A Great Grizzlies Season!

The Grizz just completed the best season in franchise history. Lots of thoughts and questions fill my head as the Grizz season comes to a close, but 1 stands out above the rest:

I thoroughly enjoyed the 2012-2013 Memphis Grizzlies.

I have said before that blogging about the Grizzlies is a form of therapy. It gives me the opportunity to vent frustrations to my 3 readers (my mother, my father, and sometimes my wife). It's been almost a year since I blogged about the Grizzlies, and that was after a very frustrating Game 7 loss to the Clippers last season.

Since that opening round loss, opportunities to vent about the Grizzlies have been few and far between.

Smiles were common among Grizz fans this year. Check out these fans, watching a game at Smitty's Bar in Sausalito, CA.

Sure, this season hasn't been without frustrating moments. For example, there was losing the season opener to the Clippers. Then there was losing home court advantage in the first round to the Clippers on April 13. Also, there was losing on a Chris Paul buzzer beater in Game 2 against the Clippers. Pretty much every loss to the Clippers stood out this season as a very frustrating moment.

Thankfully, the Grizzlies only lost to the Clippers 5 times this season.

And despite those frustrating losses, unlike in previous Grizz seasons, the great moments have far outnumbered the sad ones. Here were my highlights from 2012-2013:

• The sale of the Grizzlies to Robert Pera and his re-commitment to Memphis
• The Grizz record for November was 12-1, including national TV wins against the Knicks (NY's first loss) and the Heat
• I personally attended 4 Grizzlies wins including
• Two wins against the Warriors in Oakland (including Golden State's home opener!)
• A win against the Lakers in the Fedex Forum the day after Thanksgiving
• A win in Sacramento's awesome arena after eating Papa Johns in the parking lot

The Grizz swept the Warriors this season, and I was witness to two victories!

• I won over $100 in Vegas when the Grizzlies covered against Denver in December and Portland in April
• The Grizzlies hired John Hollinger, my favorite NBA writer, as their VP of Basketball Operations
• The Grizzlies won four straight in the playoffs against both the Clippers (top 3 least favorite team) and Thunder

On April 3, 2013, the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Portland Trailblazers 94 to 76, and the Venetian Sports Book has never been the same.

This was a Grizzlies season filled with great moments that I will not soon forget. In the next few weeks, there will be time to think about the future, but for the moment, I will enjoy the 2012-2013 Grizzlies, who outlasted all but 3 other teams in competition for an NBA Championship.

Heart, Grit, & Grind.

The Hangover: The 5 Most Disappointing Moments in Memphis Grizzlies History

Every once in a while, the Grizzlies transcend greatness to produce a heartbreaking disaster of a moment that inevitably leads me to binge drink, sulk, or binge drink and sulk.

I'm not a good loser to begin with. For example, in a recent game of Risk, when my armies were almost conquered, I attempted a last ditch effort to trade my assets to a neutral opponent, not to save my own skin, but just to piss off my conqueror. The trade was so insultingly desperate and dishonorable, that my trade partner wouldn't accept, even though he had nothing to lose but his pride. This was a slight step up from knocking the board off the table to end the game.

Combine me being a sore loser with the Grizzlies being great at losing, and you have a match made in Grizz  Country.

The Grizzlies' recent record-breaking playoff loss to the Clippers provides a historic entry into the annals of Grizzlies disappointments, but where does it stack up? Answering questions like these is how I spend my summer. Let's count down the 5 most disappointing moments in Grizz history because that will be fun.

To evaluate the most disappointing moments in Grizz history, I have assessed the expectations, the missed opportunity, and the psychological toll on the fans at the time of the event. This toll is very high as evidenced by this blog.

To give you an idea of what these criteria mean, consider 2 events that did not make the cut:

1) The 2003 LeBron James lottery: At the time, fans were resigned to losing the 2003 pick, which was #1 protected, due to the Grizzlies' low odds. There was only a brief period during the lottery when Grizz fans had glimmer of hope.

2) The 2011 playoff loss the the OKC Thunder: Game 7 and the triple OT Game 4 were both disappointing, but the Grizz still exceeded expectations by any standard. It's hard to be disappointed about the 2011 Grizzlies.

Both of these events were run-of-the-mill disappointments, and the Grizz live by a higher standard.

Here's the top 5:

5) The 2007 NBA Draft Lottery

You can't blame the Grizz for losing the 2007 NBA draft lottery. They did everything they could to produce the best possible outcome. They led the league with 60 losses, setting a franchise record for losses in post-Vancouver history. As a result, the Grizz had the best odds of winning a top pick. Also, Jerry West brought his lucky golf trophy to the selection process. A #1 pick for the Grizz in 2007 was preordained.

Not only that, but there were two consensus superstars in the 2007 draft, Kevin Durant and Greg Oden. At the time, winning the first or second pick was viewed by all as a ticket from mediocrity to a decade of winning and success. That presumption turned out to be 50% right, but that didn't impact our disappointment at the time.

The Grizzlies 'won' the fourth pick, and I didn't speak for 6 straight hours. My wife still complains about it.

4) The Selection of  Hasheem Thabeet in the 2009 NBA Draft

At the time of Thabeet's selection, many were disappointed. Thabeet was high on most folks' radar for his 'bust' potential. Today, we can discuss Thabeet among the all time busts. The disappointment factor was increased when the Grizz barely missed on winning the #1 pick to take consensus superstar Blake Griffin and then selected Thabeet at #2 over several more desirable prospects, like Ricky Rubio, Tyreke Evans, and Stephan Curry. (James Harden turned out to be the correct choice, but wasn't a sure bet at the time.)

Grizz fans' acceptance of the Thabeet selection was similar to Star Wars fans' acceptance of the Prequels. We knew in our hearts it wasn't right, but we wanted so desperately to believe everything would work out for the better. Ignoring our instincts doesn't make this moment less disappointing. Our disappointment was met with front row seats to Thabeet's atrocious rookie campaign, which was only surpassed in mediocrity by Thabeet's sophomore campaign.

3) The Game 1 Loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in the First Round of the 2012 Playoffs

The Grizz fought for home court advantage, and lost it in Game 1 by giving up a 27 point lead in the fourth quarter. This was a nightmare. I can barely speak about it. Let's move on.

2) The 12 Game Playoff Losing Streak from 2004-2006

By 2006, I was quite confident that the Grizzlies would win one playoff game.  It was kind of like how I felt when the Grizzlies were up by 27 in Game 1 against the Clippers, but the outcome was even more disappointing. When you lose 12 straight playoff games to start your playoff career, you start to develop a complex.

This year, the Knicks beat the Grizz playoff losing streak by losing 13 straight, but the Grizz still own the record for most losses to start a franchise playoff history. Take that Knicks!

PS the Grizzlies won 50, 46, and 49 regular season games in the stretch where they went 0-12 in the playoffs. The Grizzlies opponents lost a combined 19 playoff games in the years they swept the Grizzlies. (Dallas lost in the finals.)

1) The Trade of Pau Gasol for Kwame Brown and salary cap flexibility.

This trade was terrible in 2008, and the Grizzlies were a laughingstock. This was the biggest disappointment because the Grizzlies inflicted this upon themselves, enabled the Lakers to compete for championships, and Grizz fans had to listen to ridicule from just about everyone in the world for 3 straight seasons, until the improbable emergence of Marc Gasol.

See You Sunday

Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7 Game 7

The Return of David Loves the Grizzlies

This past week, pain been runnin deeper than the ocean...

And a lot of people have been talking about what the Grizzlies need to do to turn this thing around. More Tony Allen. Fewer jump shots. Better execution. No more setting records of futility. More Grit/Grind. Stop drafting terrible centers from Tanzania.

I have heard it all, but what the Grizz truly need is a rally post from the Bay Area's #1 Grizzlies Fan Blog. So here you have it. I have shared a pic below of me in my #1 rally cap as well as a pic of me with JCN, and calling it Grizz in 6.

The NBA Lockout: Where Amazing Happens

It's time to end the 2012 lockout of DavidLovesTheGrizzlies. I have come to an agreement with myself that I will keep 100% of blog related income which comes to $87.38 over 5 years.

In my first post back after 7 months, I choose not to discuss this awesome lockout in a Wojnarowskian piece condemning owners' tactics, ridiculing the players' tactics, and condemning the lawyers' lawyering.

Nope, I had a productive time off - moving to a new apt, getting married, and buying a new couch - so I thought I'd be productive in my first post back and help the League come up with a new marketing slogan for the 2012-2013 season.

Of course, my efforts quickly spiraled towards bitterness, which turned into sadness, then to anger, and then back to bitterness. But that's life as a Memphis Grizzlies fan!

I dressed up as the NBA Lockout for Halloween!

Anyway, as I was researching ideas, I realized several recent slogans were appropriate and could be reused easily:

• "Where Will Amazing Happen This Year?" (Maybe in the Minnesota District Courtroom!)
• "Last Season was Last Season" (I'm confused.)
• And whatever slogan the League used for those commercials where all the players' heads were inflated to 10x their normal size. (Savvy move headed into the lockout.)

Meeting these nice German ladies lifted my spirits. We chatted about what a great year Dirk had.

Since this is a blog, I wanted to come up with my own ideas, so I did what any respected Blogger would do and polled my friends for ideas. Here's what we came up with:

5. The NBA: Where Amnesty Happens

4. The NBA: Can't We All Just Get Back to Hating LeBron?

3. Where Will A Luxury Tax Paying Team Use Its Biannual Exception This Year?

2. The NBA: Cuz You Aren't Really Watching Hockey Right Now, Are You?

1. The NBA: Proving Games Really Don't Matter Until April Year After Year

Honorable Mention goes to my buddy Curt who suggested we reuse the Memphis Grizzlies' 2006-2007 slogan "Tell your kids they're going to Dunkyland."

Remembering that slogan briefly made me forget that we have already missed over 2 weeks of games.

If you've got a better slogan, please add it to the comments below. I love this game!

Believe Memphis

When I went to work on Friday, I told friends that April 29th would be either the best or the worst night of my life. The first Game 6 in the history of the Grizzlies had all the makings of another Grizzlies letdown. Within 2 seconds of defeating the top-seeded Spurs in Game 5, the Grizzlies blew a defensive possession and the Spurs made improbable shots to force a 6th game.

Losing the series after leading the Spurs 3-1 and leading Game 5 by 3 with 2 seconds remaining would fit perfectly into the Grizzlies' 10 year narrative of unprecedented losing and unmatched embarrassment.

But the Grizzlies won.

These Grizzlies are unlike any Grizzly before them.

For the first time in franchise history, the Grizzlies exceeded expectations. For the first time in Grizzlies playoff history, the team embarrassed someone else. For the first time in Memphis history, fans have more to be proud of than a well-played game here and there and some delicious BBQ nachos.

For once, the Grizzlies seized an opportunity and changed their narrative.

These Grizzlies' narrative is about winning now and winning later. It's trading Thabeet and locking up Zbo. It's selling out the FedEx Forum. It's the volume of emails, texts, and phone calls that prevent me from watching games on DVR delay. It's the Facebook message from someone I haven't spoken with in 6 years congratulating me as if I had done something other than endure 10 years of loyalty to a despicably bad sports team.

The Grizzlies are finally good.

All Heart, Grit, Grind

It's been 5 years since the Grizzlies were last swept out of the playoffs. At the time, the Grizzlies set a record for mediocrity, being swept for the third consecutive season (out of 3 total playoff appearances).

On Sunday, Memphis returns to the playoffs as an eighth seed, battling the four time NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, who completed the 2010-2011 season with the second best record in basketball.

Yet somehow, I am encouraged. While there's little hope that the Grizzlies' season will extend beyond the next two weeks, there is something different about these Grizzlies that inspires.

Something that made this season unashamedly entertaining despite modest results.

It's All Heart, Grit, Grind.

So here I am in my Tony Allen Tshirt, in Napa Valley California, purchasing a celebratory beverage to drink when the Grizzlies win their first playoff game in franchise history.

Go Grizz.

Grizzlies Meme: Embarrassing Losses

The Grizzlies don't just lose games, they lose in the most humiliating way imaginable, and they've been doing it for years.

Tonight's loss to the Nuggets is just the latest example in a long list of embarrassing losses that give Memphis fans an excuse to stay home from the FedEx Forum. Here are just a few reasons this loss was so humiliating:

1. The Nuggets were badly depleted: The Nuggets dressed only 8 players. 5 of those have a season PER less than 14. Every Grizzly Bear was available except for Rudy Gay and Stephen Curry.

2. The game was really important: The win gives Denver the tiebreaker should the Grizzlies and Nuggets end with the same record.

3. The Grizzlies effort was pathetic: The Nuggets largest lead was 27. The Grizzlies had 21 turnovers. Ty Lawson looked like Allen Iverson.

4. The national spotlight was shining: The Nuggets had just consummated the most anticipated trade in Carmelo Anthony history. The Grizzlies reminded everyone in the world that they're the Grizzlies.

You might be saying: David, the Grizzlies are doing ok this season. Don't you have anything nice to say? The answer is: No, I don't have anything nice to say. This shit adds up, but don't take my word for it. (Since I know you're not a close follower of the Grizzlies) Here's a sampling from just this season:

• 86-92 loss to Cleveland: worst team in the league / all time record for consecutive losses
  
  
• 118-123 loss to Phoenix: led by 4 with 3.7 seconds left in regulation
  
  
• 100-98 loss to Sacramento: 2nd worst Western Conference team / led by 3 with 31 seconds / led by 1 with 1.5 seconds / drafted Thabeet over Evans
  
  
• Swept by New Jersey: a historically bad team last season that's presently bad this season
  
  
• 84-96 loss to Chicago: without Noah or Boozer / on national TV
  
  
• 102-103 loss to New Orleans: led by 4 with 30 seconds left in OT
  
  
• Losses to sub-500 Golden State, Washington, and Charlotte by a combined 23 points with Stephen Curry, John Wall, and Gerald Wallace in street clothes

In all fairness, I wasn't going to bother writing this post. My updates have been spotty this season, and I don't like being the bearer of bad news when the team is playing slightly better than terrible.

But then I read Marc Gasol's postgame quote in the Commercial Appeal: "We were a little rusty."

A little rusty? Yo dawg, you just got punked by a team that might stand between you and the playoffs, and you were a little rusty? I hate to break it you, brosef, but you grabbed 2 rebounds and fouled out in 25 minutes tonight. That ain't a little rusty.

By the way, while we're chatting, you've grabbed only one (!?!?!?!) rebound. You are seven feet tall, and you grabbed one rebound in a game in which you played 39 minutes. It's time to shake of the rust, bruddah.

Back to Back 3s for Zach Randolph / Marc Gasol

I will never trust a team that gets swept by the New Jersey Nets, but the Grizzlies are consistently fun to watch. Take tonight's game for instance. Late in the Fourth, with the game decided, Zach Randolph made his 4th three of the season. On the following possession, Marc Gasol made his second three of the season. (If I recall correctly, his first was a desperation 3 at the buzzer. Comment if you remember his first.)

Tony Allen's Block Party

It has been an eventful 2011 in the Land O' The Grizz.

Two noteworthy events included 1) The Grizzlies' 19 point win over the Lakers in LA, and

2) an altercation between shooting guards Tony Allen and OJ Mayo over a debt owed to Allen.

According to Yahoo, Mayo owed Allen losses from a card game called Boo-Ray (or Bourré) and missed Tuesday's game as a result of injuries (ie a busted face) from the altercation.

According to the box score, Allen put together his best game the season, highlighted by what ESPN Writer John Hollinger called the "best defensive possession of [the] entire season".

This was enough for me to end my blogging silence. First, here is a look at the play to which Hollinger refers:

Next, here are highlights from a recent Boo-Ray game:

It is easy to see how this game can escalate.

And since we're on the subjects of embarrassing Pau Gasol moments and Tony Allen blocks, we may as well rewatch this for the millionth time.

By the way, here is a second look:

Still Grizzly After All These Years

I've been putting off writing about the Grizzlies partly due to competing priorities in my personal life and partly because I'm losing interest in writing about the Grizzlies.

I still follow all the news. For example, within hours of Acie Law missing the Grizzlies' flight to Denver, I was reading about his release at the dog park in my Twitter feed via Pete Pranica, Chris Vernon, and The Commercial Appeal.

I also still watch the games on NBA League Pass. I even splurged for tickets to a game at the Forum over the Thanksgiving Holiday. It will likely be the only game I see in person this year, and I came away disappointed even though the Grizzlies won. I didn't expect these Grizzlies to scrape out a victory at home against the Warriors sans David Lee.

Here was my view for the 1 game I'll attend in person this season. At home, the Grizz almost blew it to a Warriors team that was missing its best post player.

Despite watching the games and following the news I can't get excited about writing about any number of Grizzlies topics this year, including:

• The improvement of Rudy Gay and Mike Conley
• The struggles of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph
• OJ Mayo's move the bench
• The disappointment of Tony Allen
• Wins over Miami and the Lakers
• The tough early schedule
• The regression of Sam Young (from sometimes good to always bad)
• The regression of Hasheem Thabeet (from terrible to worse than terrible)
• The regression of Demarre Carroll (Who is Damarre Carroll again?)

Any of these are worthy topics for one of the top 50 Grizzlies blogs of all time.

But these topics seem unimportant at this point. These all pale in comparison to what's at the front of my mind: the Grizzlies are exactly what everyone (Grizzlies & fans excluded) expected them to be, a mediocre basketball team.

This guy is a complete joke. I really feel sorry for him, but he has become a symbol for the Grizzlies' failures.

This team is just plain bad. They are the type of team that might make the playoffs if it weren't for all the other teams getting better all the time.

Owner, Michael Heisley, and the Management team, led by General Manager Chris Wallace seem to expend all of their energy trying to convince the public that the 'young core' is exciting and will improve at some point in the future.

These efforts seem to come at the expense of actually improving the team. Instead of fielding a team that is in the top half of the league's teams, the organization is determined to convince everyone that things aren't as bad as they seem. Meanwhile, the team continues to lose. The acquisitions and draft picks are more often than not a disappointment, and the arena sits half empty for almost every game.

This theme -that the Grizzlies are a complete and utter disappointment- has dominated the Grizzlies for most of their 10 years in Memphis. If team's performance is this consistently bad for the next 10 years, even the most passionate Grizzlies fans will stop caring about any of the stories Heisley and his Admins are peddling. I hope someone miraculously turns this ship around sooner than that.

In the meantime, I'll try to do my part by giving voice to one Grizzly fan's disgust.

#Leh'Goooo!!!!!!!!!

I just finished watching Cavs vs Grizzlies. From December 8, 2009. Does that move me to the fringe of Grizzlies fans?

How could you not save this game on your DVR? This was the turning point in the season. When the top-ranked Cavs lost in Overtime to Memphis. When Haddadi "dunked that shit" on Shaq. When Haddadi hip-checked LeBron James across the Fedex Forum parquet.

About halfway through the third quarter I realized that I may have a problem. It's been a little over a week since I dropped a few dollars on some tickets to see the Grizz over Thanksgiving. I'm calling Comcast twice a week trying to order NBA League Pass. (Of course, NBA LP isn't 'in the system yet.) And now I'm watching games from a year ago like it's reruns of Law & Order.

If this is my excitement level after 10 seasons of playoff sweeps and lottery nightmares, then I think I might die if they actually have a winning season.

As Hasheem Thabeet might say, "#Leh'Goooo #Niceeeee".

10 Years in the Making

As we hit the mid-way point of the Grizzlies' preseason, one question comes to mind: "Who is the ugliest person on the Grizzlies' 10 year anniversary collage?"

Personally, I think the artist has a bias towards Stromile Swift, but I have to give him/her credit for finding a bad likenesses even for the most handsome Grizzly. (Eddie Jones, you know who you are.) I couldn't have done better if I had searched for "Memphis Grizzlies Open Mouth" on Google Images, but I guess they didn't want Jake Tsakalidis to stand out.

Two follow up questions might be: "Where is Hamed Haddadi?" and "Why are Chris Wallace and Jerry West smiling?"

This is why I'm here.

Michael Heisley Enjoys Provocative Kids

One day Michael Heisley won't be the owner of the Grizzlies. I hope that when that day comes, the Grizzlies remain in Memphis and aren't so run into the ground that no one with enough talent is willing to build the franchise back up.

God, he blew it.

In the meantime, we are resigned to moments like Monday's Chris Vernon Show, when Heisley joined Vernon for a half hour discussion about Xavier Henry's contract negotiations, how to run an NBA franchise, and whether the Grizzlies' organization was filled with yes men.

If you want to know exactly what Heisley said, go to Vernon's blog and listen. You can also download it at Itunes under 'chrisvernonshow'. (It's also worth listening to Vernon's interview last Thursday with Coach Lionel Hollins. In the interview, Hollins sounds just like Heisley, on Opposite Day.)

My key takeways from the interview are below. Some of the statements are pure speculation on my part. (I did not check the facts!) If you find these bullets unbelievable, then listen to the entire interview, linked above, and decide for yourself:

• Chris Wallace is a yes man.
• Lionel Hollins is not a yes man.
• Hakim Warrick is not a yes man.
• Arn Tellum is not a yes man.
• Tony Barone is a yes man.
• Jerry West was not a yes man.
• Jerry West encouraged Heisley to draft Hasheem Thabeet.
• Xavier Henry did not attend Summer Camp.
• Heisley has not read the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• Heisley pays other people to read the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
• Heisley had more influence on the Allen Iverson signing that other personnel moves.
• Heisley makes a lot of messes in his life.
• Heisley doesn't care how the other NBA owners conduct their business.
• Heisley isn't trying to please the press.
• Heisley thinks Chris Vernon is provocative.
• Heisley thinks Chris Vernon is a kid.
• Heisley enjoys Chris Vernon.
• Heisley enjoys provocative kids.

The Grizzlies' Contract Dispute with Xavier Henry is Idiotic

The Grizzlies never miss an opportunity to support the narrative that the owner is cheap and the team is poorly managed. We should be celebrating Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol, who are representing their countries in the World Basketball Championships. Instead, the Grizzlies are making headlines as a result of a contract dispute with rookie Xavier Henry and his agent Arn Tellum.

For those who aren't familiar with the situation, here is a brief overview:

• All 1st Round Picks have guaranteed contracts with only a few provisions that can be negotiated.
• This dispute is over whether the Grizzlies will pay 120% of Henry's guaranteed salary (the max allowed) or tie payment of the additional 20% to incentives.
• Most rookies receive 120% or are given basic incentives like Summer League attendance to earn the extra 20%.
• Some of the Grizzlies' proposed incentives are more difficult to achieve than attendance.
• The Grizzlies are publicly stating that they want the 20% incentive to motivate Henry.

The Commercial Appeal is reporting that three incentives that Henry must meet to receive the extra 20% include (directly quoted from the CA):

• Participation in summer league.
• A two-week workout program with the team's training staff.
• Satisfying one of the following: play in NBA rookie/sophomore game during All-Star weekend, or earn an all-rookie selection, or average 15 minutes in at least 70 games.

On Chris Vernon's radio show, General Manager Chris Wallace told Vernon that requiring such incentives was "within our rights" and that (paraphrasing) offering a carrot to incentivize performance was a 'best practice'.

On the face, it sounds like the Grizzlies are making a smart move: Use money to motivate players to perform. The only problem is that the science of motivation contradicts the Grizzlies' strategy. Money is not a good motivator for something as complex as making the Rookie team or averaging 15 minutes per game. These aren't goals that Henry can complete using limited cognitive ability.

Thus, there are two options: Either Michael Heisley is incompetent or the Grizzlies are belying their true motivation -- to save money if Henry doesn't pan out -- with the false motive of offering Henry a carrot to perform.

The science says carrots and sticks don't motivate people to perform.

Money is really a great motivator for basic tasks that don't require cognitive skill like showing up to Summer League. However, as Dan Pink explains in his book Drive, summarized in the above video, science shows us that money is a poor incentive to do something as abstract as become a better basketball player. If Henry gets into the rookie game, it won't be because money drove him to do so. That logic is just plain dumb.

According to the video, Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose are the great motivators of performance and success. Top companies set lofty purposes about changing the world to help motivate their employees. The Grizzlies might set a goal like winning an NBA Championship or becoming the best basketball team. Instead, they take every opportunity to frame the discussion about money. Goals are salary cap flexibility or being financially responsible.

As a result, they're perceived as a cheap organization, and they've fostered a culture of losing. As the Grizzlies celebrate their 10th season in Memphis, I hope they reflect on the fact that they've only produced 3 winning seasons and Zero playoff wins. Of course, that won't motivate them to do something a complex as winning some games for the city of Memphis. But maybe it will help them realize that ending this dispute with Henry might help them drive towards a better purpose.

Rudy Gay: How to Earn $80 Million in 5 Seasons

Rudy Gay is about to ink a 5 year, $80 million contract with the Grizzlies.

We can talk about how Gay is being overpaid. About how he hasn't performed at that level in his career. About how he's unlikely to ever live up to his contract.

About how Heisley could have paid less. About how Heisley is repeating mistakes of the past. About how Heisley is unlikely to pay Marc Gasol, who has been better than Gay, or OJ Mayo, who might be better than Gay. About how Heisley clearly has no idea what he's doing.

And we will discuss these points. But what's the rush? We can rehash the latest edition of "Running the Worst Sports Franchise in Besides the Detroit Lions" next season, especially if the Grizzlies miss the playoffs as they have every season Gay has played.

Is this as close as Rudy gets to a star?

However, that's not what I want to talk about now. What I want to talk about now is how Gay can earn his salary.

It's not about his scoring average, his steals, blocks, or dunks. It has nothing to do with how he contributes to the communities of Memphis, Baltimore, or Haiti.

Earning his money also has nothing to do with his shaky 3 point shot, his ball handling, or his alleged ability to pass the ball to teammates.

It has to do with toughness and intensity. Rudy Gay can earn his contract by transforming the culture of this franchise from one of losing to one of winning with toughness and intensity.

Gay needs to be the guy leveling his friend Chris Paul when Paul tries to penetrate into the Grizzlies' paint. Gay must be the guy LeBron James is whining about to refs because Gay is pushing, pulling, and generally disrupting James for 48 minutes.

Kick his ass Rudy. Kick his ass like he just told you: "You ain't worth 80 million cause you never won anything".

When an opponent blows by OJ Mayo, or when Marc Gasol fails to play help defense, Gay should first look at Mayo and Gasol in disgust, and then yell at them during a timeout. And it should make sense because Gay didn't blow an assignment or take a break on defense.

When the referees call Hasheem Thabeet for his 5th foul for looking in Kobe Bryant's general direction, Gay had better be getting a technical before Kobe gets a chance to shoot a free throw. Even if Thabeet did foul him. And he probably did.

When the Grizzlies lose, Gay better be the guy throwing chairs in the locker room and stealing Geoff Calkins' pen.

Whether he deserves it or not, Gay was just awarded the burden of carrying the Memphis Grizzlies to respectability. He's going to battle with a 9-season legacy of losing, an owner who's doing his best to run the franchise into the ground, and a team that's badly under-staffed to challenge the league's best.

He's not going to succeed by sitting back and letting chips fall where the may. He's not going to succeed because he improved his jumpshot or added 10 pounds of muscle.

The only chance Gay has of succeeding establishing himself as toughest guy on the court leaving everything he's got on the floor every night. If Gay can pull it off, it will be $80 million well spent.

Chris Wallace's Resume Leaked!

Griz Owner Michael Heisley resigned General Manager Chris Wallace, and it's no wonder why. Says Heisley, "I feel he's done a decent job." And if wasn't enough, Wallace recently reworked his resume to highlight some of his achievements.

An anonymous source close to the organization sent us Wallace's resume, pasted below, with Wallace's contact information removed. As you can see, Wallace's list of accomplishments is a clear indication that he's the best candidate for the job.

CHRISTOPHER WALLACE

901-xxx-xxxx

xxxxxxxx@grizzlies.com

Germantown, TN

---

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Memphis Grizzlies

General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations (2007 - Present)

• Team record Regular Season: 86-160 (.350) / Playoffs: 0-0 (.000)
• Average Attendance: 13,000 (cap. 18,119)
• Traded Pau Gasol (2x NBA Champion, 3x NBA All-Star, 2x All-NBA 3rd Team, Rookie of the Year, FIBA World Championship MVP) for Marc Gasol (NBA All-Rookie 2nd Team) and Cash Considerations.
• Optimized the Draft process by cutting Scouting Department by 100% and reducing the number of top prospects with in-person workouts
• Drafted Hasheem Thabeet, Kevin Love (traded), Mike Conley, Donte Green (traded), DeMarre Carroll, Sam Young
• Traded for OJ Mayo (All-Rookie 1st Team), Zach Randolph (1 Time NBA All-Star), Ronnie Brewer, Marko Jaric, Greg Buckner, Antoine Walker, Darrell Arthur, Chris Mihm, Adonal Foyle, Mike Wilks, 3 suitcases of cash, and a conditional 2nd Round Draft Pick
• Signed Free Agents Darius Miles, Allen Iverson, Jamaal Tinsley, Darko Milicic, Hamed Haddadi

Boston Celtics

General Manager (2000 - 2007)

• Team record Regular Season: 267-307 (.465) / Playoffs: 16-21 (.432)
• Average Attendance: 16,382 (cap. 18,624)
• Drafted Joe Johnson (Traded), Al Jefferson, Delonte West, Tony Allen, Darius Songalia, Randy Foye, Dahntay Jones (Traded), Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Kendrick Brown, Troy Bell (Traded)
• Traded for Vin Baker, Rodney Rogers, Tony Delk

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

• Named to Sports Illustrated's list of Most Influential Members of the College Basketball Media, 1991

This will help me feel better

Why I Cheer Against Pau Gasol

This is the the time of year when it's most difficult to be a Grizzlies fan. It's been over 2 months since the Grizzlies won a game. There's no longer hope that the Grizzlies will miraculously win the Draft Lottery. (Or win the second pick and blow it on a sure fire bust.) And Jeff Van Gundy is reminding the world 3 times weekly why Pau Gasol is the most skilled player in the game.

Call me negative, but every time the elder Gasol excels, my hopes that the Lakers lose grow a little bit.

People often ask me: What's my problem? How does it feel to have so much hate? Isn't it time to move on? By all accounts, Gasol is a nice guy. He's one of the top offensive big men in the NBA. He has a high basketball IQ, a strong work ethic, and is devoted to his teammates. What's there not to like?

Allow me to explain.

1. He plays for the Lakers. Hatred of the Lakers is independent of Gasol - the Lakers are the Yankees of the NBA . They're perennial front runners, who inherently have advantages over most other NBA teams (appealing destination, large TV revenue). That doesn't discount the hard work of the Lakers' players, coaches and front office. You can't be good without hard work, skill, and luck. (Just ask New York.) But it's easy to cheer against frontrunners, especially when they have advantages over their competition.

There are other teams that could be considered front runners. (Boston is one of them, and Cleveland is not.) But none is as much of a front runner as the Lakers, and Pau is a casualty of this.

If Pau played for Cleveland, Miami, Houston, or Denver, it would be more difficult to cheer against him.

Aside: It's worth noting the more subjectively unappealing aspects of the Lakers. The glitter, the Hollywood scene, the bandwagon fans, the perceived effort to ability ratio (except Kobe). Doesn't it seem like the Lakers lose because they didn't try hard enough whereas other teams lose because they're not talented enough?

Of course there's someone parading the streets of LA as a Pau Gasol lookalike.

2. The better Gasol looks, the worse the Grizzlies look.

It's not easy to make the Grizzlies look worse than they already do. We might be approaching a threshold. Until then, Gasol's success keeps pushing the boundary.

Trading a borderline All Star who can't guard Leon Powe during his prime for Kwame Brown is a lot better than trading the second best player for an NBA Champion during his prime. With every additional championship, All Star game, and statistically successful season, Gasol undermines the Grizzlies' credibility a little more.

You don't want to be known for trading a Hall of Famer during his prime. People will start to question your judgement.

3. He's Pau Gasol.

As previously stated, Gasol seems like a good guy, and he's the most offensively dynamic big man in the NBA. There's a lot to like.

But his game is finesse, and he makes those horrid faces. For a 7 footer, his rebounding and help defense are weak, and for such a dynamic scorer, his 4th quarter presence is not great. It just so happens these skills are typically associated with effort. In an unfortunate twist of fate, the Lakers also have the perfect remedies for this: Andrew Bynum (rebounding, help defense) and Kobe (4th quarter).

And that's why it was so difficult to build a successful team around him in Memphis. It's not easy to find a center like Andrew Bynum that fits well next to Gasol. Especially when you draft Drew Gooden and trade for Brian Cardinal. The team needed top notch perimeter defenders (James Posey & Shane Battier) to compensate for poor interior defense, which meant the team couldn't sacrifice perimeter defense for scoring (Rudy Gay). Also, unlike the Lakers management, the Grizzlies management wasn't good or lucky. The funny part was that the Grizzlies management was the Lakers management. Or maybe that wasn't funny.

When you type "pau gasol look" into Google, 2 search queries that come up are: "pau gasol looks like a llama" and "pau gasol looks like an ostrich". I'm just sayin.

4. Then there was Spain. Not the country. But the Basketball team.

Gasol seemingly gave more effort for the Spanish National Team than he did for the Grizzlies. (I believe this was perception and not reality, but it still impacts likability.) Even worse there was the time Gasol broke his foot, contributing to the Grizzlies' transition from playoff team back to lottery regular. Breaking his foot didn't actually contribute to Pau's likability, but privately asking for a trade shortly after his return did.

Pau's success with Spain (and LA) was probably more circumstance than effort or desire, and his request for a trade was a minor blunder in a 6.5 season stretch in Memphis. But the fact remains that the max contract, franchise player demanded a trade after giving 110% to another team. Now, he's in LA, and he reportedly won't be playing for Spain in the summer.

So I hope Marc Gasol will forgive me if I'm not cheering for the Lakers in the Finals. They're an unlikable team, and their success, along with Pau's, makes the Grizzlies look bad.

Beat LA.

The Grizzlies' Strategy is Still the Wrong Strategy

In a recent chat with Chris Vernon, Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace explained which deficiencies the team is looking to improve during the offseason:

Wallace said: "We need to strengthen the pitching rotation we have at the point guard position because you need more than one player [at point guard]. Other needs in no particular order are more outside shooting, ... more overall athleticism, ... size, length, and athleticism at the perimeter, ... and a veteran presence."

This isn't the first time that Wallace or Heisley has suggested that the Grizzlies are looking for role players to add to the core starters from last year, and it's still the wrong approach to improving the team.

This is the type of strategy that produces 0 playoff victories in 15 seasons. The Grizzlies don't need a backup point guard and a three point shooter. They need a top 15 player. They need someone with the potential to make an All-NBA team, not someone who can help them win one or two games.

Last year's squad didn't win half the games it played and didn't even make the playoffs. The team was better than previous teams which sparred for the league's worst record, but these players aren't going to spontaneously improve to top 5 in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies earned the 10th seed in part because of their own health and other teams' injuries. (#11 New Orleans and #12 the LA Clippers both had injuries to their stars / potential stars that derailed their seasons.) They may digress if not as healthy next season.

As Jamie Vann Struth explains at OpposingViews.com, the Grizzlies' stats suggest they weren't as good as their record indicated. Their performance was equal to that of a 37 win team, not a 40 win team, so they weren't as close to making the playoffs as it may seem.

Lionel Hollins wants to reap the benefit of developing the young players, and it's true that is has been painful to watch Gasol dominate in the playoffs. It's also true that the Grizzlies are young, but 3 of their 4 best players, Randolph, Gasol, and Gay, are old enough that there is little chance of each developing into more than a borderline All Star. Mayo is young enough that there's an outside chance he could make strides, but I'm not mortgaging the house on the chance that he'll be the best or second best player on an NBA Champion.

Don't get me wrong. I like all four of the Grizzlies' top four, and I'd be happy to have any of them on the team. But the idea that this team is going to take the Grizzlies to relevance is wrong.

The Grizzlies need to be looking for opportunities to acquire a perennial All Star, not a backup point guard.