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

Rudy Gay woke up one day and had a heart-to-heart with himself.

He decided it was time to make a change. Gay thought he could give a lot more of himself and become a better teammate.

And the soul-searching led Gay to ask his longtime girlfriend, Ecko Wray, for her hand in marriage.

"It's time for me to take control of my life," Gay said. "It's not just about basketball. It's about me personally, too."

So while the basketball universe looks at the Grizzlies' 6-8 small forward and sees a player ready to soar to new heights, Gay couldn't be more grounded.

To say the 26-year-old is settled might be an understatement. There is no date yet for the nuptials with the woman he's dated since 2004, but Gay passionately states that he is "ready." He's also clearly geared up to make his seventh NBA season his best.

The Griz are off to a franchise-best 6-1 start with Gay one of the main catalysts. Entering Friday night's game against the New York Knicks, Gay leads the Griz with 20.7 points per game.

His versatile scoring hardly captures the imagination of onlookers anymore. It's Gay's maturation, which clearly extends beyond his life choices, that is most noticeable.

He's become more of a playmaker, averaging five assists in wins against Oklahoma City and Miami. He's playing harder on defense, and filling up the statistical report the way coach Lionel Hollins says Gay's talents dictates.

The Griz have longed for Gay to affect winning beyond his effortless scoring, and he's making a conscious effort to do just that.

"There were times when a lot of things I did were spiteful," Gay said. "Maybe I would try to shoot my way out of a slump. I always felt like I could out-jump people, outshoot someone. One thing I'm learning is to be tactical and know when it's time to be that person. … I feel like I've changed a lot of people's perspective of me. I'm doing just enough. I'm doing things within the confines of the team. I really just came into the season thinking how am I going to help the team?"

If there is anyone who objects to this marriage on the court, speak now or forever hold your peace. The man presiding over Gay's evolution is eager to proceed.

Hollins is giving Gay more freedom with the ball. Hollins remains demanding yet cognizant of the need to feed the man who can get his shot anywhere on the floor. Gay took over the win at Oklahoma City when it became a six-point game. He made an array of jump shots over Kevin Durant's reach and seemingly helpless defense.

"He was hot and we just kept giving him the ball," Hollins said of Gay. "I told Rudy he was going to stay on the floor as long as he could."

Gay contends that Hollins has learned how to use him. Hollins would say Gay has earned his trust. The truth likely lies in the middle, with general manager Chris Wallace's assessment.

"Rudy's maturity is intersecting with his physical gifts," Wallace said. "He's maturing and emerging as a player right before our eyes. And he's got a great combination of youth and experience."

Still, the perception of Gay is that his talent is behind that of Durant and LeBron James. But Gay makes a valid point: Those players flourish in different situations and have the same challenges guarding him as he does with them. Yet Gay, who is routinely criticized for playing matador defense, matched Durant and James on both ends of the court this week.

"On another team I might have to do other things — the things that people compare me to those guys," Gay said. "But not on this team. If I went out there and had the ball in my hands for five straight possessions, I'd take away from Zach (Randolph), Marc (Gasol) and Mike (Conley). That's not how we're going to win. I want to win.

"I'm trying to play with a clear mind. I just want to be the best basketball player I can be. The Come to Jesus moment for me was just me saying if you want to win how can I make this team better? But it's not just me. We all have that mentality now."

Gay clearly has found love and his best basketball.

"Everything is planned out for women," Gay said. "For a man, it's just like I'm ready."
Click to expand...


:pimp: at Rudy
 
GasolWorksPerkins.gif


Marc had Perk on them skates brah. :x :smh:
 
A contender grows in Memphis

While everyone's eyes are glued to the turnover in LakerLand, there's a star-studded small-market Western Conference team quietly playing like a lovable juggernaut that far too many people are sleeping on.

Yes, the Memphis Grizzlies should be on your short list of NBA title contenders.

Oh, you thought I was talking about the Oklahoma City Thunder?

Oklahoma City should most definitely be included in the mix for the Larry O'Brien trophy. But everyone knew that after the Thunder reached the NBA Finals with a fleet of All-Star caliber players still wearing diapers by typical title-team standards. But the Grizzlies? Now that's a bandwagon you can jump on.

It's easy to see why Memphis could cruise comfortably below the radar. The Grizzlies didn't sign a big-time free agent like the Heat did with Ray Allen. They didn't trade for a transformative star like the Lakers did with Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. They did … well, nothing.

Memphis' biggest offseason moves were non-moves. The Griz decided not to bring back restricted free agent O.J. Mayo and they opted not to break up their talented, yet expensive starting lineup -- even with the understanding that the franchise, one that exists in the 29th smallest TV market, is headed toward stiff luxury-tax hits in 2013-14.

The Grizzlies stood pat for the most part and while they didn't win the offseason, they're winning a lot of actual basketball games. Interestingly enough, it's not entirely because of their defense.

Memphis isn't changing its identity as much as it is expanding it. Led by supreme defender Tony Allen, the 2011-12 version of the Grizzlies thrashed opponents with their suffocating defense and used their hyperactivity to generate easy buckets in transition on the other end. The offense was suspect at best.

This edition of the Grizzlies? They are one of four teams that rank in the top 10 in both offense and defense, but here's the thing: their offense has been better than their defense.

Consider some keys, and questions about whether this is all sustainable:

All hail Marc Gasol

The reports of the center position's death have been greatly exaggerated. Exhibit A: Marc Gasol.

Maybe it's because he plays for a small-market team. Maybe it's because he could probably stand to lose about 30 pounds. Maybe it's because his older brother plays in Hollywood. Whatever the reason, people continue to overlook Gasol as an elite center. But that belief doesn't hold water.

Gasol is doing something right now that only one center has done in the past two decades: average at least 14 points, 7 rebounds and 4.5 assists in a season. And that last stat should fly in the face of those who cry about the demise of the skilled big man. Gasol can play.

Watch Gasol flick bounce passes to Zach Randolph in the post. Watch how he delivers pocket passes from high up on his hip like LeBron James. Watch him cross over his defender in the post, shake left, shake right and drop in a delicate fadeaway like he did against a dizzied Kendrick Perkins on Wednesday night.

Gasol has the rare ability to make defenses pay for doubling him in the post, and the scary thing is that he now has a 3-point shooter in Wayne Ellington to feed in the corner. The former North Carolina standout has served as a decongestant for the Memphis offense, one that has been starving for 3-point production in recent seasons. Over the past three seasons no team has made fewer 3-pointers than the Grizzlies. The Bobcats rank 29th with 1,130 3-pointers; the Grizzlies have made 930.

As the Heat found out the hard way on Monday, you can't leave Ellington to double Gasol in the high post without getting burned (right, Dwyane Wade?). Ellington may not continue to shoot 46 percent from beyond the arc, but if you give him space and willing passers from the perimeter and the post, he has the talent and the track record to nail 40 percent of his tries from downtown. And don't be surprised if Ellington steps into the starting lineup soon.

Defense not all Allen

This season, Memphis is still defending like mad, but the Grizzlies are not doing it solely with Allen on the court. Consulting the efficiency leaderboard on NBA.com/stats, we find that the Grizzlies rank sixth in the league on defense, but so far they've been able to maintain that death-by-strangulation defense with Allen on the bench. In fact, the defense has barely missed a beat with Allen riding pine, allowing just 97.2 points per 100 possessions compared to 96.1 points per 100 possessions with Allen on the floor.

How? Well, it's a super small sample size (SSSS!) at this point in the season, but it's no secret around the league that coach Lionel Hollins has transformed Randolph and Gasol into legitimate defenders in the paint. While Allen is no doubt an integral part of the Grizzlies' defense, they haven't required his presence when Randolph and (more so) Gasol wall off the paint.

Watch Randolph on film and it's clear he's no longer a disinterested defender like he often was in Los Angeles and New York. Like Chris Bosh in Miami, Randolph just needed to be plugged into a strong defensive system. Although it's a very small piece of the puzzle, it's worth pointing out that Randolph already has more blocks in seven games than he did in 28 games last season. His health and dedication to both ends of the floor remains a big key for the Grizzlies if they hope to maintain the upward trajectory through the league. No, he won't be sniffing the All-Defense team, but the Grizzlies should be thrilled if Randolph is just an average defender for his position, given his previous track record.

Where does Gay fit long-term?

At 6-1, the Grizzlies are rolling into their showdown with the other eyebrow-raising team, the New York Knicks. But what's interesting is that until Wednesday, they've done it largely without much from Rudy Gay. Though he's making max money, the 26-year-old with absurd athleticism has been modest at best this season in terms of production. Don't let his 20.7 points per game fool you; Gay is shooting the ball more than ever despite shooting worse than ever.

Now that Mike Conley Jr. has started showing signs that he's ready to make the leap this season (his PER is in the neighborhood of Russell Westbrook, Rajon Rondo and Deron Williams so far), it puts the small-market organization in an intriguing position. They may have no choice but to make Conley a pricey keeper (just turned 25), along with Randolph (likely isn't going anywhere with $50 million remaining) and Gasol (one of the most skilled centers in the league).

With their roster as is, they could be looking at a payroll upwards of $90 million considering the more punitive luxury-tax hits in 2013-14. There's a good chance they'll be faced with a similar proposition that the Thunder faced last season: go all-in for the title and then trade for future flexibility. In this case, Gay could be the next James Harden.

But that's looking way too far on the horizon. Right now, the Grizzlies look poised to be in the thick of the West Conference title race. And if this week's routs over the 2012 Finals representatives signal anything, it's that the Griz mean business.
Click to expand...
 
I just hope the game is close and competitive. I feel like my Knicks are gonna get blown out :smh:
 
Good game. Can't blame the grizz for all those whacko calls against the Knicks. They saw the refs were calling it tight and attacked the basket to draw fouls. Making all those free throws will help too. Knicks getting frustrated, losing their best players to foul trouble and making bonehead plays in the 3rd messed it up too.

Suspect calls, but you gotta take advantage to get the lead. Good Job Grizz.

Hopefully, next time we play--we'll have Amare and Shumpert to counter the defensive intensity.
 
Conley has came up big in 4th quarters in the early part of the season. He constantly hits timely baskets when the defense is focused on Rudy and ZBo.

Its amazing what having a reliable backup PG can do for him. You can tell he is a completely different player in the 4th than he was last season because he gets to rest a little more.
 
Conley is extremly important to this team. 2nites game showed.
Good win tho
 
Last edited:
moundraised23 said:
Conley is extremly important to this team. 2nites game showed.
Good win tho
Click to expand...

Yep. It was an ugly win, but we got it. We can't come in with the same attitude against Toronto. They did beat us last season in Memphis and was led by Bayless that night :lol: . This is an important stretch of games that are must wins.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

The ultimate sneaker enthusiast community.

NikeTalk was created as a way of giving back to both the sneaker enthusiast community and to the greater global community of which we are all a part.

NikeTalk is NOT affiliated with Nike Inc. in any way, shape, or form. All opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of Nike, Inc.

© 1999-2024 NikeTalk.com

Share this page

Back
Top Bottom