Grizzlies add depth, cash

The Memphis Grizzlies added some much-needed potential scorers to their roster on Thursday night during the NBA Draft.

Xavier Henry was the team's first selection at 12th overall. Henry played one year at Kansas before making the leap to the NBA.

The 6'7 shooting guard averaged 13 points and 4 rebounds at Kansas.

The Grizzlies then added Dominique Jones with the 25th pick. Jones, a 6'5 shooting guard from the University of South Florida, was then traded to the Dallas Mavericks for cash.

With their final pick in the draft, 28th overall, Memphis selected Greivis Vasquez. Vasquez played four years at Maryland and will serve as the backup point guard to current starter Mike Conley, Jr.

By drafting two guards and getting some extra spending money, the Grizzlies seem poised to make a serious offer to small forward Rudy Gay, who is a restricted free agent this season.

The depth at guard will also allow Memphis to curtail some of the minutes that the starters played last season. Keeping those starters healthy is key to getting into the playoffs and trying to win a series.

A good bench is what gets teams through the regular season and provides valuable breathing time throughout the playoffs. I mean, who would have thought we would have seen Brian Scalabrine playing in the finals this season for the Celtics when he was in street clothes throughout the playoffs?

Overall I grade the Grizzlies draft as a B+, given they use the cash to resign Rudy Gay. The lack of second round picks makes it hard to give an A, but the team improved with this draft, which has been hard to say lately.

Grizzlies across America

The Memphis Grizzlies are getting more national media attention these days.

Granted, this article by Sport's Illustrated's Chris Ballard is about Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith, but he does mention Memphis forward Zach Randolph.

The reference has to do with players moving inside the 3-point line in order to bolster their production. Players who have done this are scoring more points with a higher shooting percentage, which is translating into more wins for their respective franchises.

Ballard mentions Randolph and Chris Bosh of the Toronto Raptors as two examples of this.

Randolph's decision to take higher percentage shots by moving closer to the basket has made him a much more respected and well-rounded player.

Z-Bo still likes to jack the 3s, but not as often as he has in his career leading up to this season. So far this season, he has attempted 45 3-pointers. In 2007-2008, he attempted 80 3s and in 2008-2009, 97 attempts.

He is shooting 27 percent from behind the arc this season, down from his career average of 28 percent.

Keep in mind that Randolph has become the go-to-guy for the Grizzlies' last-second shot attempts since burying a shot that covered the distance of the court earlier this season. that means that some of his attempts are coming right before the buzzer sound to end the quarter, half or game.

Teams still have to respect Randolph's ability to hit the 17-foot jumpshot as well. When he get the ball on the right side of the court from 17 feet out, he is almost unstoppable without the defense employing a double-team.

Randolph is shooting the second highest field goal percentage of his career. He shot better than 51 percent in his second season and right now he is shooting 49 percent.

He can shoot the jumper, or he can drive to his left (he is left-handed) and usually get a good look at the basket from about three feet out. Once Randolph gets a man on his hip and puts the ball on the floor, he commands that double-team.

In the past, this is where Randolph would always look to score. Now he recognizes the defense and finProxy-Connection: keep-alive
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the open man. Z-Bo is on pace to break his season-high for assists. In 2003-2004, he recorded 163 assists. As of March 24, 2010, he has 138 assists with 11 games remaining in the season.

He has been forced to become the main offensive weapon several times this season and the Grizzlies are the beneficiaries of his hard work and ability to score.

He had been criticized in the past for taking too many shots, or being a "black hole" on offense, meaning that once the ball got to him, it never went to anyone else.

Well, the times they are a changin'.

Celtics creamed by Grizzlies, 111-91

For the first time since December 12, 2006, the Memphis Grizzlies win in Boston.

With the bench pouring in 32 points for the game, the Grizz led 27-12 after the first quarter and never looked back.

This win gives the Grizzlies seven straight on the road, two behind the league record for road-winning streak this season, held by the Celtics. It is also the only current road-winning streak that is active in the NBA.

Rudy Gay led all scorers with 28 and the entire Memphis team shot 55 percent from the field.

Marcus Williams, Sam Young and Hasheem Thabeet all played more than 20 minutes tonight.

I can't remember the last time the Grizzlies bench played over 20 minutes combined!

While embarrassing the Celtics at home is fun, it is a short season right now. The Grizzlies will face the Knicks at home on Friday and the Nuggets at home on Saturday.

Not that every game is a must win, but being 4 1/2 games out of the final playoff spot it is time to get serious. The playoffs are in reach, but does this team want them bad enough?

Hasheem Thabeet Update

Although the Grizzlies fell to the Portland Trailblazers last night in Memphis, I thought you might appreciate a little update on the No. 2 pick in last year's draft.

The $4.5 million man, Hasheem Thabeet, is playing for the North Dakota Wizards, the Grizzlies' NBA D-League affiliate. The D-League is meant to give developing players more playing time than they would typically get on a regular NBA roster.

The Commercial Appeal gave this recent update on Thabeet.

It is good to hear that he is playing well and not getting to down on himself about the situation. He is putting up numbers in the D-League that are similar to his numbers in college.

All we can hope for is that the growth continues.

Thabeet is supposed to re-join the Grizzlies in the next week or two.

Bobcats defeat Grizzlies at home, 93-89

Mike Conley's 11 points in the fourth quarter were not enough to stop the Charlotte Bobcats in Memphis tonight.

Stephen Jackson scored 32 points to lead all scorers in the game.

Conley hit 3 3-pointers and a pair of free throws in the fourth quarter to make it a one-point game. Jackson and Raymond Felton hit a pair of shots in the closing seconds to make it a four point game.

The Grizzlies were led in scoring by Zach Randolph, who had 24, and Rudy Gay, who chipped in 20. Randolph recorded another double-double by grabbing 10 rebounds.

Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo both had shots at a 3-pointer in the final 10 seconds, but both were off the mark.

Marc Gasol fouled out of the game in the fourth quarter after posting a six-point, seven-rebound effort.

O.J. Mayo finished with 14 points after scoring the team's first 12 of the game.

Hamed Haddadi saw seven minutes of action tonight. He tallied zero points, two rebounds, one assist and an impressive blocked shot.

It was thought Haddadi may see more playing time because he is playing the minutes that rookie Hasheem Thabeet normally would be playing. Thabeet was recently sent back to the NBA's D-League for a 10-day stint in hopes that he would refine his game with more playing time.

The Bobcats sweep the series with the Grizzlies this season, 2-0. The Bobcats had lost three games in a row prior to tonight's victory. This was the fourth game of a four-game road trip for Charlotte.

Hasheem Thabeet to be sent to D-League

The Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly sending rookie center Hasheem Thabeet to the NBA's Developmental League.

Thabeet is averaging 2.5 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game in only 10.5 minutes per game this season.

Thabeet was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft. He becomes the highest drafted player to be sent to the D-League.

He is set to join the Grizzlies D-League affiliate, the Dakota Wizards. The Dakota Wizards are shared by the Grizzlies and the Washington Wizards.

The NBA D-League was formed during the 2006-2007 NBA season. The concept is not unlike minor league baseball. Teams send players to the D-League to play more minutes than they would for a regular NBA roster.

Those minutes are supposed to help the player develop into a more viable option for an NBA roster.

Grizzlies win 99-94 on the road in D.C.

The Grizzlies picked up a nice road win against the new look Washington Wizards on Wednesday night.

Zach Randolph led the team in scoring and rebounding with 22 points and nine rebounds on a night when no Grizzlies player recorded a double-double.

Marc Gasol added 20 points and seven rebounds, shooting 10-11 from the field. Marc's only miss came on a hook shot in the last minute of the game that barely drew iron.

The Wizards scored eight points in the closing seconds of the game to make the score look closer than the game really was. Andray Blatche for the Wizards led all scorers with 24.

The Grizzlies had lost nine of their last 12 games entering tonight. Memphis also sweeps the series for the second straight season against Washington.

The Wizards had won three games in a row prior to the Grizzlies visit to the Verizon Center.

Grizzlies fall to Kobe, Lakers 99-98

Well, the crowd at FedEx Forum got a gem tonight.

Even though the Grizz lost, what an incredible game.

Kobe Bryant drove to the basket for a layup with 8 seconds left and the Lakers down by two. His shot was blocked by Marc Gasol and then Rudy Gay, not expecting the shot to be blocked, swatted it again.

This time the ball bounced behind the backboard and hit the shot clock. Out of bounds, Laker ball. Then, on the inbounds play, Kobe Bryant broke free after a Gay misplay and a Pau Gasol pick to hit the game-winning 3-pointer.

O.J. Mayo got the chance at a last second 19-foot fade-away, but the shot was long and bounced off the back of the rim.

*Zach Randolph passed Pau Gasol's previous franchise record for offensive rebounds in a season. Randolph(252) had 20 points and 14 rebounds to break Gasol's previous record of 238.

Click here for ESPN's post-game summary.

Marc Gasol getting some national attention...finally

As the Grizzlies get set to face the Los Angeles Lakers tonight, Grizz center Marc Gasol (pictured on right with brother Pau on left) is receiving some national recognition.

Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com wrote "Gasol (Marc) deserves some respect."

While the article is told through the eyes of a Laker fan/reporter, McMenamin did offer an interesting piece of objectivity:

"Yet Marc still doesn't get the respect his career should warrant. He still has the stigma of Frank Stallone to Pau's Sylvester because he was included in the trade that shifted the balance of power in the West and shoehorned L.A. into championship contender status. He may very well win the NBA's Most Improved Player award this year, yet when Jackson (Phil) spoke extemporaneously about the Grizzlies' success this season, he mentioned the contributions by Zach Randolph, Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo. He had to be asked about Marc."

While Laker head coach Phil Jackson may not think about Marc, Grizzlies fans sure do. His play combined with Zach Randolph's this season has been a dream to watch. The two Grizzlies big men look like best friends who have been playing together since the eighth grade.

The article by McMenamin goes on to describe Pau Gasol, Marc's older brother by 4 years, 29 and 25, respectively, and his return to Memphis, the place where he started his career.

When the trade occurred, I like most fans, was shocked. I was not shocked that Pau was traded, I was shocked in what the Grizzlies received in return. I was intrigued with the addition of Marc. I also thought the Grizz might be able to get some production out of Javaris Crittendon.

I started looking for any footage of Marc that I could find. When the Spanish team played on television, I watched. They were on a lot that summer, which gave us a good, long look at the bigger Gasol.

I was impressed with his free throw shooting and physicality. He had the same touch as his brother around the rim, too. You know it, that soft touch like guards usually have. Marc also displayed some range on his jump shots.

Frankly, I thought he outplayed Pau in every aspect of the game.

His dribbling was and is not great. But who cares? He is 7 feet tall. Marc does, however, pass the ball well.

I just thought it was nice to see someone other than a Grizzlies fan talk about Marc Gasol. Of course, the article was only written because the Grizzlies are playing the Lakers tonight.

Tonight's game will not be the first time the two brothers have met in NBA competition.

The Lakers lead the all-time series with the Grizzlies 41-14, but are 19-13 against the Grizzlies since the team moved to Memphis. The Lakers had won four straight at FedEx Forum until the Grizzlies defeated L.A. 95-93 on Feb. 1.

Brewer tears hamstring; out indefinitely

Ronnie Brewer partially tore his hamstring on Friday night in his first action as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies.

The Grizzlies fell to the Miami Heat 100-87 in double overtime.

Grizzlies add Ronnie Brewer

The Memphis Grizzlies have traded a 2011 first-round pick, which is protected, to the Utah Jazz for 6'7 swing man Ronnie Brewer.

Brewer will be a restricted free agent at the end of this season.

Grizz outlast Raptors in OT, 109-102

The five game losing streak comes to an end.

The Memphis Grizzlies downed the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.

Click here to read The Commercial Appeal's take.

Two former Grizzlies back in the trade rotation

ESPN is reporting a deal between the New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves that would send Darko Milicic to the Twin Cities and land Brian Cardinal in the Big Apple.

Obviously this trade is not sending ripples through the NBA. Neither team will make the playoffs this season and neither player will ever be an All Star.

As a Grizzlies fan though, this one made me smile.

Remember when the Grizzlies picked up Darko in 2007? He was four years removed from being the number two overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 2003 NBA Draft. Some labeled him a bust after four years in league left him with impressive numbers such as 19 starts, 15.5 minutes per game and 3.9 points per game.

Brian Cardinal had a little better career statistically, especially for the Grizzlies. Also, Cardinal involved himself in numerous community projects during his stay in Memphis.

But I think it is safe to say that neither player provided what the Grizzlies were looking for in the two big men. Darko continued to under-produce and Cardinal never really came on as consistently as the team, and fans, had hoped.

The smile is deeper than either players' performance while playing for Memphis, though. What makes me smile is thinking that finally the Grizzlies might be out of the mediocre player trading business. These two guys being trading for each other is strictly a salary cap move. The Grizz have some financial wiggle room right now, and there is no pressing need to acquire expiring contracts or dump hefty ones (see: Pau Gasol).

There is a real possibility the team could make a solid long term to Rudy Gay. The offer was not made before the October 30, 2009 deadline that was set in Gay's contract, leaving him a restricted free agent this off-season. That means that any team can make an offer to Gay and the Grizzlies will have to at least match that offer or his services will be retained by highest bidder.

Pending the outcome of that situation, the Grizzlies could make a splash in the much anticipated free agent class of 2010 that features LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and other high-profile players.

It is just nice to know that the Memphis Grizzlies are becoming a serious franchise. Moves have been made in the past to set the team up for the next several years. What is already a strong nucleus of players and coaches should only get stronger this season and off-season.

You better jump on the Grizzlies bandwagon now, cause it's getting full.

P.S.

Who could forget Darko ripping his jersey in frustration? At least the kid had heart.

Suns at Grizzlies

The game starts at 7 p.m. CST and will be played in Memphis.

Here is ESPN's preview article for the game.

Welcome to Grizz Gab

Hello and welcome to Grizz Gab, a blog about the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association.

The goal of this blog is to provide a place for Grizzlies fans to find information and opinion about their team. I also want to try to expand the fan base for the Grizzlies.

I live near Nashville, and the Grizzlies barely even exist here. The only people who really seem to support the team are from West Tennessee. That has to change.

With your help, we will spread the Grizzlies to the rest of the nation (or maybe just the state, if we're lucky).

This blog is for you, the fan. If there is something you want me to cover or if you want to cover something, feel free. We could all use a little more Grizz Gab in our lives. Use this blog as a forum to discuss what the Grizz are doing and whether or not you agree with it. Talk about the players, coaches and management.

I have been a fan of the team since the days of the expansion draft when they were still in Vancouver. NBA Live '96 was my game and the Grizzlies were my team. Who else misses the Sega Genesis?

I figured the conclusion of All Star Weekend was a good time to launch this blog. Now we can all get on board to cheer the Memphis Grizzlies into the playoffs.

Jake Wells