Laughable

The game is not over, but I haven't watched any of it. I've been away from the house, but I'm not going to turn on the TV now. I stopped DVRing games a last week.

There's about 6 minutes left, and we're losing by 10 to the Thunder.

Who are playing without their best player, Kevin Durant.

At Home.

When they played last night and we didn't.

This is getting to be ridiculous.

Some Good Reading Since The Grizzlies Aren't Worth Watching

There have been some great articles about the NBA recently. First, there was this gem from the New York Times about Shane Battier. 

Then, there's just about anything John Hollinger writes. I especially like this article. Think about what Hollinger says about margin of victory being both a useful measure of how good a team is as well as a predictor of future performance. Then, think about the Grizzlies 9 point loss to Sacramento. Depressed yet? (It's hard to believe Hollinger writes for the same company that produces this.)

I'm also reading this book by Paul Shirley, which is also quite entertaining. My favorite line so far from Shirley describing his experience unsuccessfully audtioning to play for the Hornets: 

Plus, I was fortunate enough to get to see a player— Baron Davis— participate in an NBA practice wearing sweatpants six sizes too big for him and shoes that weren't even close to being tied.

Then, today, I came across this article by the Sports Guy.

Now, I'm a fan of the Sports Guy. He often makes me laugh out loud, and he's insightful. But his latest article really hits home.

Here's a line that made me laugh out loud today:

I'd say the Grizzlies hurled a flaming bag of dog feces at their fans [when they traded Kyle Lowry], but they don't have any fans. 

As a new dog owner and a Grizzlies fan, the metaphor really hit home. (It's not the first time the Sports Guy has failed to acknowledge my existence.) 

The article goes on to explain how badly the NBA is suffering during the recession. Simmons claims the Grizzlies only generate $300,000 per game. I'm not sure if this includes ad, TV or luxury box revenue, but the point is that the Grizzlies are "hemorrhaging money" and therefore cutting costs.

It's important to cut costs during times like these, but you also have to invest when the cost is low.

This is the time for a team like the Grizzlies to invest in the deals that will set them apart from their competition, because this is the only time that the Knicks, Lakers, and Suns of the world won't outbid them. This is the time when Amare Stoudemire has no choice but to suck it up and play for the Grizzlies.

Of course, it won't happen. 

Why not, you ask? Because the Grizzlies are the Grizzlies. They are not the type of team that goes out to make a bold move to set them apart (unless you call trading your best player for peanuts [read: flexibility] "a bold move"). 

In the meantime, we (the Grizzlies fans, who may as well not exist) will keep hoping the Grizzlies win the lotto. 

And we'll hope the #1 choice is Lebron James and not Michael Olowokandi. 

And we'll hope all this happens before Michael Heisley (or whoever) figures out a way to try his luck in another city.

Losing to the Worst Team in the League at Home

Where does the worst team in the league come to end its losing streak?

MEMPHIS

This is so depressing. 

Add to it that we didn't make any major moves AGAIN. Even Barbosa would have been ok.

Add to it that we haven't made any progress over last year.

Add to it that Kevin Love is showing signs of life.

Why do I waste $160 on NBA League Pass to watch this team lose over and over?

Why do I waste 1.5 hours of my life to watch this team lose to a short-handed worst-team-in-the-league at home?

This would be bearable if the Grizzlies won any games, ever.

Lionel Hollins, Amare, and HORSE

The Lionel Hollins era is here. Hollins hasn't transformed the team into a playoff contender yet. His team barely beat a New Orleans team that started Ryan Bowen. 

However, he has shown that coaching matters, and he has exposed what many thought all along: Iavaroni was doing a terrible job. 

The Grizzlies have been unimpressive at times under Hollins, even when they win. Despite that, I like what I see so far.  They're playing like a team, on offense and defense. Conley has been reborn, and even Milicic, in limited time, has looked good. 

More important, they are winning. That's all I can ask.

AMARE

I was going to write a post about how the Grizzlies should trade for Amare Stoudemire, but then I saw that Memphis Flyer writer, Chris Herrington already covered the issue.

I will go on record: The Grizzlies should trade for Stoudemire.

I agree that they shouldn't trade Mayo. Other than that, pretty much any deal would upgrade the team. 

By the way, the Suns are looking for cap relief and young players. Why can't the Grizzlies replicate what the Lakers did last year to get Gasol?

It would be nice to see the Grizzlies trade peanuts for an All Star for a change. 

The obvious answer is that the market for Stoudemire is more competitive.  

I'll give the Suns the #1 pick unprotected and the Laker's pick if I get to keep Conley, Mayo, and Gay.

MAYO TO PLAY H-O-R-S-E

OJ Mayo will play h-o-r-s-e this weekend. I like both that the NBA is taking a chance on this game and that Mayo is participating. 

It may take a few years for this competition to click, but I have a feeling it will eventually surpass the Skills challenge and whatever the 3 0n 3 game is called.

The next step is for the league to institute a game of knockout competition for the league's twelth men. 

Seriously, every team should send the player with the current lowest scoring average to play a round of knockout. 

Order is determined by team record, where the player from the best team goes first.

Who wouldn't love to see Fabricio Oberto slap Malik Rose's ball up into the stands? It could be the perfect end to Calvin Booth's career.