Grizzlies focusing on who they pick at No. 12 in NBA draft
For all but three times in their history the Grizzlies have looked to the NBA draft lottery as if it held the key for a downtrodden franchise to unlock paradise.
There is an inherent belief that goes along with being among the non-playoff qualifiers in the NBA: Win the lottery and the franchise's fortunes can instantly change for the better.
But for just the fourth time in a 15-year existence, the Grizzlies aren't counting on the lottery to advance their standing.
They own less than a one percent chance (0.7) of winning the No. 1 overall pick when the draft lottery unfolds Tuesday in Secaucus, N.J.
The Grizzlies didn't earn a playoff berth this season but they didn't exactly qualify as one of the worst teams given they were mathematically eligible for the playoffs into April.
Where the Grizzlies find themselves, several years into a rebuilding mode, is the dreaded NBA middle.
They are good enough to flirt with the postseason and avoid being in the top half of the lottery but not developed enough to make a serious run at a championship.
So how do the Griz dramatically improve with the odds heavily against them winning one of the draft's three best prospects?
The franchise is thinking beyond the lottery.
"Not everybody who becomes an outstanding player in the NBA goes 1, 2 or 3," Griz general manager Chris Wallace said. "In every draft there are players that end up having a tremendous impact on their teams."
The Grizzlies are slotted 12th unless their luck catapults them into the top three selections. Memphis also owns the 25th selection (via Denver) and will pick 28th (courtesy of the Los Angeles Lakers).
The Grizzlies are about to enter the third year of their stated "Three-Year Plan" so minimizing the draft is not an option. There is no question a franchise that strongly committed to building through the draft must feel the pressure of acquiring solid talent in June.
The process is intensified for Griz brass given a 2009 draft that yielded a project at No. 2 (Hasheem Thabeet) and a non-impact player at No. 27 (DeMarre Carroll).
"I'm confident that if we stay at 12 there's going to be enough talent there," Wallace said. "The positive of being in this position is that we got better. They don't give out prizes for that. But we improved. What it means as far as draft preparation is that the players who are projected to go in top eight you'll have difficulty getting those guys coming in for workouts."
According to several internet mock drafts, the Griz could be looking to spend the 12th pick on players such as Oklahoma State shooting guard James Anderson, Lithuanian power forward
Donatas Motiejunas or Kentucky forward
Patrick Patterson.
The past season showed glaring weaknesses in perimeter shooting, bench play and backcourt size so it's safe to assume the Griz will focus on adding a player who will address one of those needs and instantly create credible depth.
But with a core of young players Grizzlies management believes in there is a mindset that is focused more on augmentation.
Short of moving into the top three spots in the draft for a chance to grab Kentucky's John Wall or Ohio State's Evan Turner, the Griz are positioned to think about how they can improve the supporting cast around a team that won 40 games this season.
Wallace emphasized that the Grizzlies may not keep all three first-round picks, that management would look trade one or more of those picks in potential deals to acquire "young veterans" like Ronnie Brewer, whom the Griz picked up at the February trade deadline.
Memphis will look to sign Brewer as a restricted free agent along with Rudy Gay. The Griz won't have significant cap room to spend on outside free agents but they will own salary-cap exceptions to use.
Unlike in past years, the draft will be the starting point but not an absolute to the Grizzlies' offseason improvement.
"What our owner Mike (Heisley) said about the three-year plan is that he wanted to use these three years to position the team where after the third year you can say this is a team that can be a playoff contender," Wallace said. "We're probably ahead of where you would have expected at this point. Why wouldn't you put a plan together? Why wouldn't you emphasize young players?
"But you have to remember that the draft provides you opportunities to make deals for veteran players. If you get the right player in the draft, that's fine. But we have a lot of tools available to us to improve."
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/may/16/caught-in-the-middle/
.
, and should be able to flip at least two of them for a vet who’s ready to contribute right away. A point guard with playoff experience to complement Mike Conley would be an option, as would another scorer who can create his own shot, or another forward for frontcourt depth.
