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Memphis Grizzlies (Last Year: 19-63)
Depth Chart:
C: Marc Gasol/Hasheem Thabeet/Hamed Haddadi/Steven Hunter
PF: Zach Randolph/Darrell Arthur
SF: Rudy Gay/DeMarre Carroll/Sam Young
SG: O.J. Mayo/Allen Iverson/Quinton Ross
PG: Mike Conley/Marko Jaric/Quincy
Douby/Marcus Williams
Head Coach: Lionel Hollins
(2nd year)
2009-2010 Team Salary: $56.3 million
Projected 2010-2011 Team
Salary: approximately $47.2 million
Off-Season Grade: Fail
It is unfortunate that the
Grizzlies’ general manager shares his name with one the greatest rappers
ever, Notorious B.I.G. Maybe we should start calling Memphis’
Chris Wallace “The Notorious B.A.D.G.M.” because he continues to
make absolutely idiotic decisions that continue to haunt one of the
worst franchises in the NBA.
Baffling, unfathomable, stupid;
pick a synonym. All those words would aptly describe Wallace for
trading Quentin Richardson to the Clippers for Zach Randolph.
Who in their right mind purposely acquires a head case with a terrible
contract (two years, $33.3 million remaining) on a supposed up-and-coming
young team that is in a great situation with the salary cap, and calls
it a good idea? “The Notorious B.A.D.G.M.”, that’s who.
Outside of that guaranteed
blunder, the Griz had a fairly quiet offseason until they finally convinced
Allen Iverson to come to Memphis because, well, nobody else really wanted the
so-called “Answer.” Yes, Iverson is going to play with a massive
chip on his shoulder, but that’s not necessarily a good thing.
A.I. is a scorer who loves having the ball in his hand and is known
to play 1-on-5 offense. His addition to the team is likely to
stunt the growth and take away opportunities from talented young players
like O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay. But if you are a Grizzlies franchise
badly in need of some publicity and drawing fans to see your pathetic
excuse of an NBA franchise, then why not roll the dice on bringing A.I.
to Memphis?
They took project Hasheem Thabeet
with the second-overall pick in the draft, and added DeMarre Carroll
and Sam Young with later selections to add depth at forward and on the
wing.
2009-2010 Outlook:
Randolph punches a teammate.
That should be fun. Other than that, it is going to be a long
season in Memphis. There are some nice young pieces led by Gay
and Mayo, but a lack of depth and experience will hurt the Grizzlies,
as will Iverson chucking up 30 shots a game and refusing to pass the
ball. Hollins may actually have to incorporate the junior high
rule of “three passes before a shot.”
On a serious note, it will
also be a telling season for third-year point guard Mike Conley.
The former fourth-overall pick has yet to live up to his potential and
will need to take that next step if the Griz are to make any noise at
all. Well, besides the noise of Randolph’s fist hitting one
his teammates’ face.
Looking Ahead to the Summer of 2010:
The Randolph trade really handcuffed
Memphis’ flexibility next offseason. The true story will revolve
around Gay though, who will become a restricted free agent. It
would not be shocking if the former UConn Husky decides to play out
the final year of his contract so he could become an unrestricted free
agent in 2011 and free himself from a franchise that is searching for
an identity. I suppose if the Grizzlies offer him a max-level
extension, the temptation to stay with the team might be too big to
resist. Knowing the “Notorious B.A.D.G.M.,” he will probably
deal Gay straight up for a terrible contract like Dan Gadzuric or Eddy
Curry. I mean you can’t rule it out, right?
2009-10 NBA Power Ranking: 26th
Written by Paul Banks of NBC Chicago and the Washington Times, and David Kay of the The Sports Bank.
Send Paul an e-mail here: paulb05 AT hotmail DOT com.
All other e-mail, including advertising and link proposals, send to: [email protected]
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