The Nightmare Continues...
Ever wonder what it feels like to have a sphincter the size of the Liberty Bowl?
At this point, the Grizzlies know that feeling.
Just like the Suns, the Grizzlies were just on the receiving end of a swift kick in the ass by the league. It kind of reminds me of that time the Grizzlies were the 4th best team in the West and played the 2nd ranked Dallas in the first round of the playoffs instead of the fifth ranked Nuggets. Dallas won 11 more games than the Grizzlies and Memphis won 5 more than the Nuggets that year.
As asinine as David Stern is (There's a reason no one cares about the NBA.), he's not the individual who deserves the bulk of the blame for this recent shit storm that has rolled into Memphis, and no one wants to hear multimillionaire and their fans whine about their plights.
Instead we should place the blame on the individual who had control of the situation: Michael Heisley.
Tonight reinforces something most people learn shortly after they turn 21. Winning the lottery is a terrible strategy for improving your situation.
Also, when you're trying to up sell the value of your business, you shouldn't reverse development and growth.
So what can we do?
Don't buy season tickets. Don't buy tickets at all. Don't even buy NBA league pass. Wait until this organization puts forth a valuable product.
Tonight, the Grizzlies are franchise no one wants to own , running a team no one wants to watch, playing in a city where no player wants to live.
I guess there's always next year...
20 comments:
al horford at four would be a steal...
Well the morning after I hope David is a little less grumpy about the NBA and the situation of the grizzlies, but maybe not. Maybe he is a full blown MLS fan now. As for myself I am ready to start conjecturing what we should do this year in the draft. I think now more than ever we need to trade Gasol. He has proven that he can not take us to the next level and is at risk of being the next KG (only not as good as KG) never getting his team past the first round while surrounded by an ever revolving group of sub-par talent. Chicago was obviously interested in Gasol before and their embarassing performance against the Pistons only magnified the need for a low post presence. I think we should offer Gasol to Chicago for hinrich/deng/gorndon (Deng seems to be untouchable at this point, preferably Goron) plus whatever fluff we need to make the salaries work and Chicago's 9th pick. Draft Brewer/horford with the fourth pick and Conley/the center from Washington/Hibbert (if he stays in the draft) and move on with a young squad including Gay and warrick. We won't be great again this year, but it looks to me like the best move forward.
What I can tell from this post is that David is redefining what 'luv' means.
What I can't tell is why he is so steamed. As a 'casual' fan, I want to know why I should continue to not buy NBA tickets and why Michael Heisley is a tool.
And also, why Memphis got thrown under the bus.
...Memphis the city, not Memphis' team.
Great!! Potentially, Al Horford, another young, so called "banger" that won't get much playing time or learn from any decent, veteran big man. Cut bait and drop Pau, Brian Cardinal, Stromille, Stoudemire, and Chucky Atkins and pick up a decent, veteran big man (Please rescue KG) and a healthy point guard that can raise the tempo (Chauncey could use a pay raise!!). Let's get these guys to running and back on the winning track.
I think if the Grizzlies go after a veteran like Garnett, they'd have to keep Gasol. Garnett isn't going to wait for the Grizz rookies to develop.
That would mean trading Warrick, Stoudemire, and possibly Miller.
I like John's scenario a little better...but this means we're at least two years away from the playoffs with no guarantee that will be close even in that timeframe.
My guess is there's a better chance that they'll reorder the draft with Grizzlies as #1 than there is of us signing Chauncey Billups.
More on Christopher's points later in the week...
KG will never come to Memphis in a million years and Chucky is a pipe dream. Looks like the Chicago tribune is already talking about Paxon's interest in Pau or (Nick Collison? I don't see him being the answer)Who would rather have from the bulls hinrich or gordon? Is deng even a possibility anymore? I'd say we oculd be an East Playoff team in a year, western playoff team in two with some (and I hate to say this) help from the draft. I think a key undervalued free agent signing will help as well. i thought the Jazz over payed boozer when they signed him, or desmond mason with the hornets, but they seem to contribute. What about picking up zach randolph for cheap to fill the low post?
No way we can get Randolph. He will be playing next to Oden.
I'd rather have Gordon.
It'd be nice to get someone like Boozer. That's what we're going to have to do - overpay for someone and hope they pan out.
We don't need a little help from the draft and a nice free agent signing.
We need a superstar. Like Lebron James, Allen Iverson, Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Kevin Garnett or Dirk. But it's not gonna happen.
Only one team since the early 80s has won without a superstar - the latter Detroit Pistons, and they were stacked.
Thats what I meant by a little help from the draft, next year you have hibbert who with another year at college will be a very good center prospect, and of course another crop of high school kids forced to go to school for a year like o.j. mayo, we will be in the lottery again and therfore have another chance.
My point is that you can't rely on the lottery bc the chances are so sliim. That's a terrible strategy.
The Grizzlies need to actively pursue a star through trades, free agency.
How do the Grizzlies convince Kobe Bryant to sign with them?
The worst thing about the draft for the grizz isn't just that they didn't get a top-2 pick, it's that the teams that did get the top-2 are in the west, making it that much harder for the grizz to even get to the play-offs.
However, you're really lucky that this losing year happened this year, not last year. Having the #4 this year is probably better than having the #1 last year because of the eligibility rule change and because those gators decided to win another championship instead of cashing in early. This is the most loaded draft since 2003, when Wade was still available at #5.
I think Portland will unload Randolhp, which interests me. I think Memphis is a decade away from the playoffs. Golden State held out for years. I think Chauncey will stay in Detroit.
At the 4 spot, it could get interesting enough to make a difference. Memphis should get rid of Gasol and Miller. I like Deng.
I saw an interesting article about how the draft lottery should be held. The basic idea is that each non-playoff team should have get an equal shot at the top pick. I like this idea, because it would help prevent teams from tanking. It would also help prevent mid-level teams with a couple key players, but no hope for building a championship contender from blowing everything up, which is frustrating to watch. Also, if this were how the draft was settled, you probably wouldn't have had to sit through such an unbearable year, because your team would have actually been trying to win games. I mean, I feel bad for you that you had to follow such a horrible team this year, but you're just one season removed from the 4th spot in the West, which is pretty much the equivalent of a top 4 finish in the whole league.
There is hope for you guys, you just need to replace the Battier presence, right?
Mike, I think that's a terrible idea. I don't think there's any evidence supporting the idea that teams are tanking to get a better draft pick.
Some teams sit players in the last few games if they're injured, but I'd bet the playoff teams do that as much, if not more than the lottery teams.
I saw many of the Grizzlies games last year, but it never looked like they A, weren't trying to win or B, were trying to lose. In fact, they improved as the season progressed.
Why fight a problem that doesn't exist?
Teams like the Grizzlies that are in small markets and in the gutter suffer for years as it is. These teams that can't lure free agents as easily need the help that a top pick can provide.
That said, if you find evidence that tanking exists and is causing a problem, please present it. For now, you may as well claim the Mavs tanked it in the first round so they could hit the beach.
sorry David, it has been a while since I blogged. yes, the Grizz took a huge blow in not getting the first pick. imagining a combo of oden and gasol was truly too good to be true. that being said, i think there is still value at number four. yes, we are going to miss out on two franchise players and future superstars, but Memphis is in need of a true PG. Assuming Atlanta does not take him, Mike Conley would be a steal at # 4. Yes, I said it, steal. Being a big ten basketball fan, I watched Conley very closely this year. Not only was he completely under the radar all year (mainly due to Oden), he, in my opinion, is more NBA ready than any player right now, excluding Durant and possibly Oden (although I'm not sure Oden is 100% NBA ready) in this year's draft. When Oden got into foul trouble, Conley became the guy the Buckeyes turned to. Conley's downside is his shot, which is not great, but that can be worked on. His knowledge of the game, his awareness on the floor, his poise as a freshman, his speed, his agility, and his passing are way above average for a 19 - 20 year old. He reminds me a lot of Chris Paul, and I think that he'll be even better.
Finally, I know what I am about to say seems so far fetched it's crazy, but David I want credit for this if this ever happens (not that it ever will, but still worth mentioning). Another reason Conley would be a steal at number 4 is that he might eventually help us get that center we've always wanted...Gre Oden. Oden has said he wants to play with Conley. I say we do whatever we have to do make Conley one happy Grizzly, and when Oden gets sick of being Zach Randolph's bitch, he can call up his buddy Conley and say hey, what's it like in Memphis?
The Grizzle need to determine what type of team they're going to be before they go after any players. So get a GM and coach to determine the character of the team first. Are they going to play that horrendous halfcourt 50 points a game style that Fratello implemented or are they going to pack the stands with a run and gun game like Barone allowed them to do? If it's the former, they need to make a BIG push for a bonafied big man and beef up the frontcourt. If it's the latter, they need to either give Terrance Kinsey/Kyle Lowry the reins or go find a veteran point that can run and push the tempo. They have enough 2, 3, and 4's to mix and match depending on who their opponent.
Bottom line is the Grizzle have a plethora of young talent, but you don't bring in a coach like Larry Brown to waste the talent by leaving them on the bench and you don't bring in Marc Iavaroni to coach a snail's pace game.
And another thing, the Grizzle don't need Ben Gordon!!!!! They've shown that they can score a ton of points already by running and gunning. As we saw in the playoffs, Gordon was exposed on defense. So if all he is is a scorer, focus that effort on acquiring a big man that can clog the lane on defense and crash the boards. Let Miller, Gay, Gasol (if he's still there) and the underappreciated Kinsey fill up the stands with their scoring.
Let Miller, Gay, and Gasol fill up the stands with their scoring? You mean like when Baronne took over and the Forum was packed every night to watch the grizz lose 120-105 point games? No one is going to shwo up to watch Miller, Gay and gasol, that has been proven regardless of how many points they can score.
Al Horford has no wing-span. He'll be eaten alive by fours in the NBA. Gimme Brandan Wright. I think the Hawks are gonna pick somebody else.
Yes, the Grizzlies have many swingmen, but they're not as good as Ben Gordon. He creates shots for himself.
Granted the Grizzlies are also in need of a rebounder and a point guard - but looking at the players who are available, Gordon would be a solid addition.
Brian, I hope you're right, and will be sure to give you credit - in this very blog - if it happens.
Butler, maybe Horford could be the next Kevin Willis. Didn't he have short arms?
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