**OFFICIAL MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES OFF-SEASON THREAD ** Johnny Davis Gone/Grizz Extend QO to Gasol/Haddadi

With the Sonics no longer existing I've been pulling for the Grizz for some reason.
 
Former Grizzlies president Jerry West still a fan of the Memphis team

He travels between Los Angeles and West Virginia these days -- with an eye on Memphis.

When Jerry West says he watches every Grizzlies game, he talks in a high-pitched voice and with unbridled passion.

"I watch more Grizzlies games than Lakers games," West said. "It's very important to me that they win. I'm a fan."

West used to be the Grizzlies' president of basketball operations. He served Memphis in that role for five years, ending in 2007.

Quibble if you will about West's personnel moves but he undoubtedly made the Grizzlies relevant mainly because he orchestrated the best of times in team history.

The Griz earned three consecutive trips to the NBA playoffs with West at the helm. The Griz hadn't sniffed success before and it's been a struggle to reclaim the glory years since West's departure.

So as the Griz prepare to celebrate their 10th season in Memphis, it seems only fitting to reflect with West. In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview, West talked to The Commercial Appeal about his successes and failures in Memphis and the current direction of the franchise:

Q: Were you in Memphis longer or shorter than you expected you'd be?

A: I really don't know. One of the things I'd hope for from a personal perspective is that we could build a playoff team and then build on that. That's not something you can do overnight. Our second year, Hubie Brown did an incredible job and it was so gratifying to see the improvement we made. To me, it was largely through his efforts. It was really fun. The enthusiasm from the fans was special. A lot of people have a lot of questions when you do things and you try to do things that are correct. And Hubie did such an incredible job with that franchise. All of us who worked with him had a singular admiration for him. I thought the crowds would build and we'd be an important entity in that town. One of the things that really hurt was when Hubie retired. That was a sad day for me. But I'd say my first four years down there I had a great time. The last year was a disaster starting with Pau (Gasol) getting hurt. It seemed like everything fell apart.

Q: What was your best move when you look back on your time here?

A: I try to look at the big picture. I believe in the culture of winning. When you get a lot of players in an organization that's losing it's acceptable to lose. It doesn't make them bad people. But there's unselfishness to playing to win. People talk about chemistry. That's what we were able to do. We built chemistry within the organization. We moved around people pretty fast. And then we had players that competed at a high level. That was Hubie's genius. But I don't look back and revel in one thing. It was a process.

Q: What move have you second-guessed the most?

A: My biggest disappointments came when we were in position in the lottery to get a franchise player and we never got one. I think the lottery is flawed. If we would have gotten a branded player, this franchise would have been much further along and they still would have Pau Gasol there. It's so much easier to build when you have two really good players. I think about the time when it came down to us for one of the first two picks. There was LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony and we didn't get any of them. The other time (in 2007) when we could have gotten a good player, Al Horford would have been great next to Gasol. And let me tell you, Mike Conley is going to be OK. He's going to be in the NBA for 12-14 years. But that's the one thing we missed: somebody who played the game at a high level and became a branded player. Those are people that brand your team and help franchises win.

Q: But is there anything you would have done differently?

A: Oh gosh, yes. The year we drafted Drew Gooden. He has been in the league a long time. But we could have had Amare Stoudemire. He would have added some cache and star power to this team. It's not that Drew is a bad player but Stoudemire is a star. We didn't look at him the way we should have. And you know, everyone thinks the Grizzlies have done a terrible job drafting and they haven't. The Griz are ranked ninth in drafting in terms of their history. But I'll always take the blame for players who didn't turn out the way we would have liked. Overall, fans can be very critical and it's easy to be critical. But they're not as critical as those of us who work in these positions.

Q: You were leaving as Marc Iavaroni took over in 2007. He was your recommendation. How would you analyze his tenure?

A: I gave Mike (Heisley) three names to look at. And I watched Marc very carefully. When you lose close games and players don't react the way you want to react, the first person you look at is the people who brought them there and/or the coach. I'm sure he learned a lot and he's very disappointed. Somewhere along the way, some people see it and Marc didn't.

Q: What are your thoughts on the job Lionel Hollins has done as coach?

A: Lionel has done a terrific job. I'm very happy for him. These things all work out in the end. He's had a lot of experience with a lot of different coaches. He likes tough players, which I like. He likes players who will guard somebody. He understands you can't win unless you defend. That's going to be important for this team. They've played very well in the exhibition season. It doesn't mean anything but it does mean they're capable. That's a plus.

Q: Do you still give advice to (owner) Mike Heisley?

A: He'll ask my opinion about things. Everyone has an opinion. But to say I'm advising him on anything wouldn't be the truth. It's just my opinion. He's talking to other people.

Q: You reportedly have a high opinion of Hasheem Thabeet. Why?

A: He's going to be in this league, like it or not, 10-14 years. He's going to be in this league that long. He's young and how many guys can block shots like he does in this league? Dwight Howard. If people are going to give up on him then they're crazy. He's got a skill. People that rebound in college rebound in the NBA. People that block shots in college block shots in the NBA.

Q: I have to ask. What was going through your mind when the Griz signed Allen Iverson last season and then the relationship ended before it started?

A: I wasn't there. I don't know anything about it. It's difficult for a player like Allen to have a subservient role. I only know Allen to say hello to him. Was that the right player? You can look back and say no. But they were trying to get a player to help them and draw fans. It wasn't a disaster. There's a method to people's madness. I wished it would have worked. It didn't. But I think they should be applauded for what they were trying to do. You'd have to give them an 'E' for effort.

Q: What do you think of the team's direction now?

A: Rudy (Gay) has a chance to be a player you'd want to come and watch. He's fun and he's a wonderful kid. I know how hard he's worked the past two summers. He's made enormous strides. Zach Randolph competes every night. You can win with a player like Marc (Gasol). He competes and he's unselfish. Mike Conley is developing. I just think O.J. Mayo has to get better. They have a nice young nucleus and if they can afford to keep them all together they'll be good for a long time. You have to give Mike (Heisley) and Chris (Wallace) credit. They're on the right track. The future looks good.

Q: Can the franchise survive here another 10 years?

A: With the players they've got their fans should support them. They have a good young team. Lionel's done a terrific job. Mike and Chris have assembled a lot of good talent. If they can get them on the same page and if they can play defense then they have a chance to make the playoffs this year. To me the Grizzlies are right there. They have to win close games. Look at all the close games they lost last year. And you could see Lionel just dying over there. But I don't think the West is as good this year. Some of the best players are aging. They should make the playoffs this year. It wouldn't shock me at all if they make the playoffs.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/oct/20/ex-griz-president-still-a-fan/
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Originally Posted by Andrew630

Why isn't Mayo starting?
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He is. Just not sure where he stands with the team in the future. He's basically our glue guy. I got a feeling that he will either A) move to the bench soon to be a legit scorer, B) get traded to have a chance at being a true combo guard. With what we're seeing from Conley now, things aren't looking to good for OJ in terms of moving to PG. 
The way Conley is playing and hopefully can continue, he will help push this team to where it needs to be this season (playoffs). 

From NBA.com

"Mike Conley is going to be a rookie this year, technically, according to his age, his school class," said Hollins. "To be honest, I didn't think he should have come out of college when he did. I wasn't here when he was a rookie, but I felt he was a buck 70 and thin and not very strong. For him to stay in school (at Ohio State) without a Greg Oden, he would have developed a different attitude. But he came out and his mindset has always been, 'I'm a point guard.'

"He played AAU ball with Daequan Cook, Josh McRoberts and Greg Oden and he never looked to score. He didn't have to. But in pros the point guard has to be more aggressive. He has to attack more. He has to get in the paint more and make things happen. He's improved in his strength and I think that he will have a good year."
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Juice, Rudy, Zbo, Young Conley, Gasol2, will go at least with 45 wins this year. They won 40 games last year after getting off to a 1-7 start so at THE VERY LEAST, I see them at 45-50 wins. Mike Conley is starting to resemble a player, Zach Randolph is one of the more efficient post basketball players in recent memory, Marc is solid as ever underneath, Rudy gay fresh off of a max deal will be a load as he is on any given night, and O.J. Mayo is capable of doing some spectacular things this year. He should move into the 20ppg range, but with two other 20ppg scorers on the team, he might top out at 19 which is great.

They have tony allen now, which allows O.J. to play the one and the two in the fourth. O.J. can handle the ball and make plays off of their 1/5 or 1/4 screen roles, and Tony can defend the tougher 2's and some 3's which he has shown he can do. This, along with Rudy Gay hopefully development into a prominent feature in late game situations as well will catapult the grizzlies to unknown territories among NBA circles.

They had some very impressive wins last year, including the cavs, lakers, celtics, nuggets, suns (WFC finalist), and a few others so I definately think they are poised for a big year.

Juice and the Memphis Grizzlies ftw
 
Great preseason record for Memphis.

Im just curious how O.J.'s role with them will turn out this year. He can be solid off the bench, similar to a Ben Gordon role, but taking everything into consideration, I think he'll be fine in the back court with Conley.
 
Hubie Brown had the very best day

The man remembers how many games the Grizzlies won in January, February and March.

Of 2004!

"We went 10-4 in January, 10-3 in February and 13-2 in March," he says. "We were 33-9 in those three months. We were 14-5 on the road during those same three months."

Ahhh, Hubie Brown.

You think there's a chance he would come back?

Impossible, I know. But Brown is on the phone, and he is talking in that wonderfully wise and raspy way he talks, and can you blame a guy for getting nostalgic for a moment?

This paper is assembling 10 lists in 10 days to celebrate the Grizzlies heading into their 10th year in Memphis. Many of these lists will cause arguments. The top of today's list will not.

There is one indisputably best moment in Memphis Grizzlies history. It is not even close.

April 22, 2004. The Grizzlies hosted their first playoff game against the San Antonio Spurs. More than 19,000 crammed into The Pyramid. Mike Heisley sang the national anthem and Jerry West accepted the Executive of the Year Award.

But the moment of the night came when a man named Hubert Jude Brown -- yes, his middle name really is "Jude" -- walked to center court to accept the Red Auerbach Trophy as Coach of the Year.

"HUBIE, HUBIE, HUBIE," the throng yelled.

Brown blew kisses in reply. To his team. To the town.

"One of the greatest nights of my life," says Brown.

If you were there, you had chills.

Memphis loved Hubie. Hubie loved Memphis right back.

Maybe it's because the city and the coach saw a little of themselves in the other: Scrappy, blue-collar and unfairly knocked around.

Brown didn't promise the playoffs when he got to Memphis. He walked in and said, "Guys will respect one another, they will be unselfish with one another, they will pay the price and give the effort."

Before long, they all did.

The fans appreciated that. They appreciated an NBA coach who had the temerity to even ask for those things.

They appreciated the way Brown talked to them about basketball, about work ethic, about life.

"They were watching a genius," says Tony Barone Sr. "Hubie was a genius, and Memphis was his classroom."

And then it all fell apart, of course. Less than six months later, Brown stepped down.

So if the memories come with a certain degree of wistfulness, they are reassuring, too.

The Grizzlies can flourish in Memphis. There can be a bond between this team and this town.

I know this because I have seen it, because I was there on April 22, 2004.

NBA commissioner David Stern talked to reporters before the ceremony that night. You know what he said?

"This is crossing the bridge to the promised land for this franchise. It's the best in professional sports, and I'm proud to be apart of it."

Yes. He really did say that. Doesn't it seem impossible now?

Or maybe no more impossible than a coach coming off a 15-year layoff to teach a woebegone franchise how to win.

Maybe no more impossible than that franchise going from 23 wins to 50 in less than two years.

Maybe no more impossible than the coach then thanking the city for "giving me the opportunity to do what I was supposed to be doing all along."

These days, Brown is living in Atlanta and calling games on ABC and ESPN. He recently celebrated his 77th birthday. He finally gave up teaching clinics after more than 40 years.

But for all his decades in basketball -- all his highlights and accomplishments -- he has a hard time recalling anything to top that April night at The Pyramid.

"Because of the reception," he says. "The reaction of the people to the big picture was just tremendous. I mean, the team winning 50 games, the people rallying and coming to the games and being a force in the stands, the signs, the noise. To this day, I'm still overwhelmed by the generosity of the people to me and my family."

Brown says he'll be in back in the city the Friday before Thanksgiving to call the game between the Grizzlies and Golden State. But he finds that he relives his days in Memphis every time he runs into one of his old players on the road.

He sees Pau Gasol in Los Angeles. Shane Battier in Houston. James Posey and Earl Watson wherever they may have happened to land.

"They always come over and say 'Hello,' " he says. "And you still have the feeling of -- whatever the right word is. Maybe it's respect, or camaraderie or that we were all in the same boat. But we were there, a part of it, and it brings back a great, great time."
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/oct/21/grizzlies-2010-11-the-10th-season-in-memphis-the/

Hubie.
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Who's up for a ten man rotation (pause) this year?
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 @ 10-man rotation.
I'll never forget the day Hubie resigned. I just felt like we were doomed which we basically was
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And OJ's role will more than likely remain the same. Hollins said we are a power team and work inside out.

OJ will end up being the 3rd or 4th option. He will definitely have his spurts of taking over games though like he always does. I honestly think you would get more out of him off the bench scoring wise, but int he same backcourt with Conley and him being the 3rd/4th option won't improve his scoring.
 
I think O.J. will be his usual 17-18 PPG.

I'd like to see him attack the basket more, but the paint will be congested with the bigs. But as long as he's hitting 40% of his threes and sharing the ball, I'll be happy.
 
8-0 preseason. 
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Bench players (Haddadi, Arthur/Carroll, Young, Henry, Allen) came through in the end over Detroit's main rotation players (Wallace/Monroe, Daye, Villanueva, Summers, Stuckey) the last 7-8 minutes of the game.
 
[h1]
[h1]Grizzlies center Marc Gasol leaves practice with ankle injury[/h1]
By Ronald Tillery on October 24, 2010 3:21 PM

Marc Gasol landed on backup center Hasheem Thabeet's foot, and left practice this afternoon with a high left ankle sprain.

The extent of the injury was not immediately known. The Grizzlies' medical staff will use X-ray and MRI results Monday to further diagnose Gasol, who seemed in good spirits. 

The team's trainer wrapped his foot in ice as several teammates, most notably the starters, filed into the trainer's room to check on Gasol. He landed awkwardly after chasing a rebound
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Good to see the Grizz have a great preseason. They had real potential last year after their bad start, so hopefully they can have a good start this year.
I am hoping they will finally get over the hump and finally win at least one playoff game.
 
Hollins earns Memphis Grizzlies' loyalty with straight talk, court know-how

It was barely a week into the regular season last year when Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, by many accounts, cemented his leadership.
The Grizzlies were mired in losing and Allen Iverson — having missed a training camp during which Hollins preached a philosophy of one team, one goal — was upset about playing off the bench.

Suddenly, the Griz had to deal with one big ego, one major problem.

So on Nov. 5, 2009, Hollins asked everyone in a Los Angeles gym to leave practice. That included visitors such as former Griz president Jerry West.

Hollins then got something off his chest.

In front of the team, Hollins demanded that Iverson conform to the team's philosophy, understand his role and respect his teammates.
Several key players say it was an essential move by Hollins, for the sake of the team.

"Last year, it was boiling under the surface. It was boiling over the pot in the locker room," said Hollins, whose Grizzlies open their 2010-11 NBA season tonight against Atlanta at FedExForum.

"It wasn't as noticeable as far as the media, and this was even before A.I. played. When it became necessary, I confronted the situation. And players recognize when something isn't right and nothing is being done about it. The team was waiting on me to be the leader.

"So I spoke up. Things broke loose and the team galvanized behind the decision that I made to speak up at that point. They were like, 'OK, this is how he is, and he did it with one of the greatest players ever. We can believe.' It just worked out that way. It's not something I tried to do."

Hollins is entering his second full season with a new three-year deal and a fresh challenge tied to earning the franchise's first postseason appearance since 2006 with the same approach.

He's the unadulterated leader of the Grizzlies — a team still devoid of a superstar player and strong locker room voice. Fact is, the Griz remain one of the NBA's youngest teams, so Hollins' leadership will go a long way toward the Griz satisfying owner Michael Heisley's guarantee of making the playoffs.

Hollins' impact has the potential to mimic Hubie Brown presiding over a 50-win Griz team in 2003-04.

"He expects the most. He demands the most. He's real down to earth," Griz newcomer Tony Allen said. "He can dissect any play and any possession. That's what I like the most. As far as him treating people the same way, he's the coach. He can do what he wants to do. I don't feed into stuff like that.

"As far as his coaching philosophy, I believe in everything he says and everything he's doing because he played (in the NBA) and because of how he breaks things down."

Technically, Hollins' hold on this team began when he replaced Marc Iavaroni in January 2009. But Hollins clearly earned the respect he enjoys today after guiding the Griz past last year's 1-8 start and Iverson controversy.

Hollins credited former Phoenix Suns coach Cotton Fitzsimmons with some good advice: Always be honest with players.

"He said they may not like it but they'll always respect you for it," Hollins said. "I believe that."

Players say they enjoy Hollins' consistency — his attitude is the same when the team is up by 20 points or down by 20 points.

"He knows how to talk to guys and get guys motivated and get guys to believe," forward Zach Randolph said. "He gives us faith that we can win games and go to that next level."

The Griz enjoyed a 16-game increase in wins last season with what Hollins credited to player dedication. He challenged the players to decide what kind of team they would be, and a players-only film session yielded results.

"He's obviously a high-level coach," Griz assistant coach Johnny Davis said. "He has experienced all of the things he's sharing with the team. He didn't get it reading a manual. He didn't get it through a DVD. He got it through practical experience along with studying the game.

"He stands for the right things on and off the floor. He's always honest. There's never a hidden agenda. It's always what's in the best interest of the team."

Said forward Rudy Gay, "We have coach's respect. And he has ours. Any coach would be valuable to their team if they have their team's respect and he has ours. I've been on teams that didn't respect the coach."
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/oct/27/mutual-respect/?partner=RSShttp://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/oct/27/mutual-respect/

Coach Hollins.
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Allen Iverson.
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[h2]
[h2]TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2010[/h2]
[h3]Season Preview: Lionel Hollins Q&A[/h3][h4]POSTED BY CHRIS HERRINGTON ON TUE, OCT 26, 2010 AT 10:36 PM[/h4]
Excerpts from this interview appear in the print edition of this week's Flyer. Note: This interview was conducted last Thursday, before Marc Gasol suffered a sprained ankle on Sunday.

Beyond the Arc: Looking back over these 10 years, it seems like the good Grizzlies teams have had a clear identity. Hubie's playoff team was about the 10-man rotation and a scrappy, opportunistic defense feeding the break. Fratello's playoff teams were about surrounding Pau Gasol with shooters and running a halfcourt offense through him. Do you think this team established an identity last season with the Marc Gasol/Zach Randolph combo?
Lionel Hollins: I would say that. That's where we hung our hat last year and where we made our improvement. We were 30th in rebounding the year before Zach came and last year we were fourth. We were first in offensive rebounding and first in points in the paint and first in second-chance points. So I think that's definitely our identity. We want to play hard-nosed defense, rebound the ball, and run. But get it inside to our post people in our halfcourt offense, and even in early offense.

Obviously that frontcourt duo is surrounded by some talented and high-profile perimeter players. Do you think they've bought into the notion that emphasizing the inside game is what this team needs to do to win?

Well, obviously they did [last year]. But we posted Rudy a lot and other guys have the opportunity to do their thing. That's the balance we have. If we have to slow it down, we go inside. But if we have the opportunity, we'll run — and I hope we have more opportunities to run this year because we'll be a better defensive team.
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We've talked before about Randolph coming in slimmer and how you thought his conditioning could help to ward off fatigue and potential injuries. But what about Gasol? He finished last season with the shoulder injury and then played this summer with the Spanish National Team. Any concern about his ability to hold up over the course of the season?

No. I think if Hasheem's improvement is significant, as it has been in the preseason, then we'll have options. We didn't have many options last season and all the starters played way too many minutes. I think that Rudy Gay will probably still play a lot of minutes. He's young and athletic, and those kinds of guys tend to play more. I'd like to rest Zach more, and I think Darrell Arthur has come along. Hasheem has come along. Sam Young has come along. So, hopefully we'll have the opportunity to use more people. We've added Xavier and Tony Allen. That added depth gives us options. If guys aren't playing well or get in foul trouble, you don't have to leave them in the game. If there's a bad mismatch, you don't have to leave them in the game. Last year, we just had so many young guys who weren't ready to play, so we did what we had to do.

It sounds like you're pretty comfortable with where the team is in terms of building up the bench.

No question. It's not that the young guys [last year] couldn't play, it's that they weren't ready to play. Hopefully Xavier Henry is further ahead then the guys from last year and will be able to contribute more, but if he's not, then other guys will be ahead of him, and that's just the way it goes. So far, the bench has done a yeoman's job out there. They've bonded together. They share the ball. Acie Law's done a nice job.

You mentioned Law. Do you think the team's back-up point guard situation is stronger than at any time since Kyle Lowry was traded?

No question. Acie is a strong guy and he's got some leadership qualities. He's done a good job leading that second unit and getting us into what we want to do, which has been a problem in the past. We needed somebody at the point guard in the second unit who was a little more of a leader.

At the press conference this summer after Rudy Gay was re-signed, someone asked you what Rudy needed to do the take his game to another level and the first thing out of your mouth was defense, that that's where the big improvement for him needed to come from. Do you feel like that message has taken hold and you're seeing that so far in training camp and preseason?

Well, I saw Rudy at USA Basketball in Las Vegas and he made that team with his ability to defend and it's shown also in preseason. The last game he had 4 blocks. He has the athleticism to do it all, and I think playing with those guys and playing in the World Championships helped him go to a different level and see how you have to play to be successful. It's not just about offense. He had to play a role and saw how role players still have to be effective when they're not asked to score. That showed him that [he can play that way] — that it isn't a bad thing and can be necessary. So I think that he's had a growth spurt. He's more mature. I think we get in a hurry for guys to be who we want them to be.

You look at that starting lineup and you have some guys with physical limitations that are going to hurt them defensively in some match-ups. Conley's going to struggle with some bigger point guards. Mayo's going to struggle with some bigger scoring guards. Randolph doesn't really have the length to guard the rim. But Rudy seems like the one player, because of his length and athleticism, who doesn't have any limitations physically.

Well, that's why he was a max player.

Does that put more of an onus on him to help improve the team defensive?
No. The onus is on everyone. That just lets you know why Rudy was considered a max player by most of the teams in the league that had money. Because he has all the tools to be one of those players that fills the stat sheet, and he's learning how to be that player and he's embracing it. But everybody has to improve [defensively]. We have to have better effort. We need to rotate and be where we're supposed to be in help situations. And we have to do a better job on our own man. And there will be nights where we need to help people because they are mismatched with the match-up they have.

In terms of the guard situation, I think O.J. is usually mismatched from the start, and it's just a question of whether his offense outweighs the liabilities he has on defense. With Mike Conley, not a lot of point guards are posting as much as they used to. It's his job to guard these guys out on the perimeter and then go create havoc on the offensive end. He's learning how to do that and how to be aggressive. And if you have to score 25 points, you have to score 25 points. You don't have to feel guilty, like you're taking away from the team. You're helping the team win.

The team has certainly looked better defensively in the preseason. Do you feel like you're pretty far along in addressing that problem?

Well, we're as far along as we can be without changing personnel. So, yes, I do think we've made some progress in that area. I think they've embraced it. The effort has been consistent. We've scrambled. We're trying to take charges. We're doing things that haven't been done around here. But we've still got a ways to go.

Presumably getting Tony Allen into the regular rotation will help you in that area?

Well, Tony Allen is going to be a utility player. I think he's a 15-minute player on most nights. There will be some nights when I need him in there to cool off a player at the two and there will be times when I need him to play at the point. Our rotation will be, if [Xavier Henry] is able to handle the load, he'll back up O.J., and if he's not, we'll look to Sam in that role. And Tony will be the wild card we'll play in certain situations where we need energy. That's the kind of player I see Tony as. He's a very dynamic personality on the court, so we're looking for that — and looking forward to it.

So with more options this year, you're not necessarily looking for a set rotation, but something more situational?

We'll have somewhat of a set rotation, but as the game goes on, things change. That's why you have 14 or 15 players, and they all have to be ready to go.

Last year, this team exceeded what most thought they could achieve. But when the team was cresting, sort of midway through the season, you seemed very conscious of trying to keep expectations in check. But this summer Michael Heisley has said repeatedly that he's expecting the team to make the playoffs. Are you comfortable with that expectation?

It doesn't matter what he says. All I can do is go out and do my job to the best of my ability and handle my team. Get them to play the game as hard as they can and to the best of their abilities. And if we're good enough, we'll make the playoffs. If we're not, we won't. There are expectations from fans. There are expectations from media. We can't be concerned with external stuff. We just want to go out and be better than we were last year.
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Seems like Henry and Arthur will be the key guys off the bench with Hollins wanting Zach to get more rest. Allen will at least get about 15 minutes a night. 
 
Z-Bo and Marc out against Dallas tomorrow night. 
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Randolph has a knot on his tailbone from that fall he took. Now that we have a day to change the game plan, hopefully we can see more of what OJ can do. This is a game where our perimeter guys will have to play very well. Rudy stepped up in the 2nd half against Atlanta and Conley played great. Just need OJ to make some plays, DA to continue what he's doing and Thabeet (please act like you care). 

Grizzlies didn't pick up the player option on Carroll either. 
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 Thabeet, OJ and Conley options were picked up.
 
The bench still looks a little
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.. Thabeet is worthless and Law looks bad.. Hopefully when Zach comes back it'll get a little better with arthur henry & young running together

Team is much better when OJ is looking to shoot, last night he didnt shoot a good % but a couple of those 3's were big
 
Why this team didn't go after an established PG like Earl Watson still makes me mad. 
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I'd rather let Tony Allen and his garbage ball handling skills get backup PG minutes than Law.
 
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