::MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES SEASON THREAD: Grizzlies Waiting Before Offering Z-Bo Extension::

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by BangDak

Hawks arent letting Horford go, especially if they just resigned JJ.

Its hard to see them throwing all this money at him when they have already locked in on Smith and JJ.

Either way, I think we in a good position come the 2011-12 season. We can either not pick up the options on all of those players and just keep Marc, OJ, Gay, Henry and Vasquez and start fresh. That's the good thing about having a group of young guys. I think we are slowly adding to our actually core group of guys now and those would be the 5 guys I choose to move on with if we had to. I would like to add Brewer to that list if we can somehow get him back.

We would still have enough room to pick up serviceable players.

 

[bhzmafia14]

With the new luxury tax being set at $70.3M, we should be able to use the MLE on somebody without exceeding the tax barrier.

Rudy's contract starts at 13.3 million which will put us at about 60-61million.

1st round picks will cost us 3-4 million in first year salarywhich puts us at 63-64 million in salary.

Please, Heisley. Bring back Brewer or at least get a 3/4 combo like Al Harrington.

 

[i nasmatic i]

Al Harrington is a chuck...no thanks.

Subtle moves FTW.

 

[bangdak]

And to remember you told me that you didnt want all these draft picks to have a young team go evern younger.




You're a funny guy bhz

 

[bhzmafia14]

I really didn't and that's why I wasn't expecting us to sign 3 rookies. 

Vasquez can be an exception since he's already 23 and I like Henry's bball IQ. I think he may play a lot older than his current age. But, this is why I still want a veteran on the team that can actually do some productive things.

Its rumored that we're looking at Jason Williams again and I would love to have him back with the way he played last season in Orlando. Bring him in and another guy that can play the 4 spot.

 

[bhzmafia14]

Udonis Haslem will be a nice fit for the MLE as well.

 

[i nasmatic i]

From everything I've read, J-Will wants to stay in Florida and may opt for Miami.

I don't see Brewer returning because it's a numbers game between Rudy, Juice, Sam, Xavier, DeMarre and even Vasquez at the 2-3 spots. I wouldn't mind him returning back for $3-4 million/season though.

Management will now have to search a backup PG and PF that are reliable enough to play backup minutes but would also accept being benchwarmers.

I think the best thing to do is let everything sort itself out and watch the dumb teams overpay for players in July. Then the management can make their moves in August when there are no options for the remaining free agents.

 

[bhzmafia14]

With Brewer in negotiations with Chicago and Utah (as reported), he was probably looking to get something within' the $5-7 mil range.

That's probably why we went with Allen for $3mil. This move makes it seem like Henry will be the backup SF with Allen backing up OJ. Brewer would've been a better investment long-term though.

The best thing abotut this signing is that Carroll shall see no PT unless major injuries occur.

conley / vasquez
oj / allen
gay / henry / young / carroll
zbo / arthur
gasol / thabeet / haddadi

If we can somehow get Haslem, I will definitely be excited for the season. Our backcourt should be deep enough to overcome any injuries. Sign like Lindsey Hunter or something to be a 3rd string for the vet minimum.

 

[bangdak]

I dont like the way the lineup is looking so far.


The wing is looking way too undersized.

 

[henz0]

Whens the first summer league game for the Grizz?

 

[bhzmafia14]

Originally Posted by henz0

Whens the first summer league game for the Grizz?

Tomorrow against the Hawks.

I dont like the way the lineup is looking so far.


The wing is looking way too undersized.
I thought about that, but Allen has a 6'9 wingspan. And he played very good defense on Kobe in the Finals.

I would say he makes up for what OJ lacks which is wingspan. OJ has like a 6'6" wingspan. Vasquez makes up for what Conley lacks in size. Now, I can understand why you saying with Henry playing SF, but he does have a good build on him.

Our PF spot does need more size and athleticism I just don't trust Arthur to step in and be a starter if Zach gets hurt. Haslem isn't that tall, but he has a nice wingspan and is a solid defender as well. Play him beside Thabeet and your good.

 

[bangdak]

Haslem isnt leaving Miami, sorry.



Vasquez isnt a point guard. Henry doesnt rebound well enough to play the 3. EH.


conley / Allen
oj / Vasquez /Henry
gay / young / carroll
zbo / arthur
gasol / thabeet / haddadi

thats how i see it. I'd like to see a oure point, and a long term PF, unless you plan on resigning zbo, which i dont see happening.

 

[bhzmafia14]

Henry being a SF as a backup won't be that bad. If OJ goes down or something, I would expect either him or Allen to start in his spot.

And what makes you think Vasquez isn't a PG?

Bang, all this stuff takes time.

I want us to get exactly what you looking for. A pure point on the bench that can possibly fill in if we need him and a long-term PF. I just don't see Heisley breaking the bank to keep Zach long-term.


Conley 34 mins PG
OJ 14 mins PG, 26 mins SG
Gay 38 mins SF
Z-bo 36 mins PF
Gasol 38 mins C

Allen 22 mins SG
unsigned 3/4 10 mins
Henry 12 minutes SF
Thabeet 10 mins C

Minutes would probably be dispersed similar to that.

If OJ doesn't get that much time as a PG, then you can take half of that and give it to Vasquez or whomever we may get to be a backup.

 

[i nasmatic i]

Originally Posted by bhzmafia14

With Brewer in negotiations with Chicago and Utah (as reported), he was probably looking to get something within' the $5-7 mil range.

That's probably why we went with Allen for $3mil. This move makes it seem like Henry will be the backup SF with Allen backing up OJ. Brewer would've been a better investment long-term though.

The best thing abotut this signing is that Carroll shall see no PT unless major injuries occur.

conley / vasquez
oj / allen
gay / henry / young / carroll
zbo / arthur
gasol / thabeet / haddadi

If we can somehow get Haslem, I will definitely be excited for the season. Our backcourt should be deep enough to overcome any injuries. Sign like Lindsey Hunter or something to be a 3rd string for the vet minimum.

I wonder if this is a telling sign that the team will give O.J. minutes at PG.

All signs point to Haslem re-signing with Miami by Tuesday. There's a need for a backup PF, but the Grizzlies only have $2.8 million to offer leftover from the MLE. I think a stretch four is needed but the only ones on the market are Al Harrington, Brian Scalabrine and Steve Novak.

Maybe they got after a more traditional PF, like Craig Smith? I don't know.

Originally Posted by BangDak

I dont like the way the lineup is looking so far.


The wing is looking way too undersized.

Conley and Mayo are undersized and can't combat it (at least yet). Allen can due to his length, athleticism and toughness. He might be a top five on the ball perimeter defender in the league.

Originally Posted by henz0

Whens the first summer league game for the Grizz?

Monday vs Atlanta 7:30 PT.

Originally Posted by BangDak

Haslem isnt leaving Miami, sorry.



Vasquez isnt a point guard. Henry doesnt rebound well enough to play the 3. EH.


conley / Allen
oj / Vasquez /Henry
gay / young / carroll
zbo / arthur
gasol / thabeet / haddadi

thats how i see it. I'd like to see a oure point, and a long term PF, unless you plan on resigning zbo, which i dont see happening.

Vaquez isn't a PG?

I guess he just played that position the last four years at Maryland for nothing. Henry will be a tad bit undersized to play SF but should be okay there.

 

[bhzmafia14]

I haven't really been keeping up with Haslem going to the Heat so I didn't know.

I guess I'll "X" him off the list. I could see a possible trade with Sam or Carroll and Haddadi to bring in a PF. Heisley did say he wasn't done making moves, but that was before the Allen signing. I think he understands when need another veteran on the bench, so I'm hoping we don't see a Jeff Adrien signing after he plays with us in summer league.

 

[i nasmatic i]

@AlexKennedyNBA Tony Allen agrees to three year, $10 million deal with the Memphis Grizzlies, according to sources.
I can live with this.

Allen can also play PG in spots like he did for the Celtics earlier in the playoffs despite having little to no ball handling skills.

 

[bangdak]

Decent deal for Tony Allen.



Maybe its just me, i dont see Vasquez much as a point guard. I also dont follow college ball as much, so excuse me

 

[bhzmafia14]

Can't beat that.

Now, all there is left to do is hope he doesn't get injured really bad again.

 

[i nasmatic i]

If you don't follow college bball much then why would you say something like that? His struggle will be defense, not running PG.

 

[henz0]

Babbitt lookin' good

 

[bhzmafia14]

Sam Young for Leon Powe?

Another Celtic that Chris Wallace is familiar with and he just got healthy. He will be behind Varejao, Hickson and Jamison.

 

[jrizzyjay]

I must say..The Grizz's has a VERY bright future man

 

[i nasmatic i]

I'm not confident in Powe's knees at all, but if he checks out then I guess that's decent. Maybe they should throw in a second rounder.

 

[henz0]

Posted Jul 19 2010 10:02PM
Two games were all it took to jump start the conversation. Two games that didn't count in the standings, that mostly didn't have NBA players, that weren't played in NBA cities ... two games that were supposed to be about point-guard depth in Memphis and not about Mike Conley as the team's starter.

O.J. Mayo started all the talk by making the unusual move, as an established veteran, of playing in the Las Vegas Summer League, specifically to work at point guard. Mayo is, by all reports, trying to give the Grizzlies a complementary ball handler and not a new distributor.

By his own assessment, Mayo did not do particularly well in Vegas. But all of that quickly will be forgotten if Conley backslides.

It's an interesting development no matter what happens. The Grizz passed on every highly regarded point guard (Tyreke Evans, Ricky Rubio, Jonny Flynn, Stephen Curry, Brandon Jennings) to take Hasheem Thabeet in the 2009 Draft, so a particularly big microscope has been fixed on that position in Memphis. Coach Lionel Hollins said early last season, when the Grizz still had Allen Iverson and no way of knowing if they could depend on Conley, that there was no interest in sliding Mayo over from shooting guard -- "You take away from his scoring when you put him at point. He's a scorer and that's what he's always going to be. If you put him at point, now he's trying to distribute the ball and you lose that effectiveness."

Conley is coming off an encouraging finish to 2009-10, too. It was the best of his three seasons, when he seemed finally to be tapping into the potential of a one-time No. 4 pick. He scored 12 points and dished out 5.3 assists a game. He shot 44.5 percent.

Conley is the first to admit that he did not handle the Iverson situation well. He went into camp considered the starting point guard, then AI blew everything up. Conley eventually acknowledged that Iverson's departure helped more than even Conley realized at the time.

The footsteps behind Conley are Mayo's now. There is no indication a couple games in Vegas constitute a move on Conley's job. Beat man Ronald Tillery points out in his analysis in the Memphis Commercial Appeal that Mayo is actually third on the depth chart behind Conley and rookie Greivis Vasquez.

But Mayo is prominent enough and Conley has been inconsistent enough that Conley will again face speculation if he gets off to a slow start.

Plus, the Grizzles drafted a shooting guard in the lottery, Xavier Henry. Rudy Gay was re-signed at small forward. If Henry shows he can handle an important role for a team hoping to push for the playoffs, Hollins will have increased flexibility with Mayo at point. Mayo, remember, arrived at USC for his one-and-done college season projected as a point guard in the NBA.

All of this becomes nothing more than offseason chatter if Conley continues to develop. Build off the final couple months and Mayo's July becomes nothing more than bonus depth.

Late last season, Conley said, "It's been a roller coaster, to be honest. The first half of the year, we had a lot going on" -- cough, cough -- "But I think lately, the last half of the year, it's been the kind of year I expected out of me and the team, the way we've been able to compete and win games. I think I've been a big part of that turning it around." And he was.

"I've been aggressive," he said at the time. "Not only offensively, but defensively. I understand now what it takes to win games, more than anything. Before, I might have been a little bit more passive, trying to get everyone the ball. And I think the last couple months, I've really been looking for my opportunities to score, and when I can do that it's easier for me to get everybody else involved, when they [opponents] have to play me and respect my game as well."

Conley said he has not proven he deserves to be a starting point guard in the NBA. But he promises he will get back to proving it once training camp begins. Now, he may have to do it with a different teammate on his shoulder.

 

[RustyShackleford]

Originally Posted by BangDak

Haslem isnt leaving Miami, sorry.



Vasquez isnt a point guard. Henry doesnt rebound well enough to play the 3. EH.


conley / Allen
oj / Vasquez /Henry
gay / young / carroll
zbo / arthur
gasol / thabeet / haddadi

thats how i see it. I'd like to see a oure point, and a long term PF, unless you plan on resigning zbo, which i dont see happening.

I guess you never saw him play at Maryland, dude was a PG for his first 3 years, then he handled the ball less this past season, moving over to the 2.