have access to the exact numbers that I foresaw; however, I do remember that, looking at the future through the lense of my teams' past failures, I projected 20 wins, Hollins being fired early in the season, and the next Grizzly playoff appearance occurring in the 20-teens as the Las Vegas Grizzlies, while Memphians rued the name of Heisley and wondered what to do with their second under-used downtown entertainment venue.

The season began, and, as I expected, fielding a team with three scorers, no good passers, and a disgruntled ex-All-Star on the bench led to selfish-play, poor defense, less chemistry than a blind date between an Asbergian physicist and an inbred UK basketball fan, and losses. Lots and lots of losses. Never a gracious winner, I took the opportunity to remind my friends who were more optimistic than I that I am never wrong, ever. Not happy with the results, but right, I saw the wheels come off of the very small Grizz bandwagon as Allen Iverson "retired," and felt further vindicated with my pre-season projections that were said to be excessively pessimistic, even for me.

However, a strange thing happened once Iverson left: Memphis won. Z-Bo wasn't a cancer. Rudy played a little bit of defense. OJ didn't look depressed out on the court. Gasol became Lausanne's most successful alumnus and better liked in the community than his whiny brother ever was, and Conley wasn't awful. My friends took that opportunity to let me know that, no matter how often I may say that I am never wrong, I am always completely full of it.

Stranger still was that I began to secretly expect that Memphis would win. Despite his never actually positively contribute to the team in any way, shape, or form, Iverson's departure followed by wins seemed somewhat similar to Bill Simmon's Ewing Theory, where the loss of a star leads to success for the star's former team, and as a sports disciple of Simmons despite his consistent derisive writing about both the Grizz and Jay Cutler, I am a strong believer in the Ewing Theory.

Following the Portland road victory over Thanksgiving break, I have become a full-blown optimist, and I must say that believing in Memphis basketball, the clutchness of Mayo, the flummoxing abilities of Randolph to score and rebound despite his inability to leave the floor, the athleticism of Rudy, and Conley's court-vision has been the most satisfying sports experience in my life. Good things will happen for this team, as was further evidenced by the burst-pipe miracle of tonight's win over the Clips. The ball will bounce straight into the hands of the Ga-Z-Bo, Sam Young's random drives to the basket will result in points, OJ will kill more teams with clutch shooting than the other OJ killed people, and the Grizzlies will stay at or above .500 and make the playoffs, where we will win at least one game. These are my expectations, my new predictions, my almost mid-season projections, and they are not tainted by 19 years of pulling for terrible teams; instead they are based on the play a team of destiny, a whole which is greater than its parts, and players that are young and hungry in a city that is hungry for hope and change.

To echo the student section of my beloved alma mater, Memphis University School(that's for Jordan), I believe that we will win!

Grizz Nation in Charlotte

Greetings Grizzly Bears!

This is my first post on grizzlife.com, your favorite unofficial Grizzly blog on the interwebs. It's a great pleasure to be a voice for our great franchise. As a lifelong Memphian, I have grown up with the Grizz. In my childhood I remember asking my mom to read me a chapter from Tales from the Memphis Grizzlies by Ron Higgins before bed every night. I've loved this franchise for a while, but I've never been more excited about the Grizzlies than I am now. This season has renewed hope (see .500 record, young talent, Gazebo), for many within Grizz nation myself included.

This renewed hope has caused many Grizz fans to resort to, some would say, radical (non-radical?) measures to support the Grizz. This could mean bi-weekly Grizz watch parties, large investments in the FedEx Forum team store ("wear the bear"), or supporting the Grizz on the road. What was that last one? Yes, I do mean driving long distances to support the Grizz.

First, let's just get something out of the way. Opposing team's fans, I'm willing to guess, don't usually circle a home game against the Memphis Grizzlies as one they just can't miss. Rarely do the Memphis Grizzlies make it into a "power pack." As a result, the Memphis Grizzlies have historically played in front of smaller than normal crowds, and not just at FedEx Forum.

Grizz Nation is working to change this. How? By going on the road. 10 hours? Do-able. A Southwest plane-ticket to Phoenix? No obstacle is too great.

This past Saturday night, Grizz nation went to Charlotte. For a purist, it took my breath away to see my Grizzlies wear that shade of blue that I had never seen in person before. I was almost brought to tears when, after OJ's late three-pointer, I heard from above cheers of "OJ" coming from the mouths of my brothers and sisters in Grizz. Now, the game hurt. It was a really tough loss. But there was a consolation- we lost this one together. I felt the sting that comes with a tough road-loss like I never had before. It only left me and my brothers in Grizz hungrier to experience a road win. Many Grizz fans left Bobcats arena echoing Jack Shepherd, "We've got to go back."

"I've got to go back" to see that shade of blue in person again. Whether it's in Charlotte, Atlanta, Toronto, it doesn't matter for me. I hope it doesn't matter for you, either.

Season Turning Point

The way I see it, tonight's game versus the Utah Jazz is a huge turning point in the season for the Grizz. It's momentus for the team to come home after an impressive 3-1 road trip but to have to face the team you just lost to by 23 hurts. The Commercial Appeal featured a great article about the crowds and support at the Forum increasing (http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jan/08/grizzlies-got-game----and-fans/), and it's about time people start showing up. With all the schools in the city being closed today and therefore no high school sports tonight, I expect to see one of our largest crowds of the season out to see our new Grizz. If Memphis does our part, all I ask of the team is that they show up and compete and convince the city that they are for real and are a play-off contender. Every person reading this blog believes in the Grizz, but it's the other 1.1 million people in this city that need convincing. There is no better night to do it than tonight.

So do whatever it takes to get downtown tonight. If you have to bum tickets off your old man or call up some rich ex-girlfriend or just scalp them down there, do it. Let's show our Grizz pride and get people back in the Forum.

I believe in the Grizz life and love it

- LJ

Thoughts the Morning After

1) First of all, I want to say how much I love the Blazers / Rose Garden. Portland is a small-market city with only one professional franchise that avidly supports the Blazers. A step ahead of the Grizz as far as young talent, Portland gives me hope as a Grizzlies fan...

2) What a game. The Grizzlies probably didn't deserve to win (21-34 FT), but did just enough down the stretch to come away with the victory.

3) If OJ Mayo is Juice, than it's freaking cold juice, because the kid has ice water in his veins. Watching Gay and Mayo on the court last night down the stretch showed just how mature this kid is in just his second year. Gay is so volatile, easily rattled when his shots aren't falling, leading to stupid frustration fouls, etc. Mayo? Just ice. He knows where he needs to be at all times, finds way to change the game on the defensive end, and has an incredible knack for putting himself in position to make big plays.

4) The Mayo steal on Roy might turn out to be OJ's Moment We Will Look Back On. It's one of those surreal, slow motion, "I can't believe he just did that" plays. You're sitting watching this game, and you're thinking, "Okay OJ, don't reach in and pick up a cheap foul, and just play solid D until Roy drives and hopefully we'll get help from Marc or Rudy." But Mayo is fearless, and I love it. (Note: this was a steal on Brandon Roy. On his own home court. Where he has single-handedly controlled fourth quarters, with the ball in his hands at all times, for the last three seasons)Who cares if he only made one of the free throws? It put Portland down one, and they had the pressure and had to force shots for the remainder.

5) Gasol + Z-Bo= Gazebo.
Special thanks to Jay Edwards for coining this phrase to describe the Grizz interior monster. From now on, Marc and Zach will be collectively known as Gazebo.

6) Lionel Hollins
This was a night where the Grizzlies came out anything but sharp. They lacked energy defensively, and were sloppy on the offensive end for most of the first half. But Hollins kept after them, using timeouts in timely situations and never letting the game get out of hand. I can't get over how well he handles this young team. And is there a better-dressed coach in the NBA? So cool, so calm, so PSJ.

7) We still need depth. Seeing Marc Gasol go down, the whole season flashed before my eyes. So far, we've been fortunate to have no serious injuries to the starters. Now, go knock on every piece of wood in your house until we make a move to add depth.

Round Town.

Trade Talk

As reported in today's Commercial Appeal, Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace is actively pursuing a trade for a scoring spark off the bench. Wallace is picky in his interests, though. He is only after a player that a) is in the final year of his contract, b) "will provide offensive firepower," and c) is willing to come off the bench.

What can the Grizz offer to grab that sort of player? First, Memphis is willing to offer one of its lesser-used players, mainly center Stephen Hunter or guard Marcus Williams. Second, Wallace is using two of the Grizzlies' 2010 late-first-round draft picks (the picks acquired from Denver and Los Angeles) as trade bait. The Grizzlies have already tried this strategy with Portland's Travis Outlaw and New York's Nate Robinson, but both trades fizzled. With the February 18 trade deadline looming, Wallace has made the trade a top priority as the Grizzlies try to put together a playoff run.

That said, I have come up with a list of 10 players the Grizzlies should pursue that would meet Wallace's checklist. This list only consists of guards, and that is simply because the Grizzlies already have a deep frontcourt (9 of the 13 players are either forwards or centers) and the insertion of a big man would hurt the maturation of rookie forwards Hasheem Thabeet and DeMarre Carroll. Without further ado, here are my suggestions (in no particular order):

1. JJ Redick, SG, Orlando Magic. Redick is averaging 9 points for the Magic this year while playing just 22 minutes. Additionally, he is shooting 45% from the floor, 43% from downtown (10th in the NBA), and 79% from the free throw line. Redick would be a great fit for the Grizz because he is unselfish and is a phenomenal shooter. He would be a great spell for OJ or Rudy and would mesh well with the Grizzlies' other backup guard, Sam Young.

2. Luther Head, SG, Indiana Pacers. Head is averaging just under 9 points per game this season, but has shown that he has the talent to produce more than that. After playing sparingly for the Pacers early in the season, he has taken on a greater role in the offense as of late due to the absence of All-Star SF Danny Granger. In his last 6 games, he has averaged 17.8 points and shot 50% from the field. Against the Grizzlies on December 30, he exploded for 30 points and 7 rebounds. Like Redick, he would mesh well with the Grizzlies' established lineup.

3. CJ Watson, PG, Golden State Warriors. Watson is averaging 9 points and 2.5 assists while shooting a red- hot 48.3% (8th best among NBA PGs). He has both started and come off the bench for the Warriors this season, which would bring valuable experience to the Grizz locker room. He could be just as effective at the point as Conley or Tinsley and with his 3-point shooting (39%), he could even be effective at the shooting guard spot.

4. Ronnie Brewer, SG, Utah Jazz. Although horrendous from beyond the arc (24%), Brewer makes up for it by lighting it up from inside the arc (52% from 2-point range.) His 50% FG is tops in the NBA among shooting guards. However, he is a horrid free throw shooter (61%). Although his resume has its ups and downs, Brewer would be a great fit for the Grizzlies for two reasons. First, he averages 2.3 assists per game (17th among NBA SGs) and constantly looks to feed teammates the rock. Second, he played his college ball at Arkansas and would be an attractive local draw.

5. Anthony Morrow, SG, Golden State Warriors. Morrow has averaged 12 points as a starter/6th man for the Warriors this season while averaging 48% from the field (3rd among SGs), 44 % from downtown (2nd among SGs), and 88% from the charity stripe. He has also showcased his explosiveness, scoring 20+ points six times. He is an exceptional ball handler, averaging only 2 turnovers per 48 minutes. That, coupled with his shooting ability, would be a major asset for the Grizzlies in close games.

6. Willie Green, SG, Philadeplhia 76ers. Green is a crafty veteran who has had to share time with a petulant Allen Iverson this season. He had a phenomenal December, averaging 11.3 points, 30 minutes, 49.5% FG (4th in the NBA for SG's who played 10+ games), 46% 3-point, and 83% FT before spraining his left ankle. Although obtaining him wouldn't be cheap (almost $3,700,000 salary in 2010), he would bring loads of experience to a young team. His 201 career starts is bested by only three Grizzlies (Randolph, Tinsley, and Gay).

7. Rasual Butler, SG, Los Angeles Clippers. Like Green, Butler would bring 5+ years of NBA experience to the youthful Grizzlies. Although his shooting percentages are not particularly mind-blowing, one stat in particular stands out. Among NBA shooting guards, his 1.3 turnovers per 48 minutes ranks first. Again like Green, he doesn't come cheap (a $3,945,000 salary in 2010), but would be a great addition to the Griz den.

8. Devin Brown, SG, New Orleans Hornets. One of New Orleans' two options at shooting guard, Brown has averaged just under 11 points this season. After a slow start, he has put up 14.7 points and shot 50% from 3-point range in his last nine games. Additionally, Brown has gained a reputation as "a tough kid and hard-nosed defender," said T-Wolves President David Kahn, whose team tried unsuccessfully to trade for Brown last week. Brown would bring great 3-point shooting, defensive prowess, and experience to Memphis.

9. Jordan Farmar, PG, Los Angeles Lakers. Over the past three years, Farmar has developed into one of the NBA's better role players while going to two Finals with the Lakers. His experience with an elite team would be an asset for a team like the Grizzlies, who are seeking their first playoff appearance since 2005-2006. His 2.1 assist- to-turnover ratio is good but not great. He would be a good fit with Conley and Tinsley and would take some pressure off of them during games.

10. Roger Mason, SG, San Antonio Spurs. Although Mason is averaging just under 8 points per game this season, he has become lost in San Antonio's shuffle. He is the third shooting guard on the depth chart (behind Keith Bogans and Manu Ginobili) despite having the best FG% of his career (45%). Additionally, his 2.2 assists- per-game are also a career high. A move to Memphis would breathe new life into his career.

There you have it, Chris Wallace (if you're reading). I agree with your trade aspirations since an injury to one of our starters would likely destroy the chemistry we've developed, and a bench player with some offensive spark would be a nice insurance policy. I'm interested to see what happens with the Grizzlies through this trade and hopefully we will emerge a stronger team heading into the second half of the season.

Owen

Hollins named Western Conference Coach of the Month

Our fearless leader, coach Lionel Hollins, was named the Western Conference Coach of the Month for December, the NBA announced today. This announcement comes on the heels of a franchise-best December that saw the Grizzlies go 9-4 and vanquish three division-leaders (Dallas, Cleveland, and Denver) while nearing the .500 mark. Congrats, coach!

Grizzlies 128, Suns 103

No, that's not a typo. The Memphis Grizzlies really did beat the mighty Phoenix Suns by 25 points last night. In a game that wasn't even that close, the Grizz shot a sizzling 53% (including 53% from downtown) and simply out-rebounded, out-hustled, and out-played Phoenix to pick up the victory. Although there are many things that can be said about last night's game, I have but three.

• With the win, the Grizzlies are now owners of a .500 record (16-16). For most things in life, 50% usually isn't very good. A 50% mark in academics means failure. Sports teams don't go into games proclaiming to "give 50% out there." Win 50% of your games in the MLB and you can forget about the postseason. Win 50% of your games in the NFL and you might slip into the playoffs if you're lucky. For the Memphis Grizzlies, however, 50% is an accomplishment. The Grizz haven't been at or above .500 this late in the season since the playoff run of 2005-2006. How did this happen? After a 1-8 start, the Grizzlies have won 15 of 23 and have moved ahead of New Orleans for the 10th spot in the Western Conference. To make the playoffs, the Grizz will have to move their way up to the 8th spot in the West. Compared to teams that stand in their way (Oklahoma City, Utah, Houston), the Grizzlies have the best record over the last 10 games. If they can keep these winning ways alive, the words of Coach Jim Mora ("Playoffs?!?! Don't talk about playoffs! You kiddin' me? Playoffs?!?!") don't seem so farfetched.
• In putting up 125 points against the Suns, the Grizzlies moved into 5th place in the NBA in total offense. Averaging just over 104 points per game, the Grizzlies have developed into an exciting, fast-paced team. Just last season, the Grizz averaged an NBA-second-to-last 93.9 points per game. The more sobering statistic: in giving up 103 points, the Grizzlies are now the 25th-best defensive team in the NBA and give up an average of 104.7 points. As good as the offense is, Coach Hollins must tighten up the defense if he wants this pattern of winning to continue.
• Finally, I would like to share two quotations. The first is from Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins: "We've come together as a team. We believe in each other. We've developed great chemistry. Nobody would have thought we could come back from 1-8." The second is from ESPN.com's recap of the game: "Suddenly, the Memphis Grizzlies are a team to be reckoned with." As a Grizz fan, those two statements have me thinking big.

Happy Holidays! Happy New Year! Go Grizz!

Owen

Greetings, Grizz Nation

Today is Friday, January 1, 2010.
It is the start of a new decade, and the end of an old one. For the Memphis Grizzlies, the 2000s were mostly forgettable--with the move to Memphis and the 3-year playoff run being the lone exceptions. But since it is a new year, and a new beginning for our young little bears, I am at my most optimistic (somewhere, Robert Hoehn is cringing...)So, without further ado, I will peer into my crystal ball and make fearless predictions for the following years.

2010: Best-case scenario: Zach Randolph continues his one-dunk-per-half-season, "Are you kidding me?" play, characterized by perfectly timed rebounding, banks off of every square inch of the glass, and "Welcome to the league, Tyler Hansborough" swagger. (I agree, Mr. Mercer, he is playing as well as any Grizzly, ever.)Along with Randolph, Mike Conley Jr. continues developing. He gets more agressive, he drives the lane with both hands, he creates. Tim Legler shocks Grizz Nation by calling Conley "the next Rajon Rondo". O.J. Mayo remains content with his reduced role in the offense, which often includes only 2 or 3 touches in a whole quarter, while at the same time working on getting into the paint and getting to the line. (The difference in Gay's 21 pts a game and Mayo's 17 is largely free-throw attempts). Speaking of Gay, well, he doesn't lose sight of the fact that it's a contract year, and that he has to play defense--even if it's what Stephen Marbur-I mean Maroda would call "fake hustle". Personally, I would like to see Gay drive and kick the ball out more. I feel like most of the time it's either a) Rudy without the ball or b) Rudy with the ball, no one else is even on the court, 5% chance anyone else takes a shot on this possession besides Gay. But, I guess when you don't have a shooter, kicking the ball out doesn't do much good. On to the bench: Sam Young learns how to not travel when he pump fakes, remembers that he is a rookie (and the sixth option offensively) and that his main role on the team right now is to provide energy, hustle points, and rest for the starters. "Junkyard dog" Carroll develops something closely resembling a jump shot, and more than anything, eats up minutes. Hasheem "the Dream" makes Grizzlies fans forget about Tyreke Evans or Brandon Jennings, continues to learn the game of basketball, and develops the ability to catch an entry pass and make a strong move to the basket. I believe in the Tanzanian, I really do. Finally, Arthur gets healthy and adds minutes without disrupting the chemistry.
The Grizzlies continue their improved play, and make the playoffs as the 8 seed in the West with a 44-38 record.

Worst-case scenario: Randolph gets selfish and unruly, disrupts team chemistry, and instigates a resounding "I told you so" from pessimistic, half-hearted Grizzly fans. Too many shot attempts and a lack of energy on the court, as the Grizz lose their inside advantage. Oj becomes discontent with his role, and is quoted in the Commercial Appeal as saying, "Man, it's just tough. I've been the number one guy all my life. 6 years in high school, at USC, everywhere. You just can't tell me I'm not a go-to guy in this league." Stat lines start looking like this: Mayo- 12 points, 5-17 from the field, 1-7 from behind the arc. Rudy starts sucking up to contenders, lobbying for a move out of Memphis and mediocrity. He kindly allows Kobe or Carmelo to put up their 40 night in and night out. Marc Gasol reverts to his Lausanne ways. (Nothing else needs to be said.)Conley loses his aggressiveness and any kind of outside shot, Young stops driving baseline, and Thabeet's only contibution offensively continues to be underwhelming picks for Conley at the top of the key. The Grizzlies stop playing for Hollins, start playing for their contracts, and slowly regress back to the Barone era. (Paul, forgive me...)Final record: 29-53, 12th in the Western Conference.

In the future...
Best-case: Heisley and Wallace are SMART with their handling of Rudy Gay. Whether that means trading or re-signing, they wait until the trade deadline (instead of 3 weeks before a la the Pau Donation) to make a move. This will maximize Gay's trade value...and besides, at the end of the day, if we want Gay, we get him. The Grizzlies use 2 of their 3 first-round draft picks to trade up in the draft, hopefully landing a shooter or trading for an already-proven one. (I like the thought of getting J.J. from the Magic.) Mayo spends more than 4 years in Memphis, and the city begins to rally behind the Grizzlies as the Tigers rebuild. A local ownership group emerges, and Heisley sells the Grizzlies in 2 years. Grizzlies fans are assured that there will be professional basketball in Memphis long after the initial lease on the FedExForum is up.

Worst-case: Grizzlies trade Gay for a washed-up veteran and expiring contracts, Mayo wants out, Heisley the Martyr continues to save his money. Grizzlies' attendance remains at the bottom of the league, and half the concession stands in the Terrace Level remain closed for every game except Cleveland and the Lake Show. The Grizzlies' lone national TV appearance happens on MLK day for the next 3 years, and the team moves to Las Vegas or Cape Town or New Zealand in 2013.

But for today, I am optimistic. Viva los Underdogs, and viva the GrizzLife.