Grizzlies Continue Streak of Almost Winning

I watched both the Mavericks and and the Hornets games this weekend.

The Grizzlies kept the game close during both games against much superior teams. The end of the fourth quarter against the Hornets was one of the most entertaining I've seen.

The Grizzlies hit 4 straight three pointers to send the game to overtime, after the Hornets made 100% of their foul shots during the same stretch. Juan Carlos Navarro and Rudy Gay were clutch.

Navarro hit 8 of 9 from 3 during the game and Gay hit the last two threes. However, the Grizzlies just can't manage to finish games. They give themselves a chance. (Navarro had two open threes to tie the game against Dallas before the buzzer sounded.)

The same problems remain: rebounding and interior defense. Chris Paul and Devin Harris easily penetrated the lane, and big men for both the Hornets and Mavericks easily scored around the rim. David West was on fire from 17 feet, and the Grizzlies could not adjust.

The Grizzlies do look better, both more talented and more determined, than last season. However, this season is quickly becoming another lottery dud. All the excitement that was built during the offseason is quickly dwindling as growing pains have slowed quick results. It won't be long before this blog starts speculating about next July.

So what should the Grizzlies' do? They definitely have a nice squad in place, and it seems like Coach Iavaroni is resonating with the players.

There are a few options:

• Make a Trade

The Grizzlies could go two routes here. Trade Pau Gasol and shake up the entire team, or trade a few complementary players who don't seem to be fitting into the rotation. Stoudamire, Warrick, and Cardinal come to mind. I would prefer the latter strategy.

• Wait and See

The Grizzlies a young but have nice pieces. The question remains: will winning (rebounding and playing defense as a team) click after the chemistry develops or is there a missing element that needs to be brought in from the outside?

Vote for which strategy you think the Grizzlies should pursue in the sidebar of this blog.