Bleacher Report - Articles by Chip Crain

Diary Of A Mad Grizz Fan Part Two.

Chip Crain — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:55:00 -0400

For those catching up: Part One

I head to Midtown to do some shopping in Cooper-Young and have a cup of coffee. You've gotta love Cooper-Young. Skaters wearing socks on their arms, and all the counterculture you could ask for. George Carlin would be proud. Talking sports here would surely be fun. I hadn't had any real lunch yet, just a few brews so I stop at Celtic Crossing to have this gouda cheeseburger. Try it, you'll love it.

That was my George Lapides shameless promotion moment.

The servers are Celtic and the friendliest around, so it is easy to get a conversation started up with them. I turned the conversation to sports and we began talking about how my Cowboys picked up Roy Williams and what that would do for our offense. I then said "Well I'm actually a basketball man myself, and I can't wait for the season to start. I love my Mavs, but Im a Grizz fan first."

Dude laughed. LAUGHED.

Then silence.

Like I had just told a big Jesus joke in Bethlehem.

He thought he had hurt my feelings so he said, "Uh, I don't really think theyre going to be that good this year, but man good for you if you can support a team that doesnt win a lot."

Thanks.

I just smiled and said, "Well thats what being a fan is all about...Hell, I was a Mavs fan back in the days of Ced Ceballos and Reunion Arena, so I can tolerate grisly Grizzlies."

I asked him if he had ever been to a game and he said he had not.

"They'd just lose," he said. "It'd be a waste of money."

Yikes. Why do so many in the city feel this way? A sporting event is a sporting event! It's fun to cheer and get into the game, and if you lose, so what?? You screamed, you drank some beer, you high-fived when they tried to make a comeback, you had fun! A waste of money, no sir.

We alternated the conversation back and forth from basketball to football, to music. Now there is something I can talk about for hours.

I inhaled my cheeseburger and decided to head to East Memphis. Ah, the "elite" of Memphis. The people who buy the season tickets and would at least go to the game for the social aspect, right? We shall see...in a few days time.

Rudy Gay, Jack of all Trades, to Blog for Memphis Grizzlies

Chip Crain — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 01:21:00 -0400

By Kirk Holland

For those of you who don't know, Rudy Gay will be blogging this upcoming season on the Grizzlies website.

I, for one, am ecstatic, if for no other reason than that I no longer have to read Casey Jacobsen blog entries, which were the equivalent of a written colonoscopy.

Should be an interesting year, and hopefully Rudy has not only added blogging to his list of talents, but an improved overall game as well.

Glad to hear that Rudy spent time watching the Summer leaguers this year; that in itself shows me he is passionate about this team, and wants to succeed.

Also, I found it interesting about his mentioning Michael Phelps (Lord of the Olympiads), and how he is now the third favorite son of Baltimore behind Phelps and Melo.

I truly believe he will soon supplant Carmelo as the second favorite, gold medal or not. And hopefully, when we win our eighth NBA championship (I know, I know) he can take that coveted first spot.

Heck, he's already one of Memphis's favorite adopted sons, and continually rising.

Anyways, good luck this year, Rudy, both on the court and in your blogging endeavors; may you find success in all areas.

Oh, I can still beat you in bowling, Rudy.

Diary of a Mad Grizz Fan, Part One

Chip Crain — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:36:00 -0400

I became so intrigued by my own writings about the subject of no one caring that the Grizzlies were here that I decided to conduct an experiment.

I'm a pretty sociable guy. I talk to everyone I come into contact with without crossing the line into invasion of privacy, so I decided that on my lunch break and shopping excursion out in Memphis I was going to eke the Grizzlies into my conversations with people, just to see what they thought about the subject.

Jesus H., what a long sentence.

I knew that my experiment could not be biased, so I planned my day to be in several parts of town.

I would have lunch downtown, since I like being downtown on my off-days/no-class days. I would shop Cooper-Young and East Memphis (two very different demographics). Then I would head out and pick up the fiancée for dinner that night, picking over what I had learned.

With the plan set in motion, I was off to lunch. I parked in the garage and set off to South Philly.

(Quick pet peeve, though: Why in the hell do we use tokens to pay for parking now? Seriously, can't I just give you my money?)

I stopped in there and decided I don't want a sandwich, so I just had a beer instead. ESPN was on the plasma screen, and there was a man probably in his 30s craning his neck to watch the screen. I sat at the table next to him so I could see the television.

A few minutes and a new beer later, I said, "I wish they'd talk about some preseason. I want to see what they are saying about Mayo."

His response: "Yeah, that Mayo kid's something good. Who's he playin' for?"

Wha??

I said, "Memphis, man! He plays for us! We traded Miller, drafted Love, and traded 'em both with Cardinal to get him, and Jaric...and Walker..." I trailed off.

He legitimately didn't know.

To the right of this man in South Philly was a Hello Mayo poster. I told him how Mayo fired off 26 points the other night in preseason and how Rudy looks good this year. By the end of the conversation, he said he might try to make it to a game.

I felt good. I drank the last of my second beer and headed off to Midtown.

My attempt to convert lost Midtowners to the way of the Grizz will be posted in a few days. Until then, spread the good word. Fill the Forum.

There's A Tear in My Bear...

Chip Crain — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:19:00 -0400

Our older readers will appreciate the Hank Williams Sr. reference.

I was going to call this "Tears of a Clown," but Geoff Calkins is no clown. He is a good sports writer, an enthusiastic writer with a wry sense of humor in some of his articles, and a friend to the three Shades of Blue blog.

That being said...I take issue with this article.

I know, I know. It's from Oct 9. Get with the program, Zac.

The truth is, I am slowly getting back into Grizz news. After taking a vacation with the fiance down to Miami where I *looks around for the government* partook in an illegal cigar despite Cuban embargos, and had too many drinks at Trader Vic's, this was the story that caught my attention.

Meet New Grizz, Same as Old Grizz.

Really? We wear putrid uniforms, start a revolving door of WTF cares players like Batiste, Archibald, Chris Owens, and Ike Austin, and our coach has a shinier dome than the Hubert H. Humphrey in Minny?

Nah...They aren't the same old Grizz players. The same old Grizz marketing mentality and the same old Memphis is more like it.

For an article that claims its optimism by saying that the way to look at FedEx Forum on that night as 1/16th filled, this article is not very optimistic. However, he goes on to basically give statements that show why the arena was not very full on that night. The caliber of players, it was a middle of the work week game, etc. The article closes with the statement "All they (fans) need is the team."

Geoff, my friend, we have a team. A much improved one. You're exactly right that no one seems to notice or care. You are also right when you say the city feels alienated from the team. However the tone of your article makes it seem like its the players' problem. It is not. We have more talent, and I will tell you why they are not noticing.

Marketing.

Marketing has been the achilles heel for the Grizzlies ever since they got here. They didn't feel the need to market because it was new and fresh. When that wore off, we had the new arena smell to market the team.

Then, it was three playoff appearances and three straight sweeps in the first round with no wins. There has never been a long standing effort to connect the team to the city other than the great, and I mean great work they do with St. Jude Children's Hospital. When are the talking heads going to realize that two panels on MATA buses and a couple of billboards just don't cut it?

Advertising has been a long-standing problem in this city, as long as I have lived here. Unless you see the one billboard (which seems to be the solution in this city, one billboard will do it) for Mednikow or Laurelwood, you will not know where it is, or what is there unless you are a longtime resident.

Another fun fact about that: The billboards are located in the part of town Laurelwood is in, the area where yes most of their customers come from, but already know it is there. How about one in Germantown, or Collierville, or downtown? Settling for the status quo will surely win you that area, but how about expansion?

The only thing bigger than the usual base is a bigger one. Local real estate experts in the city talk up the South Main district as a burgeoning retail and residential option to be in the city. How many people know that its there due to advertisements? Not everyone reads RSVP magazine, or the Downtowner. They shouldn't have to. It should be advertised.

Seemingly, they are happy with the slow growth they get from word of mouth. Speeding up the process by advertising doesn't seem to register. When I was in Miami this week, there was a billboard on every building that they had condominiums for rent or for lease or even sale.

True enough, this is most likely due to desperation of moving units in the midst of a home crisis, but the advertising worked. Without fail, people would see the signs on the building, and stop in the sales office. Even I did, because if my condo in Destin doesn't work out, Miami is always a viable option, sans the nose candy trafficking.

There were also billboards for the Heat. The Heat, who went 15-67 and had an empty arena on most nights with a legitimate NBA champion star Dwayne Wade. Billboards. Commercials on the television channels. The news media talked them up, talked up Beasley.

There were advertisements for public appearances by the players on the daily! This is how you connect with a city. You do all of these things and you do them with frequency.

The block parties are a good start. However, when something has low attendance, the consensus of the marketing department seems to be "Well that didnt work so we shouldnt do it anymore." FALSE. It's working. What doesnt work is for it to be so erratic. You do it once, you dont do it again...thats what creates discord and a sense of ineptitude and not caring about the city and fans. You keep it up, and the numbers will go up eventually.

I'll give you another example.

One Beale is a now-defunct condominium/luxury hotel project that was to be situated on a great piece of real estate on Beale St right by the trolley tracks and pedestrian bridge. If the visual isnt working for you, right across from Waterford Plaza. If you dont know what that is, well, it probably isnt properly advertised. Ba-zing. I digress.

One Beale was the most ambitious residential proposal that came to fruition since I have lived here in Memphis. The sales office operated out of the old Landry's right there on...I believe it is Wagner Place. This was to be a beautiful sight. Expensive luxury condominiums with river and city views, a Hyatt hotel, a spa, and a chef-driven restaurant.

No advertisement except for a billboard right above where said property was to be located, a website with renderings, and the occasional one to two page spread in RSVP magazine which was nothing more than what you could see on the website.

This was Memphis' legitimacy in the condo market. This was big. Why was this not pushed as a possible destination for retirees in the entire Mid-South market, or America as a whole? To Elvis fanatics and music lovers alike, Memphis IS a viable tourist market, and a place you could plunk down cash for a second home. The project was said to fail due to "a slowing and shrinking market and decreasing demand."

The fact is, the project would be in construction today if they had sold enough units to justify starting construction so the building wouldnt be sitting empty. Proper advertising would have made that happen.

Notice the correlation.

Bringing the Grizzlies to Memphis was the most ambitious proposal Ive ever heard of since I have been in Memphis. It was going to be a beautiful sight. Luxury suite boxes, hotels around the corner of the arena, and a private restaurant for game-goers. There is no advertisement sans a few transit buses and a few billboards, but nothing to generate much excitement and especially foster a closeness with the town.

Oh, but there was a website with information and the occasional one to two page spread telling you things you already could find on the website. This was Memphis' legitimacy in the sports market. This was big.

Why was this, and is this not pushed as a big night out, a great night out on the town, the only professional sports franchise in Memphis? Why is this not the focal point of this city along with college athletics? People say the two cannot co-exist but thats only because one is marketed and the other is not, and yes, winning speaks for itself, I understand that.

This project is being said to be failing due to decreasing demand and a dwindling market. The fact is, if they had marketed this thing right from the get-go they wouldnt be saying "Well it doesnt work now if we try" because if done correctly, the whole building wouldn't be sitting empty.

Proper advertising is what will make that happen.

It's not the team, Geoff. It isn't even the fans to a certain degree. The fans have nothing to pull them back in because the team's management wont throw them a line.

Guest Post: Don't Call DeShawn Stevenson "Soulja Boy"

Chip Crain — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 10:46:00 -0400

When Heckling Opponents Goes Wrong

by Mario Latilleon

I am a Memphis Grizzlies fan. I grew up a Memphis Tigers fan, and I take pride in the fact Bob Huggins once called us the most obnoxious fans in America.

Last night at the game against the Wizards, I guess my rambunctious antics went too far. I got under DeShawn Stevenson's skin.

When I got under DeShawn Stevenson's skin, I got on the wrong side of the law as far as Washington Wizards security saw me. I did not plan to heckle DeShawn Stevenson, it just happened.

As I pondered the things I would yell at the opposing team for fun, right before the game, I remembered Lebron James' slam of the decade on a loquacious DeShawn Stevenson like Dave Chappelle recalling Negrodomus during his ride with Wayne Brady:

"That would be like Jay Z saying something back to Soulja Boy...there's no point."

So along with my warnings to Etan Thomas of calling Brendan Haywood after fouling Grizzlies players, tons of fun with Darius Songalia of the Reggie Cleveland All-Stars, and one comment to Antawn Jamison about looking like Midget from "New Jersey Drive"; I spent most of the first quarter calling DeShawn Stevenson "Soulja Boy" everytime he was within earshot.

When Stevenson got a rebound or played defense, I kept at it with the Soulja Boy chants. When the Grizzlies shot free throws, I really got at it: not only would I scream Soulja Boy, I would stand and hop back doing the superman move from the song/dance. With three or four minutes left in the 1st quarter, it finally seemed like I got DeShawn Stevenson's attention.

On the bench, Deshawn Stevenson started yelling something at me; unfortunately I could not hear what he was saying. Etan Thomas, sitting next to Stevenson was yelling at me too, but I really could not make out what they were saying. Within a minute of them yelling at me, a Damon Stoudamire look-a-like doing security for the Wizards came over with an police officer and asked me to stop heckling Stevenson.

Since I was wearing a Damon Stoudamire jersey at the time, I thought he would give me a little more love. When I asked the security guy what I said that was wrong, he told me that he didn't want a back and forth between Stevenson and me to escalate into anything.

My response was I didn't say anything vulgar or offensive so I was within the NBA fan code of conduct, but he told me I was ruining the experience of everyone around me by yelling the whole game and he would stitch to NBA security and have me removed.

I asked him to provide the NBA Code of Conduct and the rule I was breaking, he promised he would bring it to me.

I got adamant that I was not saying anything offensive; the guy got more threatening and said, "Okay... You keep it up... you'll be outta here."

One couple next to me cheered the security guy because I guess I was ruining their peaceful, reflective experience at a sporting event, but the people behind me, whose view I would have actually obstructed doing the superman part of the Soulja Boy told me I was okay when I apologized if I was ruining their experience.

Now the security and FedExForum staff I spoke to about everything told me they didn't see anything wrong with what I did as long as I wasn't cursing or threatening the players.

A little later in the game, a Wizards player heckled me when the Wizards were shooting a free throw and I was still silently soothing from my encounter. I had one final discussion with the Wizards security guy during halftime when he saw me asking the original escorting officer for clarification of how my behavior was excessive enough to be removed from the game.

As far as I was concerned, this security guy was so agitated with me that anything I yelled could have been crossing the line. The security came over and argued with me like he was a Damon Stoudamire looking Mike Fratello. Since I didn't appreciate the threats, I calmly told him that I was going to be a fan whether he liked it or not. I wasn't going after Stevenson or any other Wizards player for that matter. I stopped the heckling, but became sarcastically supportive of the Wizards for much of the 3rd quarter. Oddly, I think yelling "Go Wiz" is more offensive than "Soulja boy Tell'em!"

I spent the 4th quarter doing more yelling at the Grizz than the Wizards. When the game was over, the Wizards left the bench and were walking across the court fifteen feet away from me. While I was looking at my cell phone responding to a text, I saw a hand towel flying towards me out of the side of eye.

The towel was soaked in ice cold water. I did not see which Wizard was the thrower, but I originally thought it was Caron Butler because I noticed he was grinning at me. There he was, sneaking around Butler with Roger McDowell like stealth was Soulja Boy himself, Deshawn Stevenson. The most telling fact of the wet towel was the hit was below my calf on my leg. With a shot like that, Stevenson had to be the thrower. Soulja Boy is not only no Lebron James, he's no Big Shot Bob either.

I don't think I crossed the line calling him Soulja Boy. Though I know NBA team personnel is sensitive after the Detroit event, maybe instead of going after me, the team needs to teach these players to grow up and overlook it. I wasn't calling Stevenson anything dirty or personal. I referred to him as something from a well publicized feud.

I will continue doing what I do, which is heckling opposing players. I try to be sensitive to other fans, but I yell most of the game, and participate. I am energetic and can be obnoxious, and I make no apologies about it. If yelling at an opposing player takes them out of their game, I'm down for doing it. I would not say anything I would not want children to hear.

And I note something from the NBA fan code of conduct...

Guests will enjoy the basketball experience free from disruptive behavior, including foul or abusive language or obscene gestures.

So at what point are you disruptive at a sporting event? I guess if the people around you cannot enjoy themselves, but you could be bothersome to someone near you for yelling "DE-FENSE" everytime the home team played defense chant music.

In addition, what does Deshawn Stevenson do if he's got 15,000 fans chanting "Soulja Boy" every time he touches the basketball? Does he get angry with each of them? Will Damon Securamire have the Wizards play before an empty hostile arena?

I feel like Kramer.

Grizzlies-Rockets

Chip Crain — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:35:00 -0400

Since this is the first preseason game, all assumptions on starting lineups are totally subjective.

Memphis enters their first preseason game with more questions than answers with their lineup. The only completely solid starter appears to be Rudy Gay at small forward.

Mike Conley, O J Mayo appear to have the inside position to man the other perimeter positions, but both are being pushed by their backups. The PF position is a complete mess with returning starter Hakim Warrick appearing to be the winner simply because he fits the youth movement better than Antoine Walker.

Center is a battle royal between two seven-foot big men in Darko Milicic and Marc Gasol. There aren't going to be a lot of questions answered in this game either.

Houston has questions as well, but not on the level of the Grizzlies. Tracy McGrady, Ron Artest and Yao Ming should all start, and likely Luis Scola and Rafer Alston as well, but their positions are still in play.

Shane Battier is best as a solid SF, but has shown the ability to play PF and SG when needed. That versatility and professional attitude seems to make him an ideal sixth man.

The rest of the lineup gets fuzzy for the Rockets. New Rockets Brent Barry, D J Strawberry and Joey Dorsey should find a way to get into the regular rotation along with Aaron Brooks, Mike James and the incredible Dikembe Mutambo.

Point Guards: Mike Conley vs Rafer Alston
Speed. That is the one common denominator in this matchup. Alston has been considered a fast point guard since his days on the playgrounds of NYC. Conley has the capacity to make Alston look slow however with his incredible burst of speed.

The problem is that Alston seems to have a clue how to use his speed. Conley is still learning how to use his most effectively in the NBA. If he has learned that important lesson, then his control with the ball could prove to be the difference.

Alston has never really adjusted to leaving the playground and playing with any restraint at the point in he NBA, despite nine years of NBA experience. Mike just hasn't shown that he has learned how to use his jets yet.

Advantage: Houston

Shooting Guard: O J Mayo vs Tracy McGrady

Welcome to the NBA, Mayo. You may have been on people's radar since seventh grade, but nothing you have seen yet can prepare you for T-Mac. McGrady can score at will, is an excellent passer and at 6'8" can easily do either over the diminutive Mayo.

T-Mac has the type of game Mayo wants but without the experience or the size. It will be a learning experience for O J.

Mayo's most reliable talent, defensive intensity, will be pushed to the limit, but he should be able to get his shot off against the lackadaisical effort from T-Mac.

Advantage: Houston

Small Forward: Rudy Gay vs Ron Artest

Two of the most important players on their respective teams. Rudy Gay must remain healthy and produce at even a higher level than his sophomore season to prevent the Grizzlies from being a joke in the NBA. He is that important right now. If there is one player who could destroy the Rockets dream of a playoff series win then this is the man.

Sure, T-Mac and Yao are vital—but Artest has the mentality to make an entire team basket cases, especially coaches. Artest used to be among the best defensive SFs in the league, but his athleticism is on the decline now.

Advantage: Memphis

Power Forwards: Hakim Warrick vs Luis Scola

Hakim Warrick inherited the starting role after the Pau Gasol trade, and was nealy as effective on offense as Pau was. He averaged 16.6 ppg and 6.9 rpg as a starter—but amazingly, he was worse than Pau on defense! That won't sit well with new Assistant Coach Kevin O'Neill, and showing up to camp looking even lighter than last season won't help Hak improve on his interior game either.

Scola was a big surprise among the rookie class last year, and should be more comfortable this season. At 28, Scola is entering his prime and benefited a lot from Yao's injury last year. Scola does the dirty work on this team, and excels in that role.

Advantage: Houston

Centers: Darko Milicic vs Yao Ming

Yao Ming was the Rockets last season, before another season-ending injury pushed him to the bench. When healthy there isn't a more complete center in the league. Yao averaged 22 ppg, nearly 11 boards and hit over 82 percent of his FT attempts last year. Throw in a couple of blocks a night as well as two assists and you can understand why people called Yao the best.

Darko, however, matched up well against Yao when they played. Darko fought injuries all season last year, but when healthy early was capable of keeping anyone in check. The problem was that Darko wasn't healthy very much.

Advantage: Houston

Benches: Memphis vs Houston

Memphis has a lot of talent off the bench. Antoine Walker has looked good in camp so far. Marco Jaric is capable of starting in this league and his size makes him capable of playing 3three different positions. Kyle Lowry was arguably the best PG on the team last season.

The biggest question mark however is Marc Gasol. Pau's younger brother has been the biggest surprise of the camp so far, and he has the type of size that could give people fits this year.

Houston's bench is as scrambled as Memphis' but with a lot more experience. Shane Battier should become an immediate player in the league's Sixth Man of the Year contest but everyone else is a question mark.

Carl Landry had a tumultuous summer dealing with a new contract. Dikembe Mutombo is probably closer to 50 than 30, although no one knows for sure. Aaron Brooks is a dimunitive PG who packs a big game. Throw in Brent Barry, Chucky Hayes, Mike James, Steve Francis, and others, and Houston has a lot of weapons.

Advantage: Houston

Grizzlies Open Practice but Close the State of the Franchise

Chip Crain — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 09:38:00 -0400

A recent media release from the Grizzlies:

GRIZZLIES TO HOLD FREE OPEN PRACTICE FOR FANS
2008-09 TIP-OFF PARTY TO BE HELD IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING AT FEDEXFORUM ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 4

The Memphis Grizzlies are opening their doors again for their annual free Open Practice, and this year fans are invited to stick around after practice for a tip-off party to the 2008-09 season on Saturday, October 4 at FedExForum.

Fans attending the practice will get the chance to see O.J. Mayo, fellow 2008 draftee Darrell Arthur and Olympic hero Marc Gasol on the floor of FedExForum for the first time, along with Rudy Gay, Mike Conley and the rest of the 2008-09 Grizzlies squad. Grizzlies Head Coach Marc Iavaroni will run players through multiple drills and scrimmages that fans can watch as they prepare for the 2008-09 season.

After the official practice, the Grizzlies are inviting fans to a party to tip off the 2008-09 season, which will be held at FedExForum immediately following the Open Practice. Fans will be able to get autographs, take photos and ask questions of their favorite Grizzlies players, coaches and front office members. The fun doesn’t stop there though, as fans in attendance will also have the chance to shoot free-throws on FedExForum’s floor, meet the Grizz Girls, enjoy inflatable games, face painters, balloon artists and much more.

Doors for the Open Practice open at 10:30 a.m., with the practice beginning at 11:30 a.m. There will be free parking available in the Ford Parking Garage at FedExForum for the event.

What isn't mentioned here is the decision to no longer have a "State of the Franchise" meeting for season ticket holders prior to the open practice. Originally I was only told "they're just not doing one this year."

However, last night Chris Wallace called me at home to talk about a different question, and he explained that Michael Heisley was not expected to be available on Oct. 4. Honestly, there really wouldn't be a reason to do a State of the Franchise if Michael Heisley wasn't there.

I love the open practice. I think it is great that the team is having a party after the practice so people can get caught up in the excitement of the team and the players and what is happening here. It is a bit upsetting, however, that the people who have paid a lot of money for the right to attend every one of the games aren't going to get the pep talk like they have in years past.

And yes, the State of the Franchise meeting was simply a pep talk. They weren't going to open the books, discuss the mechanics of making the trades involving Pau Gasol and OJ Mayo, or even what enticements they used to get Hamed Haddadi or Marc Gasol to sign with the team.

In other words, like the State of the Union, the State of the Franchise meeting was more of a way to rally the faithful to the cause as much as anything else, but isn't that needed right now?

Previewing the Small Forwards of the Memphis Grizzlies

Chip Crain — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 11:02:00 -0400

by Chip Crain

Yesterday we tackled the position with the most competition and controversy swirling around it—the Point Guards. Today we move to the one position where there is absolutely no argument about who will be starting and garnering the highest share of playing time—Small Forward.

Why is this blog titled Previewing the Small Forwards? Shouldn't it be Previewing the Small Forward? Like in singular not plural? I mean does anyone feel the Grizzlies have a second Small Forward on the team?

That question sums up the issue at small forward on the Grizzlies. When Mike Miller was sent to Minnesota for O.J. Mayo, not only did Memphis sacrifice their starting SG, but also their backup SF. Mayo can do a lot of things, but playing the three isn't likely to be one of them.

So Memphis has a player capable of being a star in this league in Rudy Gay, but nothing behind him worth mentioning (although I will mention the candidates later anyway). The best case scenario for the Grizzlies is Gay to average 38-40 mpg and make the next step forward along the path to becoming a major player in this league.

The worst case scenario is an early season injury that prevents him from playing most of the year.

Please pretend I never even wrote that last sentence.

The Players:

Rudy Gay

What more needs to be said about the best player left on the Grizzlies team after the purge that began in January?

Rudy can do it all. He can score 20 ppg, he can run, he can jump over any player in the league and still has legitimate three point range on his shot. What hasn't Rudy shown he can do?

Well, ball control has always been a problem for Rudy. He has freakishly long arms that make it difficult to prevent smaller players from harassing his dribble.

He has been suspect on defense but that could easily be more the result of questionable coaching since he seems to have the fundamentals down. His rebounding is weak for a small forward.

Finally passing is a weakness in Rudy's game. It has been argued that there weren't many other options for Rudy to pass to last year but he did have other options. At least compared to this season.

Rudy has become the focal point for defenses to stop. His passing has to improve to really achieve the greatness predicted for him. Great players improve those around him. The easiest way to accomplish that is to share the rock with your open teammates.

Quinton Ross

Quinton Ross was signed to a last second contract with the Grizzlies apparently to provide Rudy Gay at least minimal minutes of rest this year. Quinton has the reputation of being a defensive specialist on the perimeter.

He can and has guarded everyone from Manu Ginobili to Allen Iverson to Tony Parker and has had success against all of them. Ross could see minutes as shooting guard as well but that is unlikely with the logjam of players available for Iavaroni. If Ross plays well then possibly that would give the Grizzlies more options in playing Rudy Gay at PF however.

Greg Buckner

If there is a player on this team that will become best friends with Kevin O'Neill it should be Greg Buckner. He is the epitome of a team player. Buckner is the type of player other players don't enjoy facing up against. He's scrappy and tough and can play defense.

The problem with Buckner has always been the other side of the court. The nine year veteran out of Clemson has never cracked seven ppg and in today's game that simply isn't good enough. The days of the one dimensional player are gone.

In limited minutes Buckner may be able to get by as strictly a defensive specialist, but at 6-4 he will struggle in that role against taller SF's in the league. Buckner's main contribution may come on the practice court as he shows the young players what it takes in effort to make it in this league. Veteran leadership is needed on this team and possibly Buckner could be the guy to provide it.

Marko Jaric

I know. I put Marko down as a possibility at every position but I swear I am stopping now. At least I hope I am stopping now because this is about as far as I can go with Jaric.

At 6-7 Marko has the size to compete with backup SF's in the league and with his three pt shooting and passing ability he could really open up lanes for the slashers and big men on the team. He won't ever be a physical player however so you can forget banging underneath or grabbing rebounds as skills he brings to the position. His foot speed is a liability in the backcourt but is adequate for the SF position as well.

Antoine Walker

Okay. Stop laughing. I realize that the Shimmy Shaker is 31 and hasn't played the three spot adequately since his Celtic days and even then was questionable as a three but we are only talking about 10-12 minutes most nights and against backup players. Walker can give people fits in that time frame.

He has thre point range and can rebound extremely well. Sure his foot speed is weak but are there many players coming off the bench in the NBA that won't have just as much trouble stopping Toine as Toine will have stopping them?

Memphis won't be running with Walker at the three very often but that isn't all bad with the half-court scorers the team possesses. When motivated Walker has the type of personality that can motivate teammates to play better and Walker has millions of reasons to be motivated this season. Expiring contracts can have that type of effect on players.

CONCLUSION

It really isn't that difficult to see what the Grizzlies need this season from Rudy. He has to lead the team in scoring and he has to be one of two players to lead the team in minutes played for the season.

It would be great for the team if Rudy also raised his rebounding number to six plus a game and his assists went up to about three a game. Neither of these numbers is unreasonable by the way.

If Rudy goes down to injury, even for a few weeks, there is nothing the Grizzlies could do to replace his production. Imagine if the Cavs lost LeBron. He's that important to this team. The big difference for the future is that, unlike the Cavs, the cupboard isn't empty behind Rudy for long.

Mayo, Mike Conley and the rest of the baby Grizzlies will come to Rudy's rescue very soon. I just don't believe it will be this year.

Hamed Haddadi Might Be a Box-Office Wonder for the Memphis Grizzlies

Chip Crain — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 14:44:00 -0400

That's right. To the fiery depths with Josh Smith, Elton Brand, Amare Stoudamire, and Carlos Boozer. No disrespect to Kevin Garnett intended, but the "Big Ticket" might be Hamed Haddadi—as far as Memphis is concerned.

A survey/census shown on City-Data.com reports that there are 245 Iranians in the city limits of Memphis. The category "Other Arabs" equates to 202. These numbers may or may not have to be adjusted for population growth/decrease, but let's just use an even number of 400 possible new fans in Memphis alone, and 70.5 million back home in Iran.

We will need a clever name to call this possibility, so let us use "The Yao Ming Effect."

Let me begin by saying I am not comparing Memphis' market to Houston. Houston is a bigger, more cosmopolitan city in a bigger, more cosmopolitan state. Houston also has a more significant population, and a larger ethnic enclave which relates to their foreign star.

However, the size difference does not necessarily mean that there will not be the same effect. When Houston drafted Yao Ming—as they were one of the teams Yao preferred to go to due to their sizable Chinese population—Houston immediately felt the impact.

Endorsements here and in China came flooding in, and people wanted to tune in to Rockets games to see this player. Houston games were being broadcast in China just as regularly as we get to see Kobe-Shaq on Christmas Day.

Yao has made the All-Star team by having hundreds of thousands upon more hundreds of thousands of votes. This is partially due to support in the US and his team's fans, for sure—but it was the other side of the Pacific making a difference.

The NBA is big in China now because of him, and now we are seeing more Asian players trying to make it in the NBA. (Sun Yue, Ha-Seung Jin, etc.)

Wouldn't that be great for the Grizzlies? In no way am I saying that Haddadi will be Yao Ming's equal or better—although I hope no one crosses up Haddadi like this or Haddadi can at least get a shot off against a midget.

However, I am saying is we can expand our market, seeing as how right now we're having difficulties reaching out to Desoto, Crittenton, Tipton, Fayette, and Madison County. We will have an entire country—along with Spain for Marc Gasol, and Serbia for Darko Milicic—joining the Grizzly market.

It may very well be the Grizzlies' turn to lead the NBA into global expansion, and Haddadi will lead the way for players in his home country to come to the NBA. I think it would be a feather in the Grizzlies cap.

Let's close by talking about the ticket sales. Let's be frank. I highly doubt people from Iran are going to fly to Memphis to go to a game. Buying merchandise on NBA.com, yes. Spreading the word, yes. Flying into Memphis? Not so much.

We do not have a large Iranian population—but with ticket sales they way they are rumored to be, 400 new season-ticket holders, or 400 more people as a television audience could go a long way into filling up the Forum and getting more people to come to games, or justify the televising of more games due to higher demand. Either or would be great, although I'd prefer the first.

Finally, without getting sappy or too political, I think it would be great for the city to have such diversity at the games. Everyone of any race and age could be in the same place, even for just two and a half hours, and share something together. Even if just for that one moment, they'd all be on the same team—which is how it should be.

Warning: Hamed Haddadi does not actually cure war and ensure world peace. He just dribbles a ball, and hopefully will be good. God, do we need help at the five spot. Help us, Hamed Haddadi—you're our only hope.

Quinton Ross Signs with Memphis Grizzlies

Chip Crain — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:06:00 -0400

From Grizzlies.com:

Memphis, September 26, 2008 — The Memphis Grizzlies announced today that they have signed free-agent swingman Quinton Ross. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to bring Quinton Ross to our team,” said Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace. “He has been one of the best and most versatile backcourt defenders in the NBA the past four seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. We are excited to bring him into training camp next week.”

The SMU product has spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Clippers, signing with them as an undrafted free agent in 2004.

In all likelihood, Ross will get most of his minutes as the backup SF this season. This is just one more example of the new emphasis that the team is placing on defense, after looking like a sieve most of last season.

Transcendent Meditation

Chip Crain — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:56:00 -0400

By Chip Crain

By now most people have read the back and forth comments between Ryan Schwan at Hornets24/7 and our own Josh Coleman about the Grizzlies. I also sent Ryan an email about his comments and he replied with this:

Yeah, I unloaded on your team. Sorry about that. :( I still love your blog!

I actually left out one of the main points I wanted to make about your team - which is that in order to make a quick turnaround from 15-20 wins you have to land that transcendant talent - O'Neal, Duncan, Paul.

I have been thinking about what he wrote and it suddenly dawned on me the problem with the argument about transcendent talent. No we don't appear to possess the transcendental talent yet but in the last three years Memphis has traded Shane Battier for Rudy Gay, acquired Mike Conley with the 4th pick in the draft after Greg Oden, Kevin Durant and Al Horford had already been taken (the Hornets got Chris Paul after Bogut, Marvin Williams and Devin Williams were drafted by the way) and traded Kevin Love and Mike Miller for O J Mayo.

They have been trying to get the transcendental talent he talks about!

Rudy is a near miss but a big step up from Shane Battier right now and is only 22 and starting his 3rd NBA season. Conley, only 20 yrs old, still is looking like the 4th best player taken in the lottery. Consider that after Conley you had Jeff Green, Yi Jianlian, Corey Brewer, Brandon Wright, Joakim Noah, Spencer Hawes, Acie Law, Thaddeus Young, Julian Wright and Al Thornton. Where was the transcendent talent in that list?

No one knows about O J Mayo but there have been some intelligent people who are very impressed with him so far. Memphis hasn't been lucky in the lottery/draft the last few years (unlike New Orleans). As long as the team continues to try and get that transcendent talent they will eventually get lucky.

That is why I am glad the team isn't selling out for players like Zach Randolph and the like. This would only hurt our chances of acquiring the type of talent Memphis won't get in free agency. Maybe Conley will develop to an elite PG. Maybe he will only be average. That still makes him one of the top 15 or so PG's in the world. Rudy Gay is one of the top 50 players in the world right now at any position according to Tom Ziller and he hasn't peaked yet. Mayo is a rookie but no one argued with him being the 3rd pick in last year's draft after Beasley and Rose.

Finally Josh Smith nearly fell into their laps this summer. Sure Atlanta matched immediately but that is what happens with players of that caliber in the NBA. They just aren't available very often and a small market like Memphis has to get lucky and keep shooting for the stars to get that talent. Where would New Orleans be today if Chris Paul had been drafted #1 in that draft and Chicago matched the Hornets offer on Chandler? What if that draft had gone Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Andrew Bogut? Where would New Orleans be today?

The bottom line is that Memphis is trying hard to get the type of player you say they need. New Orleans got lucky and had one fall into their laps at #4. Memphis hasn't been so fortunate yet. Gasol, Hamed, Darko, Warrick and Arthur aren't supposed to be the big name players. Memphis still needs to acquire someone to be the Beast on the Bluff (you don't know how many years I have been waiting for the Grizzlies to get a player worthy of that moniker by the way). It isn't going to be Zach Randolph or anyone else in free agency most likely. Memphis will have to parlay the talent they have to acquire someone in a trade or get lucky in the lottery/draft. But they are only that piece away from being surprisingly good with a ton of cap space to fill in the needs off the bench it may have.

Then again, with guys on the bench like Arthur, Crittenton, Lowry, Haddadi and Gasol maybe there won't be that many more holes to fill either.