In a development that seems to be straight from the "You Have Got to be Kidding Me" line of reasoning, the Grizzlies have reportedly agreed to send guard Javaris Crittendon to the Washington Wizards and a second-round draft pick to the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for a conditional first round draft pick they had sent to the Wizards last year.
While the Grizzlies without a doubt needed to lighten their backcourt, they needed to engineer a deal that would get them experience and scoring in return. They do not need draft picks to prolong their endless rebuilding project. Seriously, Chris Wallace? You think you can get by on youth year after year? Sure, O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol are the assumed building blocks for this franchise's future, but don't they need exerienced role models to help them develop? Such an extreme commitment to youth is just foolish. I'm sure there will be more moves to come this season, and Crittendon didn't exactly have enormous trade value, but he's worth at least a mediocre veteran.
On the court, the Grizzlies will try to build on Monday's win over Houston as they face Oklahoma City tonight with payback in mind. There is no chance the Grizzlies will overlook the Thunder twice. The Grizzlies have their focus solely on tonight's game, which they hope will be a victory, erasing the bitter taste of their Nov. 29 home loss. Standing in their way is the fact that they sport a miserable 1-10 road record this season. This Thunder team, however, is one they should stand a good chance of beating, even on the road. They had victory well in hand before a complete meltdown saw them walk off the court in defeat in that earlier meeting. They have the momentum of beating a good Houston team on their side. The challenge will be putting together another quick start and overall performance like the one they had in that game.
Bottom line, if the Grizzlies execute on both ends of the floor throughout the game, they will win. They could use another double-digit win to really boost their confidence.
