NBA NEWS
Memphis Grizzlies Will Improve – We Have Adriana Lima Too!
Published by MoonDog on October 25, 2008
After consecutive 22-60 regular seasons, the Memphis Grizzlies look to gain a measure of respectability as they enter the 2008-09 campaign. Considering how bad the Grizzlies were last season, any improvement will be welcomed.
Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach Marc Iavaroni
Second-year coach Marc Iavaroni will have his work cut out for him as he tries to get the Grizzlies to at least play passable defense. Iavaroni was hired on May 30 last year after serving as an assistant under Mike D’Antoni with the Phoenix Suns for five seasons.
Iavaroni envisioned bringing the Suns’ up-tempo offense to the Grizzlies, an offense that had proven to be wildly successful in Phoenix. But there were two huge problems with implementing that system with the Grizzlies.
Memphis didn’t have the talent to run the Suns’ offense and couldn’t stop opponents from lighting up the scoreboard, not exactly a recipe for success.
In an effort to address the Grizzlies’ defensive problems, Memphis hired former Arizona Wildcats interim coach Kevin O’Neill in hopes his expertise would help improve the defense.
O’Neill probably has the most difficult job on the staff when you take into account just how bad Memphis was last season while giving up 106.9 PPG.
The Grizzlies have built their current roster of 14 players with selections from the past three drafts and acquisitions through several trades.
The most notable trade of course came last year when the Grizzlies sent Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Javaris Crittenton, Kwame Brown, Aaron McKie, cash, and first-round draft picks in 2008 and 2010.
Marc Gasol
Also included in the deal with the Lakers were the rights to Pau’s brother Marc, whom the Grizzlies signed to a three-year, $9.72 million deal in July.
The younger Gasol spent the past five years in the Spanish ACB League, playing for Akasvayu Girona last season where he was named the league’s MVP. Gasol averaged 16.2 PPG and 8.3 RPG in 34 games.
The 23-year-old Gasol helped Spain win the gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championships and the silver medal at the 2007 FIBA European Basketball Championships.
Gasol has been the starting center during the preseason and will give Memphis an interior presence they’ve lacked the past two seasons.
His defensive abilities are questionable at this point but at minimum, he’ll provide the Grizzlies with rebounding help they desperately need.
O.J. Mayo
The Grizzlies made a draft day deal that saw them send the rights to Kevin Love, whom the Grizzlies selected with the fifth overall pick, to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for guard O.J. Mayo.
The deal also included Minnesota sending guard Marko Jaric, forward Antonie Walker and guard Greg Buckner to Memphis in exchange for forward Mike Miller, center Jason Collins and forward Brian Cardinal.
Mayo left USC after his freshman year, averaging 20.7 PPG while helping lead the Trojans to the NCAA tournament this past spring.
Though he spent most of his time playing point at USC, Mayo will most likely occupy the starting shooting guard position for the Grizzlies.
Mayo will be more valuable to Memphis if he can add another outside threat to compliment Rudy Gay. Mayo wasn’t a bad defender in college, but whether that translates into a good NBA defender remains to be seen.
Darrell Arthur
In another draft day deal, the Grizzlies sent Donte Greene to the Portland Trail Blazers for Darrell Arthur and a second-round pick in 2009. The Grizzlies selected Greene with the 28th pick in the draft while the Trail Blazers selected Arthur with the 27th pick.
Arthur helped the University of Kansas defeat the Memphis Tigers to win the NCAA national championship in April. Arthur isn’t immediately expected to be in the two-deep rotation, but he could eventually provide some defensive and rebounding help as the season progresses.
Rudy Gay has jelled into the player Memphis believed he could be when they drafted him in 2006. Gay averaged 20.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last season, becoming the Grizzlies go-to guy after Pau Gasol was traded.
Rudy Gay Has Become One of the NBA's Most Exciting Players
Gay has all of the tools to become an All-Star but he does have a tendency to lose focus during games, effecting his defense, but O’Neill should be able to help Gay become a better defender.
Starting at point this season will be second-year pro Mike Conley, Jr., who developed nicely during the second half last year. Conley averaged 9.4 points and 4.2 assists during his rookie season and has proven to be an excellent traffic cop on the court.
Conley has a solid shot, and has the speed to get past any defender. If he doesn’t take the ball to the basket, he can create opportunities for Gay and Mayo on the outside.
Hakim Warrick enters his fourth season with Grizzlies and last year was easily his best since being drafted in 2005. Warrick averaged 11.4 PPG and 4.7 RPG last season and has always been a good offensive player.
He possesses the athletic ability to make the Grizzlies transition game pretty scary, but Warrick was the worst defensive player on the Grizzlies roster last season, especially in the post.
Javaris Crittenton figures to be the point guard coming off the bench, at least that’s the rotation Memphis used in the preseason. Crittenton has the size to post up smaller guards and could also see some time playing shooting guard.
Mike Conley, Jr.
He doesn’t have the speed of Conley and his outside shot needs work, but he’ll provide minutes and potential matchup problems for opposing defenses.
The Memphis bench has some added depth this season with the additions of Buckner, Walker, Jaric and free agent acquisition Quinton Ross, a defensive specialist that spent four seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers.
Walker serves as the team’s most experienced player, entering his 13th season in the league. During his youth Walker was a legitimate three-point threat and could run the floor, but these days his contributions will be limited to spelling Warrick.
Jaric has the distinction of having perhaps the hottest girlfriend on the planet, none other than Victoria’s Secret Angel Adriana Lima. Jaric could see time at shooting guard or small forward and possesses a decent shot. He’ll provide minutes while Mayo, Gay or Warrick take a breather.
Hakim Warrick
The Grizzlies also have Darko Milicic coming off the bench to spell Gasol and perhaps Warrick. The Grizzlies signed the former Detroit Piston and Orlando Magic forward to a 3-year, $21 million free agent deal in 2007.
Milicic’s career had been a failure prior to his arrival in Memphis and continued to be a failure throughout the course of last season.
For the $6.5 million Milicic earned last year, the Grizzlies got a player who averaged 7.2 PPG and 6.1 RPG. Not exactly the stuff legends are made of.
Once considered to be a force in the European leagues, Milicic has never acclimated his game to the NBA.
The Grizzlies signed free-agent center Hamed Haddadi who led all 2008 Olympians in rebounding and blocks to possibly be the primary backup to Gasol.
Hamed Haddadi
Haddadi averaged 16.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in Olympic competition while playing five games for the Iranian National Team. Haddadi spent the 2007-08 season playing for Saba Battery BC in the Iranian Super League.
The Grizzlies will be among the quickest teams in the league this year and the transition game should provide some exciting moments.
Memphis is a young team that has a lot of potential, but they’ll need at least this year and possibly next season to develop. Memphis has nine players on the roster with three years of NBA experience or less, and that lack of experience will be their undoing this season.
Given their decencies on defense, the lack of a consistent interior presence and limited depth, Memphis should be better than last year, but don’t look for them to improve into a playoff team.
If the Grizzlies can manage to win between 26 and 30 games, the season will have been a success. Memphis will have a lot of salary cap space available at the end of the season and perhaps management will spend the money to add a few necessary pieces.
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