<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">If you think a coaching change can't make a difference, then you haven't seen the Memphis Grizzlies lately. When Memphis fired coach Mike Fratello last week after a 6?24 start ? a beginning that I will grant looked worse because of an inordinate number of close losses, but was bad no matter how you sliced it ? one of the criticisms was that the team was playing boring basketball. The Grizzlies were the league's slowest-paced team in 2005?06, and near the bottom of the league a year earlier (I measure this with a tool I call Pace Factor, which calculates a team's possessions per 48 minutes). Even after vowing to run more this season, it was hard for Fratello to snap his old habits. Through 30 games, Memphis ranked 28th in Pace Factor, an improvement if you're being finicky, but not quite what the locals were hoping for. And while that style of play produced a 49-win campaign a year earlier, it had the Grizzlies mired at the bottom of the West this season. Granted, there were extenuating circumstances. It's tough to get too enthused about running when your backcourt consists of Damon Stoudamire, Chucky Atkins, Eddie Jones, and Mike Miller. And obviously, the loss of All-Star forward Pau Gasol for two months because of a foot injury wasn't a fortuitous development, nor was the trade of role player extraordinaire Shane Battier. Nonetheless, in the three games since swapping coaches, the Grizzlies look like a completely different team. Personnel director Tony Barone, who has taken over as interim head coach, has the rare luxury of being allowed to try new things and fail or succeed because he knows he's going back to his personnel gig once the season ends.</div> Source
The transformation has been amazing. Hopefully we can move Stoudamire/Jones expiring contract for a quality PG that can run with Pau and Miller, if that happens, we'll be in a good position going forward.
<div class="quote_poster">Jerry West Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">The transformation has been amazing. Hopefully we can move Stoudamire/Jones expiring contract for a quality PG that can run with Pau and Miller, if that happens, we'll be in a good position going forward.</div> The Grizzlies might want to consider trading for Marcus Banks out in Phoenix. He's been a disappointment for them, not because he hasn't picked up the offense, but the fact Leandro Barbosa has elevated his game to another level. However, Marcus Banks has the benefit of watching and learning from the NBA's best decision maker, Steve Nash, and he gets to guard Nash in practice. He's one of the fastest guards in the league, and won't let you down defensively. The Suns committed a lot of money to him, and salary-cap wise they have some issues upcoming. They might be willing to trade Banks & Kurt Thomas & James Jones for Eddie Jones expiring contract. The Grizzlies would have to waive two players to make room on their roster, or get more teams involved willing to take on one of these players.
<div class="quote_poster">shapecity Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">The Grizzlies might want to consider trading for Marcus Banks out in Phoenix. He's been a disappointment for them, not because he hasn't picked up the offense, but the fact Leandro Barbosa has elevated his game to another level. However, Marcus Banks has the benefit of watching and learning from the NBA's best decision maker, Steve Nash, and he gets to guard Nash in practice. He's one of the fastest guards in the league, and won't let you down defensively. The Suns committed a lot of money to him, and salary-cap wise they have some issues upcoming. They might be willing to trade Banks & Kurt Thomas & James Jones for Eddie Jones expiring contract. The Grizzlies would have to waive two players to make room on their roster, or get more teams involved willing to take on one of these players.</div> That'd be a horrible trade for the Grizzlies. At one point, there were rumors of Allen Iverson for Eddie Jones, and now they're settling for Marcus Banks? Jones' contract is a lot more valuable than that. If the Grizzlies ever want to turn around their fortune, they don't need to make minor adjustments like adding Marcus Banks to the roster but rather need to make a big move - trading Jones for a legit second option for Gasol, trading Gasol for another franchise-caliber player, keep on tanking for Oden/Durant, etc. To me, the biggest mistake the Grizzlies could make at this point would be trying to win games. It'd be more or less impossible for them to make the playoffs, so all a strong late-season run would do for them is take them out of the chase for Oden/Durant, who are both franchise-changing rookies.
I heard Rudy Gay's 23 points, five rebounds, four dimes, four steals and two blocks were the worst in franchise history, and would have been much more effective if contributed by Shane Battier. Anyone got confirmation on this or is it just a rumour?
<div class="quote_poster">Sir Desmond Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">I heard Rudy Gay's 23 points, five rebounds, four dimes, four steals and two blocks were the worst in franchise history, and would have been much more effective if contributed by Shane Battier. Anyone got confirmation on this or is it just a rumour?</div> Awesome, you can read a boxscore! I'm sure you loved his few statlines prior to tonight's game as well - 3-7 FG, 6 pts, 2 rbs, 0 ast vs. Phoenix 0-7 FG, 2 pts, 2 rbs, 4 ast vs. Chicago 2-8 FG, 5 pts, 3 rbs, 2 ast vs. Minnesota And that's in Tony Barone's new up-tempo offense that was designed to specifically suit Rudy Gay's game. The guy's a waste of a good roster space. His inconsistent play and lack of defensive focus represent everything that's wrong with this current organization.
<div class="quote_poster">Sir Desmond Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Are we talking about a rookie or a veteran here?</div> We're talking about a player who has had problems with consistency. Consistency isn't an experience thing, it's a motivational thing, at least in Gay's case, Swift's case, and tons of other player's cases.
<div class="quote_poster">bball4lifemf Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Give Rudy time to let his game develop, we got him for the long haul</div> My point exactly. Battier is a nice support player, but Memphis were never going to contend without a secondary star to Gasol, and they've given themselves a chance to get one in Gay.
<div class="quote_poster">Sir Desmond Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">My point exactly. Battier is a nice support player, but Memphis were never going to contend without a secondary star to Gasol, and they've given themselves a chance to get one in Gay.</div> If Gay gives them a chance to contend with a secondary star, it's because he's helping them tank for Greg Oden.
<div class="quote_poster">Sir Desmond Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">And do you tank if Gasol doesn't break his foot?</div> No, because Gasol can carry this team on his own. That has nothing to do with Rudy Gay though.
<div class="quote_poster">dallasdude Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">Its unbelievable a team is scoring like 30 points more per game just with a coaching change.</div> It's not really because he's getting any more out of his players than Fratello did, but it's rather because he changed the team's offensive tempo so dramatically. The Grizzlies used to run nothing but half-court sets and would play at one of the slowest paces in the league, but now they run a transition-style offense and get shots up before fifteen seconds have even clicked off the shotclock. All of that scoring comes at a price though. Just as the Grizzlies have increased their scoring, so have their opponents. It's great to lead the league in scoring, so long as you're winning, otherwise it's irrelevant. Obviously the new fast-paced style isn't working for this club. I've actually heard some people suggest two conspiracy theories as to why they're running this style: 1) to tank for Oden/Durant and 2) to suit Rudy Gay's playing style to cover for Jerry West's ass after the Shane Battier deal wound up being the disaster that it has.
How can the deal be deemed a disaster after half a season? It was clearly made for the future of the franchise, not this season, when Gasol's injury means Memphis are a lottery team regardless of whether they have Battier or Gay. If an offense is being geared to suit Gay, that just means people in the organisation see good things in him, not to cover someone's ass. It is funny the sort of theories you come up with to suit your own arguments though.
<div class="quote_poster">Sir Desmond Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">How can the deal be deemed a disaster after half a season? It was clearly made for the future of the franchise, not this season, when Gasol's injury means Memphis are a lottery team regardless of whether they have Battier or Gay. If an offense is being geared to suit Gay, that just means people in the organisation see good things in him, not to cover someone's ass. It is funny the sort of theories you come up with to suit your own arguments though.</div> With Battier, the Grizzlies would be contenders. He's the best defender in the entire league, and the way he plays not only effects the play of his teammates but it changes the outcome of the ballgame. That's why he's always at the top of the On/Off Court stats. Rudy Gay being the franchise's future is funny. The guy was the #9 pick in a weak draft, not exactly a sure-fire franchise player. He's got all the talent but none of the intangibles that make a player a star. Talk to me in two-three years and see if you still feel the same way. I'm right on the money with these former NCAA prospects more often than not. (BTW - NBC Sports came up with that theory, not me, but funny.)
<div class="quote_poster">Voodoo Child Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">With Battier, the Grizzlies would be contenders.</div> How? You only have one go to scorer (who was injured for the first 30 games), no reliable point guards and no inside help. Yet because Battier is a versatile defender and a good guy you're suddenly contenders?
<div class="quote_poster">Sir Desmond Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">How? You only have one go to scorer (who was injured for the first 30 games), no reliable point guards and no inside help. Yet because Battier is a versatile defender and a good guy you're suddenly contenders?</div> First off, scratch the "good guy" label. That has nothing to do with Battier's on-the-court value, and don't imply that I'd think that. Secondly; Mike Miller is one of the best offensive wings in the league, he'd be the go-to-guy. Lastly, having no reliable point guard didn't exactly hurt the Grizzlies when they were winning 50 games, did it? Why would it now? The Grizzlies, especially under Mike Fratello, have always been a team that has won games based on their outstanding defensive play. Substituting Gay for Battier really changed the team's chemistry on the offensive end and dramatically hurt their defensive attack.
Winning 50 games and doing what in the playoffs? Being swept every time around? You need a legit second option behind Gasol, and in Gay at least management have identified that need and tried to get it. Whether it works or not remains to be seen, and won't be seen in half a season, but he certainly has the tools to be just that. Battier is a great roleplayer, but roleplayers are easier to find.
