Official 2014-15 Memphis Grizzlies Season Thread: 26-11, Grizz Acquire Jeff Green from Boston

Marc doin work against these floppin frauds.
Good way to close out the half.
These actresses in mid season form :smh:
 
Beautiful way to close out the half 8)

:smh: @ me for not taking tony allen off my bench in my fantasy squad. ish totally slipped my mind while taking the lil one trick r treating.
Them steals would of helped me greatly
 
Somehow, we are going to have to implement Wroten into the rotation against certain teams (like the Clippers). He adds dynamism to our team and having him out there against guards like Crawford and Bledsoe will benefit us come playoff time.

Other than that, I'm liking what I see. Conley had a bad 1st game, but looked a lot more like what I expect out of him this season against Golden State. Its good to see that Hollins has a solid 9 man rotation to start the season. Every other season we've had, he was playing 10-11 guys trying to figure out what his rotation would be. When DA comes back, I expect Mo's minutes to quickly decline. DA just complements both of our bigs better.

Rudy is looking like a different player. He's staying aggressive and not looking all lazy. He's looking to score more easy buckets and not settling for long outside jumpers. Marc and ZBO are also looking good. If those 3 can build on their chemistry throughout the season, sky's the limit come playoff time.

It feels good to have a backup PG that can run the offense, quick and has explosiveness after years of searching. I'll be at the home opener Monday. :pimp:
 
Grizzlies' front line gives notice in win over Warriors
By Ronald Tillery
Posted November 3, 2012 at 2:20 p.m.
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Zach Randolph stood on one side of the locker room while Rudy Gay sat about 18 feet away and out of earshot.

When asked separately about how the Grizzlies' front line, including center Marc Gasol, is playing so far this season, the starting forwards delivered nearly identical answers.

"We've got one of the best frontcourts in the league," Randolph proclaimed.

"If not the best, we have one of the best front lines in the league," Gay added. "And we're definitely going to prove that this year."

And to think that there are cynics who believe Gay and Randolph don't mix.

They have been as in sync on the court as they sound off it. Albeit just two games into the regular season, it's clear that the Griz (1-1) will go as far as Gay, Randolph and Gasol's chemistry takes them.

"We know we have a lot of talent," Gasol said. "We're just trying to play together and win. Everybody is going to have their chance. It's not about scoring. One night it could be one guy. It could another guy the next night. It doesn't matter who scores."

Yet it is significant that the trio is healthy and on the floor at the same time. A knee injury cost Randolph most of the 2011-12 regular season. Gay needed shoulder surgery halfway through the 2010-11 campaign and missed the playoffs.

There are no pressing issues so far, except for the opposition that has to deal with the Grizzlies' three leading scorers.

Gay is averaging 21.5 points and Gasol has posted 20.5 points per game on 58-percent shooting. Randolph's shooting is off at 40 percent. But the veteran big man is second in the NBA with 15 rebounds per game and appears content with mainly working the offensive boards.

So while the rest of the NBA focuses on Dwight Howard joining forces with Pau Gasol and Ron Artest on the Los Angeles Lakers, the Griz frontcourt plans to not-so-quietly establish itself as the Western Conference force.

"When we play like this it's going to be tough for teams," Randolph said. "We're sharing the ball, playing good defense and helping each other. It's what we're about."

Teammates also understand the No. 1 priority is to get one of their gifted frontcourt players the basketball. Gay has taken the most shots with Gasol and Randolph not far behind.

Gasol and Gay have stunned defenses more than a few times with a two-man game that usually results in Gay scoring off a dunk or layup. Gasol usually has the ball around the free throw line and locates Gay cutting backdoor along the baseline.

Gay and Randolph routinely look for each other in pick and rolls. Randolph and Gasol's chemistry in a high-low attack is well documented.

"Rudy's also a good post-up player. Zach's a good post-up player. Marc's a good post-up player," coach Lionel Hollins said. "So we balance being able to get all three of them their post-ups with getting Rudy the ball on the perimeter."

Gay clearly has more of a green light to score this season with the expectation that he'll be more of a playmaker, too.

"We're definitely clicking. We just haven't had a chance to do it," Gay said. "For the most part, somebody's been hurt. But we're doing it now, and the game is easier for everyone when we're making plays for each other."

Randolph said Gasol sets the tone. The 7-footer averages five assists — just one fewer than floor general Mike Conley and one more than backup point guard Jerryd Bayless.

"Marc is one of the best centers in the game by far, skill-wise," Randolph said. "He always makes the right pass. That's why we play so good together. We're talented. We both know how to play the game. We both have good fundamental skills."

Hollins pointed out another quality that binds the frontcourt. None of them is trying to garner status that separates one from the other. Randolph blamed himself for the team's season-opening loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. However, Gasol wouldn't hear of it and repeatedly reminded Randolph afterward that they do everything as a team.

"Zach has shown great leadership. Rudy and Marc have, too," Hollins said. "All three have been outstanding in the preseason and training camp. They're off to a good start."
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Robert Pera, in first public comments as Memphis Grizzlies owner, says 'dream' comes true
By Kyle Veazey
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Posted November 4, 2012 at 8:08 p.m.

Robert Pera is not only excited about being the owner of the Grizzlies but also about the impact he and the franchise can have on the Memphis community. Pera will be introduced to Grizz Nation at 10 a.m. on Monday in the lobby of FedExForum.

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Photo by Mike Brown, The Commercial Appeal // Buy this photo

November 4, 2012 — New Memphis Grizzlies owner Robert Pera shoots around on the team's playing court at FedExForum Sunday evening. Pera will be introduced to Grizz Nation at 10 a.m. on Monday in the lobby of FedExForum. (Mike Brown/The Commercial Appeal)
Robert Pera saw how others handled their wealth once they become successful, spending it on new cars or multimillion dollar homes. Those things weren't for him.

"For me, I just really like working," Pera said Sunday, in his first public comments since agreeing earlier this year to buy the Memphis Grizzlies. "And those things don't interest me that much. But being involved in the NBA, and potentially owning a team, that was a dream. Once I got to a position where that seemed possible, I started the process."

That ended last week, when he closed on the $377 million purchase of the team. Pera arrived in Memphis Sunday. And Monday, in a 10 a.m. news conference at FedExForum's lobby that's open to the public and at the team's 7 p.m. home opener against the Utah Jazz, he'll show his face as the Grizzlies owner in Memphis for the first time.

Shortly after his arrival Sunday, he gave his first interview on the Grizzlies, speaking to The Commercial Appeal in a FedExForum suite alongside new Griz CEO Jason Levien. As the head of the newly formed Memphis Basketball LLC, Levien will oversee both the basketball and business side of the operation.

But as the controlling owner, the 34-year-old Pera, CEO of the Silicon Valley wireless networking company Ubiquiti Networks, will have the final say.

Pera, who wore jeans, Nikes and a hooded sweatshirt, said he looked at several teams before deciding to purchase the Griz. He and Levien visited Memphis on March 27, when the Griz played the Timberwolves, and Pera said he sensed the "energy" and the team's meaning to the city. That helped sell him not just on the team, but on its potential to make more of a connection, he said.

"I saw what it's doing today, but I think it can do a lot more," Pera said.

Among the highlights from the 45-minute interview with Pera and Levien:

-- The group will get to know coach Lionel Hollins, who is in the final year of his contract, before acting on his future. Levien, the CEO and managing partner, will be over general manager Chris Wallace, and his exact role has not been determined.

-- Pera respects Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, but doesn't necessarily think he'll duplicate his showmanship. "I have a passion for marketing and branding, but I'm OK if I'm behind the scenes," Pera said. "I'll work on it, but I want to push Memphis, the team, the community and empower Jason to make the decision."

-- Pera spoke of the importance of a competitive team but also an entertaining fan experience. His Ubiquiti experience may help, too. "I want to make this the highest-tech stadium in the NBA," Pera said.

-- Levien said he and Pera share a common vision for the franchise. "Jason's going to be my eyes and ears and we're going to talk about all the high-level decisions," Pera said. Levien acknowledged a "task" ahead of ensuring that a wide range of limited partners feel involved in the ownership group, but didn't think it was an unwieldy size.

Pera will be the largest shareholder of the group but owns less than 50 percent of the team. Members of the partnership are expected to be revealed Monday, but it is known to include a dozen individuals such as local businessmen J.R. "Pitt" Hyde and Staley Cates, Los Angeles finance executive Steve Kaplan and celebrities such as Justin Timberlake and Memphis native Ashley Manning and her husband, Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning. Pera and Levien sidestepped a question asking for more details of the ownership group, including its size.

"Clearly Robert's our controlling owner," Levien said. "We looked for other folks to participate who could add real value outside of the dollar signs. … Ultimately, Robert and I are going to make decisions, but we think we have a great board of advisers of folks who really are vested in this who can help."

Pera was buoyant when discussing basketball, connecting to the Memphis community and his day job, which is wireless technology. He hopes, for instance, to be able to place Ubiquiti technology in local schools.

And when asked about his commitment to Memphis, he brushed off fears that arose in the summer — since dispelled by his long-term agreement with local partners — about the team's relocation with an answer about the community.

"I consider myself a citizen of the world," he said. " … I don't really have strong ties to San Jose. What I do have is strong ties to the NBA. I'm really passionate about the NBA and I'm really passionate about changing the world, improving the world. With Ubiquiti, we improve underserved communities all throughout the world. I'm passionate about Memphis because it seems like a really cool opportunity for the team to really influence the community, right? And that's up my alley."
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:pimp:
 
Chris Herrington ‏@FlyerGrizBlog
As of today, Grizzlies and Thunder are only teams in Top 10 in Off. Efficiency, Def. Efficiency, and Rebound Rate.
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Also, the bench actually looks like a unit. They are shooting the ball great and Speights is finding his role. When Arthur returns, its really going to be :pimp:

My 8-2 prediction through the first 10 is still going. Tomorrow will be a big game against Miami. I got us pulling it out in a close one. It'll be interesting to see Bosh guarding Marc and Battier guarding ZBO.
 
http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/51428/are-the-grizzlies-finding-their-groove

Are the Grizzlies finding their groove?

By the time the Memphis Grizzlies are through mucking up your half-court possession, your offense looks like an unmade bed.

Your floor spacing is terrible, in part because Tony Allen brutalized your best wing, who never got to his intended destination. Not that it matters all that much, because Mike Conley has hounded your point guard so far to the sideline that the ball is now in a different area code. The passing lanes are clogged. Zach Randolph’s rump has pushed your big man off the block and all you've got is a morass of bodies that’s flailing around or gathered in a clump in some undesirable location.

With the clock ticking, the ball might land in the first row off a panic pass, or get picked off by Conley or Allen, or maybe the buzzers sound and the ref will pat his head signaling a 24-second violation.

You didn't come close to getting what you wanted -- you got Grizzed.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Grizzlies are the third-ranked defense in the league this season, and they’re a good bet to stick. They clocked in at seventh last season, and ninth in 2010-11, when assistant Dave Joerger took over the primary defensive duties for a squad that had ranked 24th in 2009-10.

Over the past three seasons, Memphis has established a defensive system that's all about problem-solving. They push pick-and-rolls down. This gives their bigs, who have the turning radius of a '67 Pontiac Bonneville, time to drop back. Want to feed the post? The Grizzlies utilize their length to deny and their physicality to dig in. And about one in five possessions in the half court against the Grizz end in a turnover.

At the top of the floor, Conley has become more than just a pickpocket. He closes space exceptionally well for a little guy and knows how to force the ball away from the middle. He also offers some extras that keep opponents off-balance. Off the ball, he’ll tease, faking as if he's going to help on the ball only to pull back once rhythm has been broken. There's an intelligence to his game that wasn't detectable when he first signed a deal that raised eyebrows and now looks like a bargain.

Faithful as they are to their system, the Grizzlies can adjust on the fly. Take their big win over Miami on Sunday. The Grizzlies' typical schemes left them vulnerable to the Heat's speed and perimeter power. So Memphis did what smart teams do -- they adapted. The Grizzlies' big men didn't show on pick-and-rolls, but tracked backward instead. The goal: Prevent Chris Bosh from sucking Memphis’ defense into the middle.

Bosh and LeBron James still went 11-for-14 at the rim, but the shooters had an atrocious night because Memphis exercised discipline. They didn't rotate the defense and kept a blanket over the arc.

Any decent team can go out and execute their stuff, but the elite ones have the confidence to pivot, to be shrewd and flexible against even the most nightmarish scenario (e.g., defending the Miami Heat), to have the guts to say, "Yeah, our schemes work 60 nights a season. We could run those coverages and hope for the best, but screw it -- let's prepare something unique and ballsy that could totally disarm them. It could totally blow up in our faces, but who cares?"


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The dimensions of an NBA court haven’t changed, but today’s floor is more spacious than it used to be, partly because of some rule changes over the past decade that have favored guards, but also because guys can shoot.

Unfortunately for the Grizzlies, they've been the exception over the past couple of seasons. Memphis has ranked near the bottom of the league in just about every shooting stat, and the numbers from behind the 3-point line dating back to the 2008-09 season have been brutal.

For NBA teams prepping to defend the Grizzlies, this is like starting with 11 against the blackjack dealer's 5. Now you can run under most pick-and-rolls. Your defenders can sag and crowd the middle of the floor, which makes life more difficult not only for the Grizzlies' frontcourt, but for anyone on the wing who wants to drive. Perimeter rotations and help decisions become less risky propositions.

The Grizzlies have run some beautiful stuff with their current core, but they haven't ranked above league average in offensive efficiency since Mike Fratello was roaming the sidelines. Even with nifty high-low passes between Gasol and Randolph, or Rudy Gay elevating over a smaller defender, or Conley exploding off a high pick, the deficiencies from the outside have been too much to overcome many nights.

That's the challenge for the Grizzlies: Can they either get some reliable outside shooting, or can they identify ways to compensate?



Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images
Mike Conley: Breaking out.
It's early, but they seem to have acquired a bit of both. Although much of the production came from Wayne Ellington's explosion on Sunday (7-for-11 from downtown), the Grizzlies rank fourth in 3-point accuracy.

You can't run under on Conley anymore, because he can hurt you from beyond the arc and spot up nicely when Gay is pounding the rock on the wing (though seeing a kickout from Gay is like spotting a red panda). Jerryd Bayless saw a nice uptick in his 3-point percentage last season and that has carried over early. Elllington has been a find.

The improvement in proficiency has stretched the floor and given the Grizzlies' interior game more room to operate. Gasol's assist rate, always impressive, is off the charts. He prefers to pass and actively loves advancing the ball. For Gasol, the joy of the game lies in beating schemes and a pass is simply the best way to accomplish that.

The high-low game between Gasol and Randolph is smoother than ever. Most of these connections used to be set plays, but Gasol and Randolph have become so familiar with one another that they're reading and reacting as often as they're following the script.

Conley learned a lot while Randolph was sidelined last season. With Randolph no longer eating up space on the right block, this opened up a tunnel for Conley to drive nonstop to the hoop. Conley learned that attacking the defense allowed him to see the floor better. He has become a more comfortable pick-and-roll practitioner, and I often wonder how he'd fare on a team with two wings who stretched the floor and could make defenses pay if Conley found them with a kickout. Even with these limitations, Conley can now dominate the game for long stretches during which the Memphis offense is at its liveliest.


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There's still one more mouth to feed for Memphis -- one with a large appetite: Rudy Gay.

At 6-foot-8 (with a 7-foot-3 wingspan), Gay is a confounding player. Most nights, he has a decisive mismatch over a smaller defender. "Find the best mismatch on the floor and exploit it" has been a winning strategy in basketball for a long time, which makes it tempting for the Grizzlies to rely on Gay for an outsized chunk of their offense.

While Gay had some success as a post-up threat last season, he's a terrible pick-and-roll player who has trouble creating a play for anyone else off that drive. Isolation plays for Gay result on average in three-quarters of a point for Memphis and he's made only a third of his shots from midrange since the start of the 2011-12 season. From distance, he's Wade-esque (but shoots a lot more than Wade). And no matter what the play call, Gay doesn't read defenses as fluently as most top-tier wings -- maybe because he didn't have to for so long -- and doesn't get to the foul line enough.

This is the eternal struggle for this Grizzlies team. How many possessions can you entrust to Gay and still run an efficient offense? Are there ways to make him more efficient, slicing away the fat of his game while retaining the nutrients?


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Right now, the Grizzlies are flourishing even if they don't have definitive answers to those questions. Their offense sits at No. 8 thanks to a reconstituted bench that's been solid, a jackrabbit start from Conley and a big point-center who has turned touch and subtlety into opportunities and production.

Is all this stuff sustainable over an 82-game slog?

That's unknowable right now, but a win over Oklahoma City might give us another piece of evidence that the Grizzlies clean up nicely.

We might even discover that the Memphis Grizzlies -- the Memphis Grizzlies -- have found finesse.
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From what I can see with Rudy Gay it seems like he has used being cut from the Olympic team has motivation this year....Looking good so far.
 
they need to play Wroten, hes a %$^# of a lot better than Bayless but in the NBA if you gone pay a player, you have to play them..sighs
 
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