After seeing their lead slip away in the second half of Saturday night's devastating loss to Oklahoma City, the Memphis Grizzlies face their toughest mental task of the season Wednesday in Atlanta. It may not be significant in the long run, but for the sake of the team's psyche, this game is huge. They let a golden opportunity get away from them against the Thunder, and they must come out tonight and show that they have put that performance behind them

Instead of looking at what they didn't do against the Thunder, they have to look at what they need to do against the Hawks to be successful.  They need to relax and not let their circumstances affect their play on the court.  They should take the season one game at a time and just try to win tonight's game instead of thinking of their current slump.

Continue reading "Picking Up the Pieces"

Grizzlies coach Marc Iavaroni may have a young roster to work with, but that may not be enough of an excuse to save his job.  Iavaroni tops FoxSports.com's list of the four NBA coaches most likely to be fired by the end of this season.  Like any other Grizzlies fan, I am frustrated that the team isn't making any progress this year, and I know the coach is the easiest fall guy.  I'm not sure that a midseason coaching change is always the wisest move, but this move may need to happen. It's not like this team is going to make a run to the playoffs in 2009. Iavaroni has a laid-back personality that isn't going to work in the long run for a rebuilding franchise.  More importantly, this is his first head coaching job.  A young team needs the direction of a veteran coach.  The Grizzlies had success under Hubie Brown, and if he had been in better health and not at the end of his career, he would have done wonders for them for several more years.  I am a firm believer that the Grizzlies' problems stem from the top.  Chris Wallace came to Memphis from Portland, which hasn't been a playoff team in a while.  Is this really the best guy Jerry West could recommend before he retired?  Although Portland appears to be turning around with Greg Oden and Brandon Roy as centerpieces, it was near rock bottom both on and off the court under Wallace.  That is more harmful than bad coaching.

Continue reading "Iavaroni's Seat Warming Up?"

Two days of workouts that followed Saturday's loss to Oklahoma City didn't result in an end to what is now a seven-game losing streak for the Grizzlies as they lost to Atlanta on Wednesday 105-95.

The game was the 100th for the Grizzlies under coach Marc Iavaroni, who saw his record in Memphis drop to 26-74.  The Grizzlies trailed the Hawks by as many as 26 points in the third quarter before going on one of their fourth-quarter tears to get the deficit back to single digits temporarily.

I think the losing streak is taking its toll on the Grizzlies players.  It's hard for any team, even a group of veterans, to endure losing as many games as the Grizzlies have recently.  These young guys are rattled at this point.  They're not used to this kind of struggle, and that could be devastating for them.  If they don't have the confidence to think they can win when they take the court each night, it's going to be a long season.  The players say they have to play for pride once they're down 20 points in the third quarter, but they need to apply that attitude to the season as a whole.  Play like you're down 20 points at tipoff every night, no matter who your opponent is.  Play every game like you're down 20 games in the division standings (thankfully, it's only seven at this point).  You don't have to wait until the fourth quarter to develop that mindset if that is what motivates you.

Continue reading "Hawks 105, Grizzlies 95"

There are only two teams in the Western Conference who have worse records than the Grizzlies at this point in the season.  One of them is Oklahoma City, which beat the Grizzlies last Saturday.  The other is the Los Angeles Clippers, the perennial Pacific Division doormat, who come to town tonight.  If the Grizzlies have any chance of putting an end to their misery, this is it.

The Clippers' record of 2-8 in their last 10 games is only one game better than the Grizzlies' 1-9.  The Clippers are also one of only three teams that have a losing record all-time against the Grizzlies at 25-26.  The Grizzlies should have a chance to fix their defensive problems against the Clippers, who have one of the league's worst offenses.  The Clippers are averaging only 92.6 points per game, well below the Grizzlies' average allowance of 104.9.  The Grizzlies have allowed over 110 points per game in their last four contests.

Continue reading "Grizzlies seek win against lowly Clippers"

As it turns out, all that the Grizzlies needed to do to snap their losing streak was make some minor changes.  Kyle Lowry and Darko Milicic replaced Mike Conley and Marc Gasol in the starting lineup Friday night against the Los Angeles Clippers, and the result was an impressive 93-81 Grizzlies victory.

The swap resulted in a scrappier, more physical approach by the Grizzlies that caused the struggling Clippers to unravel.  The Grizzlies' harassing style of defense returned to limit the Clippers to 45 percent shooting, including 39 percent in the second half.  It was the first time in five games that the Grizzlies had held an opponent under 50 percent. Lowry accepted the tough assignment of guarding the Clippers star guard Baron Davis and limited him to 23 points on 7-of-16 shooting.  Milicic took on Zach Randolph and limited him to six rebounds.

Continue reading "Grizzlies 93, Clippers 81"

The Grizzlies knew they had to play at their best to have a shot at upsetting the New Orleans Hornets on their home floor, but after an early blitz by the Hornets they never had a chance.

The big three of New Orleans, Chris Paul, Peja Stojakovic and David West, combined for one of their best collective performances, tallying 60 points on 21-of-30 shooting to put the pressure on the Grizz offense to find an answer.

The Hornets (11-6) shot 87 percent in the first quarter to take a 37-16 lead and won going away, 106-87.  For the Grizzlies, their opponent's performance was a showcase of the energy and offensive firepower they hope to develop as a team. 

The Grizzlies (5-15) don't fare well when they have to play from behind, particularly when they are put in that position only a few minutes into the game.  Unlike their win on Friday, the Grizzlies did few things right.  They reverted to the same old mistakes they have been making all season, unable to carry over their success from the night before.  That is just the sign of a young team.  After they dominated Golden State in a game last month, they hit a rough patch in which they dropped a string of games they had chances to win before fading down the stretch. 

Continue reading "Hornets 106, Grizzlies 87"

ESPN has reported today that the Grizzlies will have a new head coach in place sooner rather than later.  While Marc Iavaroni will lead the team in tonight's game against Houston, his future with the team now appears to be on a game-to-game basis.  According to the ESPN report, the Grizzlies' lighter upcoming schedule, which includes games against Oklahoma City on the road and Chicago, Charlotte and Miami at home, may actually be a reason for the move to happen now.  Apparently, the goal is to get Iavaroni's proposed successor off to a good start with a few legitimate chances for wins coming up.  Candidates for the interim position include assistant coaches Kevin O'Neill and Johnny Davis, but there haven't been any other names thrown out for consideration for the perman

Continue reading "A Change is Coming"

With a lighter slate of opponents on the horizon, the Memphis Grizzlies came out eager to improve on their recent play and get back in the win column on Monday against Houston.  The result was their most complete game of the season and a 109-97 victory.  Their goal was to play better, play harder and play smarter.  Mission Accomplished.

Rudy Gay came off the bench for the first time this season and responded by leading the team with 20 points in 24 minutes of action.  Quentin Ross knocked down a 3-pointer to open the game, and the Grizzlies' offense rolled from there.  Houston never led in the game, getting as close as within two points in the third quarter.  The Grizzlies' lead reached as many as 22 points in the first half, and despite an 18-6 surge by the Rockets to close the first half, the team remained calm.  They held a dominant edge in scoring through most of the third quarter, answering another Houston run with a 15-9 spurt of their own.  The Rockets still won the quarter, 28-27, giving the Grizzlies their first win of the season when losing the third quarter. 

Continue reading "Grizzlies 109, Rockets 97"

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.

Continue reading "Grizzlies involved in three-team trade, seek payback against Thunder"

While the Grizzlies didn't get off to the start they envisioned for their payback game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, they were just setting themselves up to exact their revenge in a familiarly painful fashion. Only this time they would be the ones inflicting the pain.

After falling behind by as many as 22 points, the Grizzlies stormed back to stun the Thunder and their enthusiastic home crowd with a 108-102 win.

The Grizzlies (7-15) did not get off to a good start in the first quarter, which was a reflection of their overall mental struggles away from FedEx Forum.  Not even the thought of payback could reverse that trend.

But the Grizzlies began their rally late in the second quarter rather than the fourth, and they made up for nearly every bad play from the game’s early minutes with a spectacular one.  While they still trailed entering halftime, they were able to turn a disheartening 20+ point deficit into a manageable 55-48 score.

Continue reading "Grizzlies get their revenge on Thunder"

After laboring through a seven-game losing skid the Memphis Grizzlies suddenly find themselves on the verge of their third straight win as they host the Chicago Bulls tonight. If the Grizzlies are able to beat the Bulls they would have their longest win streak of the season and their first three-game win streak since the final three games of the 2006-07 season under interim coach Tony Barone.

The game marks the return to Memphis of former University of Memphis star Derrick Rose, whom the Bulls made the No. 1 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. While his presence should lead to a rare full house in the Forum, he hasn’t exactly kept his Memphis ties intact this season, having the Bulls’ P.A. guy announce him as a Chicago native rather than from the U of M. I guess people in Chicago care more about that anyway. Even if his local connection isn’t verbally expressed before the game, I’m sure most of the crowd will forgive him. O.J. Mayo vs. Rose should be an exciting matchup to watch throughout the contest.

Continue reading "Memphis welcomes familiar face in Bulls' Rose"

These days the Memphis Grizzlies seem to enjoy playing from behind. Never mind that they have really been doing it all season. With their bench playing better than ever, it’s been no big deal for the starters to have their struggles.

Such was the case again on Friday as the Grizzlies welcomed the Chicago Bulls and former Memphis Tiger Derrick Rose to the Forum. Just like in their previous game against Oklahoma City, the Grizzlies spotted the Bulls a double-digit first quarter lead before rallying in the second quarter and dominating the second half of their 103-96 win.

The Grizzlies have now won three straight games and four of five, leading owner Michael Heisley to declare coach Marc Iavaroni’s job “safe”, saying he hasn’t made any evaluations yet.

Continue reading "Grizzlies Spoil Return of Rose"

Dwyane who?

 

That’s the attitude the Grizzlies’ O.J. Mayo took on Sunday as he suffocated Miami’s All-Star guard Dwyane Wade, the NBA’s top scorer.  Wade, who entered the game averaging 29.1 ppg, finished with 17 on 5-of-16 shooting as the Grizzlies won their fourth straight game, 102-86.  Mayo, on the other hand, backed up his stellar defensive effort by scoring 28 points in 40 minutes.  It was the first time this season that the Grizzlies have won a game in which Mayo led them in scoring.

 

The Grizzlies (9-15) opened the third quarter with a 16-6 run after playing the Heat to a draw in the first half.  They really seem to be shaking off the mental block that haunted them in the third quarter through the first month of the season.  I’m not sure what has brought about the change in attitude other than the players simply realizing they needed to play harder.

Continue reading "Grizzlies 102, Heat 86"

Just when the Grizzlies appeared to be rolling, they ran into the New Orleans Hornets again. The Hornets remain the only team to beat the Grizzlies in the past two weeks, handing them their first loss in five games on Tuesday 91-84.

As in most of their recent games, the Grizzlies (9-16) fell behind early, only to rally. They put together a third-quarter run and clamped down on the Hornets’ shooters in the second half. The Hornets (14-7) shot 41 percent for the game but only 37 percent in the second half. They warmed up just in time to score the final seven points of the game after eight lead changes and six ties in the fourth quarter. They won a low-scoring third quarter 18-12.

Rudy Gay led the Grizzlies with 28 points while O.J. Mayo added 20. David West and Chris Paul each scored 18 for the Hornets.

Continue reading "Hornets 91, Grizzlies 84"

The Grizzlies know their task tonight.  They must take advantage of a favorable matchup and defend their home court against the visiting Charlotte Bobcats, who are definitely beatable.  The Bobcats will have their top scorer, Gerald Wallace, back in the lineup as they try to win consecutive games for the second time this year.  Wallace, who is averaging 15.4 ppg, lost both his father and grandmother last week.

 

The Grizzlies put up a good fight at New Orleans on Tuesday before falling 91-84.  What kept them from winning that game was the fact that New Orleans got hot late in the game and the Grizzlies couldn’t find an answer.  The Grizzlies need more than one or two guys to contribute in order to win on any given night, and that just didn’t happen consistently on Tuesday.

Continue reading "Grizzlies hope to recover against weak Bobcats"

As a rule, you don’t win many basketball games when your opponent shoots 70 percent from the floor.  The Grizzlies found that out the hard way, again, on Friday as the Charlotte Bobcats stormed out of the gate and thoroughly whipped them 112-83.

 

The Bobcats (9-18) opened the game by shooting 72 percent in the first quarter and finished the game at 66 percent, while knocking down only 65 percent of their free throw attempts.

 

The loss replaced an earlier home rout at the hands of the New York Knicks, who used a superhuman effort from 3-point range to embarrass the Grizzlies, as the team’s worst loss of the season.  The Bobcats just ran through the Grizzlies and overpowered them with their size. 

 

The most obvious evidence of that was the fact that the Grizzlies (9-17) grabbed exactly six total rebounds in the first half.  Both teams shot the ball pretty well, so there weren’t a whole lot of rebounds to be had, but the Bobcats ended up with 90 percent of them.  For the game, the Bobcats won the battle of the boards 41-23.  The Grizzlies were outplayed and outhustled by a team they could have beaten.  For all the pregame talk from the Grizzlies about how they were eager to put Tuesday’s loss behind them and start a new winning streak, it just seemed like the Bobcats felt they had more to prove.

Continue reading "Bobcats 112, Grizzlies 83"

Tonight's game between the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers marks a homecoming for Lakers forward Pau Gasol, who makes his first return to Memphis since being traded away last February.  It will also be a family reunion of sorts for Pau and his brother, Grizzlies forward Marc, who played together on the Spanish Olympic team in Beijing.  The two Gasols have strikingly different playing styles due to different physical characteristics.  While Pau is taller and quicker than Marc, his brother brings more power and strength to the game.  Marc has provided the physical post presence the Grizzlies haven't had since Bryant Reeves retired.  While his offensive production has been lacking, Marc makes up for it with his defense and intelligent play.

Continue reading "Family Reunion"

The Memphis Grizzlies played up to the level of their stiff competition on Monday, but they came up short of an upset as the Los Angeles Lakers held on for a 105-96 win at FedEx Forum.

 

The night began with a chilly reception for former Grizzly Marc Gasol, who heard boos as he was introduced, although a video highlight tribute during the game’s first timeout evoked a standing ovation.  His return to Memphis also brought out local Laker fans, who wore Pau jerseys and cheered against the hometown Grizzlies.

 

The much-anticipated post matchup of the Gasol brothers did not disappoint as the two banged against each other and battled all night long.  In the end the elder Pau got the best of his little brother, recording 15 points and seven rebounds to Marc’s eight points and seven rebounds.

Continue reading "Lakers 105, Grizzlies 96"

The Memphis Grizzlies must have been homesick Tuesday.  After spending a couple of weeks playing at home, they hit the road for Dallas and struggled mightily at the start in a 100-82 loss.

 

The Grizzlies (9-19) played one of their worst first quarters of the season, managing only 12 points in the frame, and spent the final three quarters trying in vain to climb out of the hole.

 

The Grizzlies shot 38 percent overall, a considerable dropoff from their recent performances.  Their offense was erratic and unorganized for much of the game, preventing them from getting any real opportunities to cut into the Mavericks’ lead.

 

Although they managed to whittle it down to 89-80 in the fourth quarter, a quick shot by Rudy Gay on the next possession initiated a fast break for Dallas (16-11) and helped put the game away.  The unnecessary 3-point attempt was just one of many bad shots the Grizzlies took, a combined result of the Mavericks’ defense and their own offensive breakdowns.

Continue reading "Mavericks 100, Grizzlies 82"

Former Rookie of the Year Steve Francis will play for the Grizzlies after all.  The catch is that it will be in Memphis instead of Vancouver.

The Houston Rockets sent Francis, who infamously refused to play for the Vancouver Grizzlies after they drafted him in 1999, to Memphis on Wednesday in exchange for a conditional second-round draft pick in 2011.  The Grizzlies also get a 2009 second-round pick and cash in the deal.

 

Francis, who hasn’t played a game this season as he recovers from offseason quadriceps surgery, is in the final year of a two-year contract and may end up retiring if he decides his surgically-repaired knee isn’t strong enough for him to play.

 

Francis had a flashy playing style and can definitely produce, but has the potential to create a chemistry issue.  He has averaged 18.1 ppg and 6.0 apg for his career, but he hasn’t done much lately.  He only played in 10 games for Houston last season, averaging 5.5 ppg.  The last time he played much more than half a season was in 2004-05 with Orlando, when he started 78 games and averaged 21.3 ppg.

Continue reading "Grizzlies acquire formerly miffed Francis"

The Memphis Grizzlies have probably had plenty to eat over the last couple of days.  Now, after a short break, they are ready to satisfy their hunger for a win against the Indiana Pacers.

The Grizzlies have showed promise in most of their recent losses, particularly on Monday when they took the Los Angeles Lakers to the brink.  They experienced a setback on Wednesday at Dallas, but returning to FedEx Forum should get them back on track.  The Grizzlies completed their five-game homestand with a 2-3 record, dropping the final three games.  They have lost four straight overall following a four-game win streak.

The Pacers are only 10-18 this season but have won three of their last four games.  They are also the only team in the league that has beaten both the Lakers and the Celtics. 

Continue reading "Grizzlies hoping for holiday cheers"

There was no holiday hangover on Friday as the Memphis Grizzlies snapped a four-game losing skid with a 108-105 victory over Indiana.  The Grizzlies (10-19) never surrendered the lead over the final five minutes of the game, but they had to survive a frantic final minute in which they turned the ball over three times.  O.J. Mayo then sank the clinching free throws with a second on the clock.

The Grizzlies overcame a 68-point first half by the Pacers (10-19) by winning the third quarter to the tune of 27-19, pulling to within a point of the lead as the fourth quarter began.  They mounted their largest comeback of the season in pulling out the win, rallying from 17 points down in the first half.

Each team lost a player to injury as Indiana's Danny Granger left after colliding with teammate Jarrett Jack early in the fourth quarter and the Grizzlies' Darko Milicic broke a knuckle on his left hand.

Continue reading "Grizzlies 108, Pacers 105"

The Grizzlies suffered a pair of painful losses on Saturday.  They dropped a closely-contested game on the road to the Spurs that included a controversial non-call in the final seconds.  Additionally, they learned that Darko Milicic, who suffered a broken knuckle against Indiana on Friday, will miss 4-6 weeks with the injury.  Milicic recorded a season-high 14 points in that game and had been playing well in the past few weeks.  His absence will create problems for the Grizzlies inside, although they gave the Spurs all they could handle on Saturday.

In that game, Rudy Gay appeared to draw a foul on a putback attempt in the waning seconds of double overtime with the Grizzlies trailing by two.  To the dismay of the Grizzlies and coach Marc Iavaroni, no foul was called and the Spurs (20-10) held on for the win.  Now everybody knows a foul is never going to be called in that situation, as obvious as it might be.  That is just how the game goes.  It's unfortunate, and probably wrong, but that's life in the NBA.  It didn't help that the Grizzlies were underdogs playing on the road against a perennial playoff contender, either.  Officials are human, and they build up the reputations of certain teams and players to the disadvantage of others.  It's wrong, but I would love to hear an official try to deny it.

Continue reading "Spurs 106, Grizzlies 103 2OT"

While the Grizzlies will try to pick themselves up and win after every loss this season, tonight's opportunity may be one that they see as a must-win.

After Saturday's tough loss at San Antonio, the Grizzlies know they have what it takes to compete with a playoff contender on the road.  They have made progress since the beginning of the season, especially when it comes to being physical and aggressive.  It's easy to back off when you are losing and you lack self-confidence.  These Grizzlies have plenty of self-confidence.  They just need to get to where they put it on display every night.  They are not necessarily a team that can be counted out when they are down 20 points to anyone.  Ideally, they wouldn't get themselves into situations like that very often, but they have shown that they can handle it despite their relative inexperience.

Continue reading "Confident Grizzlies Take On Toothless Wolves"

Maybe it was the dizzying contrast in the grains of wood used to design the court at the Target Center, or possibly the psychological effect of knowing it was less than 20 degrees and snowing outside, but the Grizzlies' inability to come through on the road reared its ugly head yet again on Monday against Minnesota.

Playing their third period of overtime in two nights, the Grizzlies went cold from the floor and dropped what should have been a winnable game to the Timberwolves 108-98.

The Grizzlies (10-21) got off to a dreadful start offensively and closed the game by shooting an equally ugly 2-of-13 in overtime.  After pushing San Antonio to the limit, they continued their bad habit of following a good performance with a disappointing one.  It was easy to get caught up in the Wolves' terrible record and think you didn't have to give 100 percent for 48, or 53, minutes.  That is a very dangerous state of mind to adopt, as the Grizzlies found out against Oklahoma City.  The Wolves (6-24) had won only twice at home this season.  Why wouldn't they be motivated to give their fans something to cheer about?

Continue reading "Timberwolves 108, Grizzlies 98 OT"

The Grizzlies got the break they needed when Amare Stoudemire was ejected from Tuesday's game late in the first half.  Unfortunately, Stoudemire's Phoenix teammates used his dismissal as motivation and rallied to beat the Grizzlies 101-89.

The Grizzlies ended the calendar year of 2008 by missing 15 of their final 18 shots, more evidence that they need to pick up a shooter.  Darius Miles is still sitting out his suspension and Steve Francis is still not in action, although he should play following the New Year break. 

The Suns took advantage of the Grizzlies' lack of a post presence by pounding the ball inside to Shaquille O'Neal, who looked a lot younger and more athletic than he has in a few years.  They outscored the Grizzlies 31-11 in the fourth quarter to erase the Grizzlies' 8-point lead.  The Grizzlies gave up 58 points in the paint, which was the most telling stat of the night.  The Suns made only 5-of-16 3-point attempts, but with such domination inside, they didn't need them.  O'Neal finished with 24 points, while third-year forward Louis Amundsen, a UNLV product, scored 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds.

Continue reading "Suns 101, Grizzlies 89"