Grizzlies Land #12 Pick

I went into the official draft lottery watch party last night with high expectations. I thought that the city would respond to a (comparatively) successful season and show up in full force to Jason's Deli at the corner of Poplar and Highland. I expected to see rabbits' feet, lucky pendants and more replica jerseys than I could count.

Additionally, I expected the Grizzlies to get a fairly high selection in the lottery. How hilarious would it be that the one year we aren't favored to get the #1 pick, we get it (or a high pick)? I thought, for some reason, the stars had aligned and we were finally going to get lucky. Don't ask me why I thought this; I don't know. Something just felt right.

What happened? I was wrong, very wrong, on both counts.

First, the watch party was more disappointing than the Grizzlies bench. That crowd I expected was merely 50 people small and there was no common connection between fans. Everyone basically just sat there. It wasn't a total loss, though, as attendees included a few titans of Memphis sports media (Geoff Calkins, Jarvis Greer, Eric Hasseltine, etc.) and Grizz. Oh, and I got a free Grizzlies flag (with 888-HOOP printed on it, just in case I had forgotten the ubiquitous season ticket hotline). Overall, however, it was an underwhelming experience and showed me that the city has yet to truly get behind the team.

I know, there wasn't much reason to come out to a watch party. We had only a 0.7% chance of landing the #1 overall pick and there were 11 teams with a better chance of winning the lottery. But, still, I thought the fans would come out. I guess I was wrong.

I was also wrong about the lottery itself. We didn't get the #1 pick, or a top pick that matter. We didn't move up at all. We got the #12 pick. Whatever. Honestly, I like this. It won't look as bad when we screw up the #12 pick as it did when we screwed up the #2 pick last year.

I can't wait to see what happens,

Owen

Draft

For those of you without NBA Insider, Chad Ford has the Grizz taking Paul George out of Fresno St in the late first round. Who knows whether or not we'll keep those late picks, but the article Ford wrote on him is pretty impressive. Here it is:

Paul George
If you want the upside sleeper of the first round, look no further than George. He is a 6-foot-8 wing whose silky smooth play has drawn comparisons to everyone from Tracy McGrady to Wilson Chandler

George is closer to Chandler than McGrady at the moment, but it's clear that he's the type of player who could explode with a little coaching. He's been in the gym with former NBA big man Don MacLean for the past three weeks working on the little things that separate the good wings from the great wings. Specifically, he's working on creating his own shot -- ball handling, first step and getting separation off the dribble.

In the workout we saw, George was terrific. He showed deep range on his jump shot, exploded to the rim and had terrific quickness. Scouts have had questions about his consistency and toughness. They've also worried about his love affair with the 3-pointer. But it was also clear that he was rarely pushed at Fresno State.

In this environment, playing alongside other NBA prospects, he looked much sharper and more focused. He needs to get stronger and improve his motor (something he admitted to me when we chatted) but MacLean told me George has been a sponge since coming into the gym.

George believes he may be more of a 2-guard than a 3. Some NBA teams agree. In fact his first workout is in San Antonio on Thursday. His workout partner: Kansas shooting guard Xavier Henry.

Whether or not we keep the pick, I like this guy's upside.

Grizzlies Will Play on ESPN Tonight

After playing just one nationally-televised game all season, the Grizzlies' game against the Oklahoma City Thunder will be broadcast on ESPN. Coverage begins at 8 p.m. EST. Tune in to see if the Griz can end the season at .500. A win tonight would do that. Now, I know that ESPN is only airing this game because the Thunder's Kevin Durant is closing in on the scoring title, but the Griz are on national TV nonetheless. I know I'll be watching...

Owen

Magic, Rockets Thwart Grizzlies

Since being mathematically eliminated from the playoffs two games ago (after a win, ironically), the Memphis Grizzlies have lost two straight games, to the Orlando Magic and the Houston Rockets. Both losses were tough to swallow and showed Grizzlies fans that they can start looking forward to the draft.

Against the Magic, the Grizzlies played well enough through the first three quarters to stick with the defending Eastern Conference champs. The game fell apart in the 4th quarter, however, as the Magic outscored the Griz 32-23 to secure a 107-92 win. As a team, the Grizzlies shot just 40% for the game, missed nine free throws and turned the ball over 15 times.

There were a few bright spots though. Center Zach Randolph came roaring back after a poor performance against the Hornets. Against the Magic, he scored 24 points and grabbed 18 rebounds. Additionally, the Grizzlies hit just three 3-pointers (Orlando hit 13). Going into the 4th quarter, I honestly thought we might win the game. Then the Magic woke up and put the game away. Oh well...

After the disappointing loss to the Magic, the Grizzlies returned to FedEx Forum for a clash against the Houston Rockets, a team that had thwarted the Grizzlies three times already this season. Last night's matchup was no different. Houston guard Kevin Martin poured in 29 points and the Rockets used a strong 3rd quarter to take a commanding lead. This was a tougher loss than the Magic because the Rockets are not a playoff team. If there's a team the Grizzlies can handle, it's one that can't make the playoffs either. But the Grizzlies couldn't do it and now have just one home game remaining.

Go Grizz!

Owen

Grizzlies 107, Hornets 96

Like Moses entering the promised land, I returned to the FedEx Forum tonight after a three-and-a-half month absence. When watching Grizzlies games on NBA TV, you don't have the same experience as at the Forum. There are no Grizz Girls, no Neely's BBQ and definitely no "get on your feet, Grizzlies fans!" 4th-quarter intro videos. There's nothing like watching a game at the Forum. And tonight was no different.

In a game that was never very close, the Grizzlies gave their fans plenty to cheer for. In the first half, Rudy Gay threw down a monstrous 360º dunk on a fast break. In the second, Sam Young leapt over James Posey to slam home a missed jump shot. Later in the half, Young drove down the lane, faked a pass and laid in a layup, completely fooling the New Orleans defense. See all the highlights here.

The Grizz didn't just use flashy plays to put away the Hornets, however. We out-rebounded New Orleans by 15 and had 24 fast-break points. OJ Mayo had 27 points on 50% shooting in arguably his best game since the All-Star break. Young also had a phenomenal game, coming off the bench to score 19 points and grab 7 rebounds.

It was not a perfect game though. Zach Randolph picked up two early fouls and played one of his worst games of the season, scoring just six points while playing only 22 minutes. Additionally, the Grizzlies allowed the Hornets to creep back into the game in the 4th quarter after being up 18 earlier in the game. With 2:32 remaining, the Grizzlies were only up by 9. Thanks to clutch play by Mike Conley and Gay, however, the Grizzlies put the game away.

Tonight's game gave me hope that the Grizzlies can make a playoff run. No, that won't happen this season. But with the foundation this year's team has built, there is no reason why we can't make that leap to the playoffs next season.

This season isn't over though. We have seven games remaining, including home contests against the Rockets and the 76'ers. Let's get out there and support our team, Grizzlies fans!

Go Grizz!

Owen