http:www.grizzliesonline.com Chris Avis was a pivotal ball boy for the Grizzlies during the playoffs of 2004 and 2005 and was then promoted to pivotal Media Relations intern for the 2006-07 season. He now serves as the fan blogger for the Grizzlies (when he's not busy being awesome). en cavis@grizzlies.com Copyright 2009 2009-11-14T14:12:13+00:00 Subscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with Pageflakes http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/live_twittering_from_november_14_grizzlies-timberwolves_game/ http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/live_twittering_from_november_14_grizzlies-timberwolves_game/#When:14:12:13Z I’ll be doing live tweets from tonight’s Grizz-Timberwolves game at FedExForum. You can follow me on twitter at the following link, or you can see my most recent tweet on the right side of this page. 2009-11-14T14:12:13+00:00 http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/portland_spoils_the_grizzlies_return_to_fedexforum_93-79/ http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/portland_spoils_the_grizzlies_return_to_fedexforum_93-79/#When:04:08:33Z It was nice to be back in FedExForum after a weeklong west coast trip saw the Grizzlies lose some close ones. Unfortunately, the friendly confines of Memphis couldn’t help the Grizz overcome a poor shooting night in a 93-79 loss to the Blazers. Here’s my thoughts: Bad shooting can happen to anyone and to any team. It’s like a cold. Tonight, the Grizzlies caught it. They weren’t taking bad shots. They just weren’t hitting, whether it was an OJ Mayo 3-pointer or a Zach Randolph putback. The ball just wasn’t going in, especially during a crucial Portland run in the 3rd quarter. Other than Marc Gasol, no one sniffed close to shooting 50%. I’d call this can an anomaly, not a trend. When it rains, you get your jaw broken. I think that’s how the saying goes. Hasheem Thabeet had barely entered the game before having to leave with an injury. ESPN is speculating that he has a broken jaw. If so, what a blow to both the Grizz and their prized lottery pick. If you are keeping score at home, both the number 1 and 2 picks from the 2009 draft have been hurt. Watch out James Harden! The Blazers really weren’t that impressive but sometimes it doesn’t matter. Portland seemed to do just enough to win. Greg Oden also gave them a boost in the 2nd half with a few dunks. Portland employed a new defensive strategy against Memphis, double-teaming the post. Both Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph had extra players doubling them when they had the ball near the paint. The spacing didn’t seem quite right tonight. I’m sure this is something the coaching staff will address and adjust before tomorrow night’s game @ Houston. The Grizz shot poorly, the Blazers didn’t. I hate to be over simplistic, but that’s how I saw it. Here’s to hoping the Grizz takeoff in Houston tomorrow night. 2009-11-11T04:08:33+00:00 http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/4_games_down_lets_review/ http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/4_games_down_lets_review/#When:23:54:43Z I’ve consumed 333 minutes of Grizzlies basketball in the past week. Time for me to regurgitate some knowledge onto your brain. Mike Conley has played adequate so far. His three-point shot is consistent and he plays good defense (save for the Beno backdoor play last night). He knows how to run a team but still defers to the players around him. I get the sense that Conley is turning into a solid role player. OJ Mayo is the bomb. He’s got killer instinct on the offensive end. Did you see the Denver game? He scored 40 points while only going to the charity stripe two times. Unheard of. But the problem with OJ is that he’s too short to stop some of the better shooting guards in the league. Mayo just doesn’t have the height to bother guys like Kevin Martin and Rip Hamilton. A good defense wing is a must when Mayo is on the court. I like DeMarre Carroll. He hustles every single play. He fights for rebounds. He runs the court. He plays full court defense. And, like Harry Dunn, he’s got a terrible shot. Maybe he just misses Harry Christmas. The Grizz are going to be in some shootouts. Other than the opening night game vs. the Pistons, the Grizz have been involved in some high scoring affairs. They’re currently scoring 107 a game. Opponents are scoring 115. It’s like Fratello-ball, except the opposite, you know, fun. Zach Randolph is a beast. There’s no other way around it. The guy controls the paint, shoots a high percentage (56%), and can pass when needed (13 assists). The amazing thing to me is how Z-Bo, even with his size, can still hit the outside jumper pretty consistently. And did you see his near game-winner last night vs. the Kings? Watch the 1:24 mark of the video below. Marc Gasol is a beast. See a trend here? He’s not just Pau Gasol’s little brother anymore. His slimmer frame has helped him on the offensive end, looking spry going to the rim and also helping him create some shots for himself. But the best part about watching Marc play is twofold:  he competes as hard as anyone in the league and he knows how to play the right way. Gasol will pass to the open man, take the good shot, hustle for every board, and not check his nose for blood after every foul. The Allen Iverson experiment is underway. Let’s move on. I love the NBA. I love an 82 game schedule. I like having games to watch 5 nights a week. A loss like last night to the Kings only stings for 24-48 hours before the team is lacing them up again. Here’s to hoping Memphis beats the Warriors tomorrow night, 125-118. 2009-11-03T23:54:43+00:00 http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/live_twittering_from_grizzlies-raptors_oct._30_game/ http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/live_twittering_from_grizzlies-raptors_oct._30_game/#When:14:00:12Z I’ll be doing live tweets from tonight’s Grizz-Raptors game at FedExForum. You can follow me on twitter at the following link, or you can see my most recent tweet on the right side of this page. I’ll also be trying out the twitpic feature tonight so maybe you’ll catch a few pictures throughout the night. 2009-10-30T14:00:12+00:00 http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/the_good_the_bad_and_the_ugly_from_the_grizzlies_loss_to_the_pistons/ http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/the_good_the_bad_and_the_ugly_from_the_grizzlies_loss_to_the_pistons/#When:03:24:48Z Maybe it was first-game jitters. Maybe it was the pressure of the packed house, Triple 6 Mafia and Jabbarwockeez. I’m hoping it was some combination of all three that happened to the new look Grizz tonight, because it wasn’t at all what I was expecting, and it wasn’t what this team is capable of. Here’s the good, bad and ugly from tonight’s 96-76 loss to the Pistons. The Good I like the high-low game of Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. Early in the game Gasol threw 2 lobs down low to Z-Bo. One of them resulted in an easy layup and another layup was prevented only by a Charlie-V. foul. (Since we abbreviate things like J-Will, I’m going with Charlie-V. to save the trouble of ever having to look up how to spell Villanueva again. Starting now.) The Grizz outrebounded the Pistons by 10, including grabbing 17 offensive boards. (See “The Bad” for more on this). Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph are scorers. Gay shot 7-12 for 16 points. The Pistons were making him work too. Rudy was hitting turnaround fadeaways over Tayshaun Prince and nailing baseline jumpers. It was an impressive 16 points. And Z-Bo can just flat out score. He has soft touch on his jumpers and knows how to use his wide body in the paint. I like how sometimes he’ll miss a shot on purpose just to setup an easy offensive rebound and putback. That’s known in my pickup game as the Chris Avis Tuesday Night Special. Marc Gasol with 21 points and 15 rebounds, plus he looked like Tim Duncan on defense, calling out picks and switches all game long. It didn’t pan out tonight, but it’s another intangible to add to his growing list. BBQ nachos. That would go under the category of awesome actually. Trey Gilder shot 100%. I didn’t see that coming. The Bad I’m not saying that the refs were the reason that the Grizz lost. I’ll simply call it a very choppy game with 52 total fouls called. I had great seats, almost courtside. My favorite part was seeing Will Bynum knock a ball out of bounds and immediately say to the ref, “I didn’t touch it. I SWEAR!” Did Will Bynum think that “swearing” he didn’t touch the ball would suddenly cause the ref to change his mind and award the ball to the Pistons, as if the ref is thinking, “Well, if Will Bynum swears he didn’t touch the ball, it’s obvious that I should believe him and change my original call.” Memphis got a lot of offensive rebounds, as mentioned above, but part of that has to do with the fact that the Grizz missed 46 shots. Ugh. And the Pistons were able to grab 10 offensive boards even though they only missed 25 shots. O.J. Mayo shot 2-12. Mike Conley shot 1-4. They combined for 5 assists. This isn’t going to cut it from our starting backcourt. They need to shoot about 45% and dish out 10+ assists between the two of them. The Ugly Ben Wallace airballed a layup so bad that the refs felt compelled to call a foul to save him. 2009-10-29T03:24:48+00:00 http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/grizzlies.com_fantasy_basketball_league_underway/ http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/grizzlies.com_fantasy_basketball_league_underway/#When:02:03:50Z The first annual Grizzlies.com fantasy basketball league draft took place tonight. The participants were yours truly, Grizzlies play-by-play TV announcer Pete Pranica, Grizzlies play-by-play radio announcer Eric Hasseltine, Grizzlies PA announcer Rick Trotter, Grizz, former Grizzlies media relations guru Ryan Deady, Grizzlies intern Kyle Nibblett, Memphis Flyer Grizzlies reporter Chris Herrington, Mike Conley fan club president Chris Vernon, grizzfans.com blogger Chris Wilson and fans Michael Wyrick and Parker Griffith. If the NBA season is a marathon, the fantasy basketball season is a sprint. Get off to a fast start and leave other teams scrounging the waiver wire faster than you can say Tracy McGrady microfracture surgery. Here’s a recap of each team. 100% Pure OJ (Eric Hasseltine) PG Gilbert Arenas, Was PG SG Ben Gordon, Det SG SF Carmelo Anthony, Den SF PF Dirk Nowitzki, Dal PF C Jermaine O’Neal, Mia C G D.J. Augustin, Cha PG F Anderson Varejao, Cle PF UTIL Zach Randolph, Mem PF UTIL Rodney Stuckey, Det PG UTIL Lou Williams, Phi PG, SG Bench Rashard Lewis*, Orl SF, PF Bench Stephen Curry, GS PG, SG Bench Corey Maggette, GS SF Eric has some star power in Dirk and ‘Melo, but he has to be more than concerned about Arenas and Jermaine O’Neal holding up all year. Plus, Rashard Lewis is out for 10 games to start the season. Zach Randolph is a double-double machine, but I doubt that will cancel out having 2 Pistons and 2 Warriors. 6th place is yours Eric! Team Mascot Grizz PG Jose Calderon, Tor PG SG Andre Iguodala, Phi SG, SF SF Danny Granger, Ind SF PF Al Harrington, NY PF C Chris Kaman, LAC C G John Salmons, Chi SG, SF F Caron Butler, Was SF UTIL Tyrus Thomas, Chi PF UTIL Paul Millsap, Uta PF UTIL Mike Bibby, Atl PG Bench Greg Oden, Por C Bench Randy Foye, Was PG, SG Bench Larry Hughes, NY SG Grizz was hibernating during draft time and let autodraft pick for him. He’s got good wings in Iguodala, Granger, Butler and Salmons, but not enough assists or rebounds. Grizz might want to stay in his den this year since he’ll be 12th place. Florida Fight Jarics (Kyle Nibblett) PG Jameer Nelson, Orl PG SG Michael Redd, Mil SG SF Thaddeus Young, Phi SF PF Amare Stoudemire, Pho PF, C C Al Jefferson, Min C G Jamal Crawford, Atl PG, SG F Troy Murphy, Ind PF, C UTIL Carlos Boozer, Uta PF UTIL Shawn Marion, Dal SF, PF UTIL Spencer Hawes, Sac C Bench Ronnie Brewer, Uta SG Bench Kendrick Perkins, Bos C Bench Rudy Fernandez, Por SG The Fighting Jarics showed up just in time for their last draft pick. Something tells me that the intern didn’t know the draft was at 8:30 p.m. EST. That’s why you’re an intern. (I’ve been there). Luckily, ESPN.com did a good job giving him Jefferson, Stoudemire, Boozer, and Troy Murphy. They’ll take you to 9th place. Cash Considerations (Chris Herrington) PG Rajon Rondo, Bos PG SG Dwyane Wade, Mia SG SF Rudy Gay, Mem SF PF Andrea Bargnani, Tor PF, C C Andris Biedrins, GS C G Devin Harris, NJ PG F Al Horford, Atl PF, C UTIL J.R. Smith, Den SG UTIL Joakim Noah, Chi PF, C UTIL Leandro Barbosa, Pho SG Bench Tracy McGrady*, Hou SG Bench Brandon Jennings, Mil PG Bench Ryan Gomes, Min SF, PF Herrington made a bold move early taking Wade over Kobe. It’ll pan out if D-Wade stays healthy. I doubt it. Rondo is destined to regress this year with all the offseason drama. Grizzlies forward Gay has the talent but might see his fantasy numbers dip since he’ll have more skilled players to share with. I like Devin Harris. Well done. This roster looks like 3rd place material. God Choose Memphis (Chris Vernon) PG Russell Westbrook, OKC PG SG Kobe Bryant, LAL SG SF Andrei Kirilenko, Uta SF, PF PF David West, Nor PF C Luis Scola, Hou PF, C G Tony Parker, SA PG F Josh Smith, Atl SF, PF UTIL Blake Griffin, LAC PF UTIL Aaron Brooks, Hou PG UTIL Shane Battier, Hou SF Bench Tyreke Evans, Sac PG Bench Ronny Turiaf, GS PF, C Bench Tyler Hansbrough*, Ind PF The loudest player in the league (Kobe) goes to the loudest fantasy owner. David West and Scola are both going to get enough minutes to produce. Verno stole two picks that I wanted in Parker and Evans. I’m guessing Hansbrough is Verno’s fantasy version of Mark Madsen, the towel waver. I see this team finishing 4th. Beale Street Pistol Pete (Pete Pranica) PG Derrick Rose, Chi PG SG O.J. Mayo, Mem SG SF LeBron James, Cle SF PF Kevin Garnett, Bos PF C Mehmet Okur, Uta C G Raymond Felton, Cha PG F Charlie Villanueva, Det SF, PF UTIL Trevor Ariza, Hou SF UTIL Ramon Sessions, Min PG UTIL Courtney Lee, NJ SG Bench Samuel Dalembert, Phi C Bench Brandon Bass, Orl PF Bench Peja Stojakovic, Nor SF I’d love to see Rose, Mayo and King James on the same team. But KG cancels that fun out with his incessant barking from the bench. Ariza and Courtney Lee should both breakout this year. Too bad the rest of the roster is lacking (Felton, Villaneuva, Dalembert, etc.). Pete takes 2nd on the strength on LBJ. Casey Jacobsen All Stars (Chris Wilson) PG Deron Williams, Uta PG SG Ray Allen, Bos SG SF Gerald Wallace, Cha SF, PF PF LaMarcus Aldridge, Por PF C Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cle C G Monta Ellis, GS PG, SG F Anthony Randolph, GS SF, PF UTIL Manu Ginobili*, SA SG UTIL Nate Robinson, NY PG, SG UTIL Richard Jefferson, SA SF Bench Tim Duncan, SA PF, C Bench Tyson Chandler, Cha C Bench Anthony Morrow, GS SG Let’s keep this simple. Williams good, Allen old, Wallace injured, Aldridge average, Z backup, Ellis moped, Randolph sleeper, Ginobili recovering, Nate chucker, Jefferson decent, Duncan solid, Chandler broken, Morrow maybe. This roster is 7th. Hoop Family (Michael Wyrick) PG Steve Nash, Pho PG SG Kevin Martin, Sac SG SF Hedo Turkoglu, Tor SF PF Chris Bosh, Tor PF, C C Andrew Bynum, LAL C G Jason Terry, Dal PG, SG F Antawn Jamison*, Was PF UTIL Richard Hamilton, Det SG UTIL Lamar Odom, LAL SF, PF UTIL Kirk Hinrich, Chi PG, SG Bench Brad Miller, Chi C Bench Nick Collison, OKC PF, C Bench Andres Nocioni, Sac SF, PF Nash is awesome until proven otherwise. Martin is a good player on a bad team. Turkoglu is overpaid, even in fantasy. The rest of the roster is suspect with Jamison hurt and Collison and Miller too under-the-rim for my liking. The Hoop Family won’t like finishing 8th. Tryin’ Put Me In a Rockin’ Chair (Rick Trotter) PG Chris Paul, Nor PG SG Eric Gordon, LAC SG SF Paul Pierce, Bos SG, SF PF Elton Brand, Phi PF C Marcus Camby, LAC PF, C G Jason Richardson, Pho SG, SF F Luol Deng, Chi SF UTIL Emeka Okafor, Nor C UTIL T.J. Ford, Ind PG UTIL Jonny Flynn, Min PG Bench Mike Dunleavy*, Ind SG, SF Bench Hakim Warrick, Mil PF Bench Chris Andersen, Den PF, C It’s hard to go wrong with Chris Paul and Paul Pierce, but Trotter did a good job, grabbing oft injured Brand, Camby and Dunleavy to go with underachievers Deng and TJ Ford. 11th place might break Trotter’s rocking chair. Team Deady (Ryan Deady) PG Chauncey Billups, Den PG SG Kevin Durant, OKC SG, SF SF Stephen Jackson, GS SG, SF PF Kevin Love*, Min PF C Nene, Den PF, C G Jason Kidd, Dal PG F Ron Artest, LAL SF UTIL Andre Miller, Por PG UTIL Mike Conley, Mem PG UTIL Grant Hill, Pho SF Bench Rasheed Wallace, Bos PF, C Bench Marvin Williams, Atl SF Bench Drew Gooden, Dal PF, C Deady was another no-show, and his roster lets you know it. Stephen Jackson is in the dog house. Kevin Love is hurt. Andre Miller is benched. Ron Artest is Ron Artest. He’s also got one too many point guards with Conley, Miller, Kidd and Billups. 10th place for Team Deady. Texas Seccesionists (Parker Griffith) PG Baron Davis, LAC PG SG Joe Johnson, Atl SG, SF SF Jeff Green, OKC SF, PF PF Pau Gasol*, LAL PF, C C Brook Lopez, NJ C G Allen Iverson*, Mem PG, SG F Josh Howard, Dal SG, SF UTIL Shaquille O’Neal, Cle C UTIL Tayshaun Prince*, Det SF UTIL Michael Beasley, Mia SF, PF Bench Al Thornton, LAC SF Bench Marc Gasol, Mem C Bench Kelenna Azubuike, GS SG, SF The only place you’ll see the Gasol Brothers on the same roster. Gotta love fantasy hoops. Here’s to hoping Iverson does well for Texas, cause it’ll bode well for the Grizz too. I see this roster competing, even with Shaq. Texas finishes 5th. Bucker’s Bricklayers (Chris Avis) PG Mo Williams, Cle PG SG Brandon Roy, Por SG SF Wilson Chandler, NY SF PF David Lee, NY PF, C C Dwight Howard, Orl C G Vince Carter, Orl SG, SF F Boris Diaw, Cha SF, PF UTIL Andrew Bogut, Mil C UTIL Mario Chalmers, Mia PG UTIL Jason Thompson, Sac PF Bench Mike Miller, Was SG, SF Bench Chris Duhon, NY PG Bench Carl Landry, Hou PF This team looks amazing! Howard and Lee eat rebounds like Shaq eats 4th meal. Mo Williams and Roy hit 3s and get assists. Vince Carter should put up sick stats in Orlando. Jason Thompson is my sleeper pick out in Sacramento. Chalmers and Duhon are decent backup fantasy point guards and surely Boris Diaw or Wilson Chandler will duplicate last year’s numbers. I wouldn’t want to face this team, and I don’t have to. First place is all Bricklayers. 2009-10-27T02:03:50+00:00 http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/western_conference_preview1/ http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/western_conference_preview1/#When:01:04:00Z Yesterday I previewed the Eastern Conference. Now it’s time to focus on the A League, the Western Conference. Northwest Division I like Utah more than most people every year. They have a good coach, good point guard and good low post scorer. This team just needs to flip either Boozer, Millsap or AK-47 for a wing upgrade. Why don’t they do this is beyond me? Wouldn’t Millsap for Vince Carter have worked and then they resign Boozer? Let’s move on. Portland seems stuck. They’re talented, but they aren’t a top 4 team in the West. Denver seemed a little fluky last year. I think they regress to about 45 wins. Oklahoma City is the media sleeper pick but I don’ t see it. They’ve got no bench and one of the worst frontcourts in the league. File that under “problem.” Minnesota is going to be exciting with Rubio making his NBA debut. Wait, what’s that, he’s still in Europe? Kevin Love broke his hand? Congrats on having the worst record in the NBA Minnesota! Predicted Finish 1. Utah 2. Denver 3. Portland 4. Oklahoma City 5. Minnesota Pacific Division I know the Lakers are good. I know that Ron Artest had better stats than Trevor Ariza. I know these things. But I still think Artest is a bad move. One of the best assets is to have a defensive-oriented perimeter player who doesn’t need shots and can hit the open 3. When I’m GM of a team, that guy is a must. Plus, you get him at half the price he’s worth (see Battier, Shane, Bowen, Bruce or Fox, Rick). The Lakers will still cruise but I bet the Artest thing bites them in the playoffs. I’m not sure what to make of Phoenix. Stoudemire and Nash are good.  J-Rich is solid. But Robin Lopez and Channing Frye playing meaningful minutes? Screw it, this team will be okay. I think the Clippers achieve. Not over, not under, just achieve. I like Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin. A Baron Davis injury might help this team. Golden State, what a mess. I wish Steph Curry was on a different team. Then again, I still think JJ Redick is good. Sacramento has a few nice pieces (Tyreke Evans, Jason Thompson) but I’m not sold on Kevin Martin being anything other than a good player on a bad team. Predicted Finish 1. LA Lakers 2. Phoenix 3. LA Clippers 4. Golden State 5. Sacramento Southwest Division San Antonio is poised for one final title run. Duncan, Parker and Ginobili are joined by Antonio McDyess, Richard Jefferson and DaJuan Blair. That’s a team you can go to war with, as long as Duncan and Manu hold up. I think they will. Dallas is the pork chop of the NBA. Sure, a pork chop is good sometimes, but you have to be in the right mood, and if it isn’t cooked right, man, you’re in trouble. I think that analogy means that Dallas is going to lose in the 1st round of the playoffs. Houston is going to have some problems scoring. Considering the object of basketball is to score more points than the other team, that could end up being an issue. I’ll still be rooting for Battier, Lowry and Dorsey though. New Orleans should bounce back. CP3, Okafor and David West are good for 40+ wins. Shouldn’t Julian Wright be good by now? As for Memphis, this team is the biggest question mark. They have talent (Randolph, Gasol, Iverson, Mayo, Gay) but no one knows if it’s all going to fit together. I don’t think there will be personal chemistry issues because every player has different incentives to make this work, but I think they’ll take awhile to get the feel for how to play together, especially since Iverson hasn’t played yet. They have the highest and lowest ceiling of any team in the league. It’ll be fun, no doubt. I’ll hope for the best, prepare for the worst. Predicted Finish 1. San Antonio 2. Dallas 3. New Orleans 4. Memphis 5. Houston Playoffs 1st Round LA Lakers (1) over Phoenix (8) San Antonio Spurs (2) over Portland (7) Utah Jazz (3) over New Orleans (6) Denver (5) over Dallas (4) 2nd Round LA Lakers over Denver San Antonio over Utah Conference Finals San Antonio over LA Lakers NBA Finals San Antonio over Orlando Grizzlies, NBA 2009-10-25T01:04:00+00:00 http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/eastern_conference_preview/ http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/eastern_conference_preview/#When:00:16:45Z The preseason is over. Armed with a bit more information about injuries, rotations, rookie contributors, etc., it’s time for the Chris Avis NBA Preview.  Here’s how I see things shaking down. Atlantic Division Boston gets the gift of being in the easiest division in the league. There’s no way they don’t win the division. They also added Rasheed Wallace, assembling the most annoying roster in the history of the NBA. Congrats.  I’m not even sure there’s another playoff team in the Atlantic, if there is, it’s Philadelphia, who has a nice collection of talent (Brand, Iguodada, Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams) but seems like mismatched parts.  It’s like trying to eat a slice of pizza topped with scrambled eggs. I can’t wait to see Darko Milicic in Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo system.  He’ll be able to get down the court and shoot hook shots much earlier in the possession. Toronto seems destined to be 41-41. Complete average squad that is mucho-overpaid. (I’ve been taking Spanish classes. You are welcome South America). Hedo Turkoglu was one of the worst contracts in awhile. As for the Nets, I like that team. I can’t rationally talk about CDR so I won’t even try. Read this link instead. But beyond that, Brook Lopez is solid. Devin Harris is All-Star caliber and Courtney Lee is my favorite under-the-radar player. If Yi can contribute at all, that team might be all right. I see them being a year away though. Sorta like the Blazers 2 years ago. Predicted Finish 1. Boston 2. Philadelphia 3. Toronto 4. New Jersey 5. New York Central Division Chicago has the best young point guard in the league in D-Rose. Is he going to make the leap to All-Star, or get stuck in the sophomore slump? That will determine Chicago’s season. Cleveland is the class of this division. I like some of their offseason moves (Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon) but hate the Shaq trade. This team matches up way better with Boston than Orlando. Who they play in the playoffs will determine whether they are Finals material. Detroit, meh, let’s just move on. Indiana has no players with upside besides Danny Granger. Seriously, Troy Murphy, Tyler Hansbrough, Roy Hibbert, Mike Dunleavy?  I’m not sure that team would dominate at my pick-up games. Milwaukee, ugh, good luck Hak. Predicted Finish 1. Cleveland 2. Chicago 5. Detroit 5. Indiana 5. Milwaukee Southeast Division Orlando looks dominant. That is how you assemble a roster my friends; a low-post beast surrounded by shooters. If Dwight Howard can turn Hedo Turkoglu into a $50 million dollar player, imagine what he’ll do for Vince Carter. Atlanta has enough talent to avoid the lottery but not enough to go deep in the playoffs. The NBA version of Green Day. Washington improved by adding Mike Miller and Randy Foye, but they still don’t have frontcourt depth and Gilbert Arenas is an enigma. Miami is 100% dependent on Dwyane Wade not getting injured. Good luck with that. Charlotte doesn’t have one player with All-Star talents. I would file that under “not good.” Predicted Finish 1. Orlando 2. Atlanta 3. Washington 4. Miami 5. Charlotte Eastern Conference Playoffs 1st Round Orlando (1) over Washington (8) Cleveland (2) over Toronto (7) Boston (3) over Philadelphia (6) Chicago (4) over Atlanta (5) 2nd Round Orlando over Chicago Cleveland over Boston Conference Finals Orlando over Cleveland Check back tomorrow for the Western Conference Preview.   NBA 2009-10-25T00:16:45+00:00 http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/grizzlies_preseason_playlist/ http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/grizzlies_preseason_playlist/#When:00:26:00Z It’s been about 6 months since we last saw the Grizzlies play a regular season game. And what better way to judge what we’ve learned about the Grizz then to compare them to songs I’ve added to my iTunes in the past six months. “Idioteque” – Calico Horse “I haven’t seen enough. You haven’t seen enough.” To Allen Iverson, who wants to show the NBA that they haven’t seen enough of him. And Grizz fan’s surely haven’t seen enough of Iverson who has been nursing an injured hamstring. “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” – Kanye West “I guess the money should’ve changed him. I guess I should have forgot where I came from.” To Marc Gasol, who didn’t rest after a successful rookie campaign. He went home to Spain and ran mountains to improve. He’s my favorite Grizz player since Shane Battier and he’s only been here a year. And I detest his brother. Who saw this coming? “You and I” – Wilco “But you and I, I think we can take it.  All the good with the bad, make something that no one else has…” To Rudy Gay and O.J Mayo, who are looking to be one of the rare shooting guard/small forward combos to dominate together. Last year they coexisted fine, but this year Grizz Nation wants to see them play off each other, feed off each other, create for each other. “Paradise Cove” – Pete Yorn “I got what I wanted when you showed up. I got what I wanted and it’s never enough.” To Grizzlies critics who still aren’t happy with the offseason moves. Critics have been calling for a low-post scorer and more spending since Pau was traded, and Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley did that two-fold with Zach Randolph and A.I. It’s never enough. “Can’t Say No” – The Helio Sequence “Calculate, consecrate, elevate it, give it up to reality” To Mike Conley, who needs to elevate his game. He’s a top 5 pick in his 3rd year. He’s shown causal improvement over the last two seasons, but this season could be a make or break year for him. That’s the reality.  “The Royal We” – Silversun Pickups “We are ready for the siege. We are armed up to the teeth.” To Chris Wallace, for arming the Grizzlies roster with weapons. With key additions Zach Randolph, Allen Iverson, Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre Caroll and Sam Young, Wallace has assembled a roster full of talent. It’s up to coach Lionel Hollins and the players to make it work, but one thing is certain, this is the most talented Grizzlies roster since their playoff years. 2009-10-17T00:26:00+00:00 http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/live_twittering_from_grizzlies-hawks_oct._14_game/ http://www.grizzliesonline.com/index.php?/avis/comments/live_twittering_from_grizzlies-hawks_oct._14_game/#When:20:45:51Z I’ll be at tonight’s Grizz-Hawks game and live tweeting throughout. You can see the most recent tweet on the right side of this page, or you can follow along throughout by visiting the link below Tonight’s live tweets 2009-10-14T20:45:51+00:00