SB Nation - Hamed Haddadi

Lakers-Grizzlies Preview

DexterFishmore — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:00:38 -0000

The Memphis Grizzlies are, in some structural sense, the opposite of the Houston Rockets franchise the Lakers just faced. The Rockets have a widely admired basketball organization but a shortage of ability on the floor. They've got a smart young GM and a successful head coach but no elite players. They're all system, little talent.

The Grizzlies are all talent, zero system. Maybe negative system, if that makes any sense (obviously no, it doesn't). Their roster is littered with high lottery picks, famous names and even a former league MVP, and yet they still blow. The problem, basically, is meddlesome tightwad Michael Heisley, whom SI recently dubbed the third-worst owner in the NBA. Under Heisley's stewardship, the Grizzlies have become really young and really cheap, and although that strategy might result in a winning product a couple years from now, they're not there yet.

Of course, Laker fans do have Heisley to thank for Pau Gasol, so let's keep him in our hearts as we preview Friday night's game.

The Grizz arrive in LA with a sterling 1-4 record. They're in the midst of a five-game West Coast trip of which they've dropped the first three. Here are their and the Lakers' other vital stats so far this year. Keep in mind that with less than 10% of the season in the books, these don't really mean much.

	Lakers	Grizz
Pace	96.3 (12th)	98.3 (7th)
Offensive Rating	100.6 (19th)	106.3 (9th)
Defensive Rating	98.1 (8th)	114.8 (30th)

("Pace" means average number of possessions per 48 minutes. "Offensive Rating" is the number of points scored per 100 possessions. "Defensive Rating" is the number of points allowed per 100 possessions. League rankings are in parentheses.)

As you can see, Memphis has been putting up points quite nicely, which is a huge change from last year, when they ranked 28th in the league in offensive efficiency. What's driven the improvement is ownage of the offensive glass. The Grizzlies lead the NBA in offensive rebounding rate thanks to strong work by new power forward Zach Randolph and bearded terror Marc Gasol.

Hey, guess who's dead last in defensive rebounding rate! You got it: the Lakers. They've been getting rocked on the defensive glass this year, and that's with Andrew Bynum playing full-time. No Pau and no Bynum on Friday night = ruh roh. Memphis is likely to enjoy a few three- and four-shot possessions, much to my outrage.

The Grizz frontcourt also "features" Hamed Haddadi, the only Iranian player in the NBA, and second overall pick Hasheem Thabeet. Thabeet has played only 29 minutes this season and stinks of eau de bustola.

On the perimeter Memphis rolls out wave after wave of unrepentant chuckers. You recognize the names - O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Allen Iverson - but none is a tremendously efficient scorer. I'm not sure there's a coordinated offensive game plan here - mostly these guys seem to stand around and take turns launching J's. I suspect Ron Artest will guard Gay while Kobe Bryant checks Mayo. The more possessions that get routed through Iverson, the easier the night will be for the Lakers.

On defense the Grizzlies are a total mess. Last in the league in defensive efficiency, they're easier to score on than your sister after she's had a few. The Lakers will be missing two major frontcourt threats, so most of the scoring will need to come from Kobe, Ron and Lamar Odom. Mayo and Gay are poor on-ball defenders, so it wouldn't totally shock me to see Kobe hit 50 in this one.

It remains to be seen exactly how Phil Jackson will adjust the rotation in the absence of Bynum and Pau. Going small - with, say, Odom at center and Shannon Brown in the starting lineup - strikes me as inadvisable. Randolph and Marc Gasol are too potent inside and can do too much damage on the offensive glass. Dr. Fishmore instead prescribes heavy minutes for DJ Mbenga and Josh Powell.

Straight Outta Vancouver, our sibling Grizzlies blog on SB Nation, does good work and will have more on this matchup. Feel free to pay them a visit, but please be neighborly if you do. They have to root for the Grizzlies, after all. They don't need any additional grief.

Last Night in the Preseason

Jon L — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:15:25 -0000

More photos » by Steven Senne - AP

If you don't think I'm going to use this picture again, then you must not read this site very often.

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I know, I know, a bunch of guys got cut yesterday and you want me to talk about it. Well we have a weekly feature for that, remember? I'll get to it on Monday, and hopefully with some more thought into what I write than if I tried to do it piecemeal. But you haven't even complained, so why am I defending myself. Besides, they played some games last night!

New York Knicks 94, New Jersey Nets 92

Chris Hunter didn't play much early on in the preseason but he's getting a little more time now, I'm just not sure he's making the most of it. Almost nine minutes last night and he shot 1-3, for four points (he made both of his free throws). He had a block, but he also had one of his own rejected and had zero rebounds. Hunter's very talented who I think could do well in D'Antoni's system, but time's running out.

Miami Heat 99, Memphis Grizzlies 93

Hamed Haddadi played four and a half rebounds and grabbed three rebounds, because that's what he does. And not reall - alright, I think I've done that bit enough. The Heat elected to give Carlos Arroyo all of the backup PG minutes again while both John Lucas and Chris Quinn sat. I have no idea what that means for Quinn, but it can't be good for Lucas, which is unfortunate.

Boston Celtics 96, Cleveland Cavaliers 82

Alright, so J.R. Giddens isn't a rebounding monster that will devour us all, as he grabbed just two in 19 and a half minutes. He didn't even score any points to make up for it, and really I have no idea what his next move is. I doubt the Celtics keep him on, and while he did pretty well in the D-League, that doesn't seem to be the option of choice these days. But then again he doesn't really have the outside game to hang in Europe or Asia. Midge, help me out here. Also, I'm choosing to believe that Jawad Williams didn't play the last few games because the team knows it's keeping him and they want to see what other guys can do. Yep, that's what I think. La la la la, I can't hear you, la la la la la.

Last Night in the Preseason

Jon L — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 15:00:23 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

8 months ago: Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum, right, has his shot blocked by Memphis Grizzlies center Hamed Haddadi, of Iran, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 12, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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So yesterday, as you'll see, wasn't really the best day to recap. A lot of teams without D-Leaguers played, and a lot of D-Leaguers who did play didn't do all that well. Oh, and Dontell Jefferson played just two seconds. What's that about?

Dallas Mavericks 93, Cleveland Cavaliers 82

Cleveland is to be commended for inviting several D-Leaguers to play for them, unfortunately with the exception of Jawad Williams they're not playing all that well. Rob Kurz grabbed three rebounds and blocked a shot in about 15 and a half minutes last night, which isn't great for a 6'9" guy but is decent for someone who spends most of his time on the perimeter. Going 0-3 on three-pointers, though, isn't all that great for a three-point shooter. Russell Robinson got the start and played 41 and a half minutes, and while the eight assists are a positive, combining them with five turnovers and 3-11 shooting really isn't. Coby Karl grabbed five rebounds, but also shot 1-7. This paragraph depresses the hell out of me.

UPDATE: Apparently Coby Karl was one of the Cleveland players who had/has the flu, so his performance is somewhat understandable and I'll maybe stop being so hard on him. Unfortunately when it comes to nonguaranteed guys, NBA teams don't usually care whether a poor shooting night is because of illness or not, so his chances aren't necessarily any better.

LA Clippers 103, Utah Jazz 96

So remember the other night when Kosta Koufos played okay and Kyrylo Fesenko struggled? Well flip those. I guess Koufos wasn't that terrible, as he picked up three rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block, but he also had all three of his field goal attempts blocked. Yikes. Fesenko was certainly better on the offensive end than he was the other night, scoring four points on 2-3 shooting with a block and an assist in eight minutes. Keep in mind that for both of these guys you're not going to see an offensive explosion, but if they can keep the rebounding up and maybe cut down on getting their own shots rejected they can be useful to the Jazz.

Memphis Grizzlies 115, Detroit Pistons 95

Hamed Haddadi had three blocks in three minutes, because that's what he does. And not really much else.

Last Night in the Preseason

Jon L — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:01:11 -0000

More photos » by Hannah Foslien - AP

2 months ago: Chicago Bulls' Chris Richard (32) shoots against Minnesota Timberwolves' Oleksiy Pecherov (4) as Kevin Love (42) watches on during the second quarter of a NBA basketball game at the Target Center in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009. Bulls defeated the Timberwolves 99-94. (AP Photo/Hannah Foslien)

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Fair warning, the format of this thing may change a few times as I figure out how I want to write it. But for now, let's take a look at some former or future D-Leaguers/European players who played well (and in some cases not so well) last night on a game-by-game basis.

Phoenix Suns 110, Portland 104

The only "our guy" who played in this game was Carlos Powell, and he did very well. Starting and playing just over 22 minutes, Powell finished with 12 points on six shots, including 2-3 from long range, and three rebounds, along with zero turnovers and only one foul. The main thing holding him back so far has been his attitude rather than his talent, so if he keeps this up (including the improved outside shooting) either the Suns or some other team will take notice.

Washington Wizards 109, Cleveland Cavaliers 104

Jawad Williams hasn't had the best preseason so far, but he had a solid game last night for Cleveland. Getting the start in LeBron James's absence, Williams put up in 21 points on 12 shots, shot 4-6 on three-pointers and 5-7 on free throws, and grabbed five rebounds and passed out a pair of assists as well. Hey Cleveland, if you're really serious about making sure you have bench scoring, keep this guy around. The other standout of sorts for the Cavs was Andre Barrett, who outplayed his competition (Russell Robinson) by collecting eight assists in a little over 26 minutes and grabbing three rebounds, though he did need nine shots to score eight points. Paul Davis played just under nine minutes in this game, and while Mike Prada from BulletsForever may have a soft spot for the guy, I just don't see it. 0-2 shooting, one rebound, one assist, one block and one turnover...what am I missing? Luke Nevill, on the other hand, actually scored with four points in just under nine minutes, and he at least picked up three rebounds. 12-per-36 is a lot better than 4-per-36.

Boston Celtics 106, Toronto Raptors 90

Sonny Weems came back to earth a little bit, with 12 points on 10 shots and three turnovers, but he is banged up a little bit, and he's still getting a fair amount of playing time, which is encouraging. Holly MacKenzie thinks the team will find a place for him, and quotes Chris Bosh as saying

"if we continue to work with him and get him polished, I think he'll really help us out."

The J.R. Giddens Rebounding Machine is still working, with four in 13 and a half minutes, though he's still having a hard time scoring the ball. Lester Hudson wasn't, though, with 12 points on seven shots in the same amount of playing time as Giddens, and he picked up a pair of steals and a pair of rebounds as well. If Boston could just put those two together they might have something.

Oklahoma City 96, Miami Heat 91

I'm only mentioning Carlos Arroyo because Erik Spoelstra decided to sit both John Lucas and Chris Quinn to see what the team's newest point guard candidate can do, and he responded with, well, zero points, three rebounds, two assists, a turnover and four fouls in 16 minutes. Just stick with Lucas. Both Shaun Livingston and Kyle Weaver struggled a little bit for the Thunder, combining for five points, all of which came at the free-throw line. Weaver's calling card is his defense anyway, but he certainly hasn't been helping matters with his shooting so far.

LA Clippers 93, San Antonio Spurs 90

DeJuan Blair has been making Ian Mahinmi's job tougher by grabbing most of the rebounds in sight, but Mahinmi still managed to pull five down in 19 minutes, along with seven points on four shots and only one turnover. Speaking of turnovers (you see what I did there), Marcus Williams has struggled with them so far this preseason (and to a certain extent in Austin last season), and he had three last night in 18 minutes, which spoiled an otherwise solid night, 11 points on 4-8 shooting, two rebounds and two assists. Much better was Malik Hairston, who got the start and played 23 minutes, and finished with nine points on five shots, five assists and two steals. The assists are a nice bonus from him, as he's a decent passer but not a prolific one.

Chicago Bulls 99, Minnesota Timberwolves 94

The story of this game is Chris Richard, who led all scorers with 17 points on nine shots, made seven of his nine free throws and added 13 rebounds and two blocks, both of which also were game highs. Minnesota was the team that initially cut him, so there was probably some extra motivation (he's played pretty poorly so far), but maybe he can at least trick the Bulls into keeping him on, then show them that while he's not usually that spectacular, he's at least pretty solid. Mark from Sham Sports and Chicago Bulls Confidential is still skeptical that'll happen, though. Derrick Byars had a nice little game, with five points on three shots, three rebounds and a block in a little over 15 minutes.

Atlanta Hawks 111, Memphis Grizzlies 96

Like Jawad Williams and Chris Richard, Courtney Sims broke out last night after a rough preseason, scoring 12 points on 4-6 shooting in 13 minutes and blocking two shots. He only had three rebounds and added two turnovers, but he was one of the more talented players in the D-League last season and several NBA teams are known admirers, so anything he can do to help his case at this point would, well, help. Hamed Haddadi had three rebounds in six minutes, because that's what he does. And not really anything else.

The Preseason So Far

Jon L — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 14:00:59 -0000

One reason I cut off the training camp invite series was that, well, they're playing the games already. So instead, I thought it would be good to take a look at some past and future D-Leaguers who are performing well in the preseason (or, occasionally, maybe, not performing well). I'll probably start this as a daily feature, and knowing me, it will last a week. But still, what a week it will be. I have some catching up to do today, but hopefully enough guys will get playing time from here on out so that I'll have stuff to write about.

J.R. Giddens

Giddens has a guaranteed contract, but he's spent a fair amount of time in the D-League so he's technically one of "our guys." Gidden's biggest asset as a guard is his rebounding, and last night against the Nets he had 13 rebounds in 33 minutes. He's had turnover problems in the past, and his three certainly aren't great, but the Celtics have done a good job of maximizing Rajon Rondo's strengths and minimizing his weaknesses, so perhaps they can do the same for Giddens. They have enough perimeter-shooting big men that a guard who plays closer to the rim isn't as much of a detriment as it might be on other teams.

Sonny Weems

Weems has dealt with some minor injuries this preseason, but he's been starting, and in less than ten minutes against the Wizards he had four points on 2-3 shooting, six rebounds, an assist and zero turnovers. He preceded that with a 27 minute, 5-7 shooting, six assist, two rebound, one assist, one steal and one turnover performance against Minnesota. As I told Romy over at Hip Hoop Junkies (yes, you too can e-mail for a quote to put on your blog!), Weems is a talented guy and one who Denver liked, so while it's been a little surprising how much he's been traded around this offseason, he should be able to stick with the Raptors.

Alexis Ajinca

The man who just needed more playing time and got it in the D-League finished with an excellent line against the Cavaliers, with 15 points on 7-11 shooting, seven rebounds and two blocks in just under 19 minutes. The two turnovers and -7 overall aren't great, and he didn't shoot the ball very efficiently in his first game (though he also had four rebounds in 11 minutes), but things are looking up after last season.

John Lucas

The guy who should (emphasis on should, which unfortunately isn't close enough to will) be at least Miami's third point guard played well on Sunday, finishing with 10 points on 4-6 shooting, five assists, three rebounds and only one turnover in just under 23 minutes.

Rod Benson

The man who's (sort of) back scored seven points and grabbed four rebounds in nine minutes on Saturday. The best part of his scoring output is that he did most of his damage at the line, making three of his five shots there. Sure that percentage could improve, but the fact that he's getting the ball inside (most likely) and being decisive with it can only lead to good things.

Hamed Haddadi

Offense isn't really Haddadi's strong suit, but his four rebounds in seven minutes against Orlando on Monday is goooood eatin', especially as it came paired with only one foul. If he can keep that kind of production up, and not his four points, five fouls, two rebounds and two turnovers that came a few days ago, he'll be in pretty good shape.

Mickael Gelabale

He's already been cut, but I just want to briefly recognize Gelabale's scoring ability. Six points on 2-3 shooting in six minutes? What more could you people want from him?

OKC Thunder @ Memphis Grizzlies OPEN THREAD

Mr Pappagiorgio — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:30:17 -0000

TV: None | Radio: WWLS (98.1 FM, 640am in OKC, 97.1 FM in Tulsa)

Opponent Perspective: Straight Outta Vancouver

2009-10 Oklahoma City Thunder Pre-Season Roster
NUM	PLAYER	POS	HT	WT	DOB	FROM	YRS
40	Ryan Bowen	F	6-9	218	11/20/1975	Iowa	9
4	Nick Collison	F-C	6-10	255	10/26/1980	Kansas	5
35	Kevin Durant	F-G	6-9	230	09/29/1988	Texas	2
22	Jeff Green	F	6-9	235	08/28/1986	Georgetown	2
13	James Harden	G	6-5	220	08/26/1989	Arizona State	R
	Mike Harris	F	6-6	240	06/15/1983	Rice	1
9	Serge Ibaka	F	6-10	235	09/18/1989	Congo	R
6	Tre Kelley	G	6-0	188	01/23/1985	South Carolina	R
12	Nenad Krstic	C	7-0	240	07/25/1983	Serbia & Montenegro	5
14	Shaun Livingston	G	6-7	185	09/11/1985	Peoria Central HS (IL)	4
23	Byron Mullens	C	7-0	275	02/14/1989	Ohio State	R
7	Kevin Ollie	G	6-2	195	12/27/1972	Connecticut	12
51	Michael Ruffin	F-C	6-8	248	01/21/1977	Tulsa	9
2	Thabo Sefolosha	F-G	6-7	215	05/02/1984	Switzerland	3
36	Etan Thomas	C	6-10	260	04/01/1978	Syracuse	7
5	Kyle Weaver	G	6-6	201	02/18/1986	Washington State	1
0	Russell Westbrook	G	6-3	187	11/12/1988	UCLA	1
3	D.J. White	F	6-9	251	08/31/1986	Indiana	1

2009-10 Memphis Grizzlies Pre-Season Roster
NUM	PLAYER	POS	HT	WT	DOB	FROM	YRS
00	Darrell Arthur	F	6-9	235	03/25/1988	Kansas	1
1	DeMarre Carroll	F	6-8	212	07/27/1986	Missouri	R
11	Mike Conley	G	6-1	185	10/11/1987	Ohio State	2
31	Thomas Gardner	G	6-5	225	02/08/1985	Missouri	2
33	Marc Gasol	C	7-1	280	01/29/1985	Spain	1
22	Rudy Gay	F	6-8	222	08/17/1986	Connecticut	3
2	Trey Gilder	F	6-9	185	01/24/1985	Northwestern State-Louisiana	R
15	Hamed Haddadi	C	7-2	265	05/19/1985	I.R. of Iran	1
45	Steven Hunter	C	7-0	240	10/31/1981	DePaul	7
3	Allen Iverson	G	6-0	165	06/07/1975	Georgetown	13
55	Marko Jaric	G	6-7	224	10/12/1978	Serbia	7
32	O.J. Mayo	G	6-4	210	11/05/1987	USC	1
50	Zach Randolph	F	6-9	260	07/16/1981	Michigan State	8
21	Leon Rodgers	F	6-6	217	06/19/1980	Northern Illinois	R
24	Mike Taylor	G	6-2	165	01/21/1986	Iowa State	1
34	Hasheem Thabeet	C	7-3	267	02/16/1987	Connecticut	R
5	Marcus Williams	G	6-3	205	12/03/1985	Connecticut	3
4	Sam Young	F-G	6-6	220	06/01/1985	Pittsburgh	R

Wizards beat Grizzlies in Richmond: Final wrap

Mike Prada — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 18:03:36 -0000

More photos » by Steve Helber - AP

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Final thoughts from yesterday's preseason games...

First, some stats. For those not familar with these numbers, this is a chart of the Four Factors, detailed here. eFG% refers to effective field goal percentage, which is pretty much like regular field-goal percentage, except that it weighs threes 1.5 times more than twos. FT/FG is the number that results when you divide the number of free throws a team made by its field goal attempts. OREB% is the percentage of available rebounds snagged by the offense, and TOr are the percentage of possessions which ended in a turnover.

Team	Pace	Off Eff	eFG%	FT/FG	OREB%	TOr
Memphis	103	89.3	42.6	11.6	44.4	22.3
Washington		98.1	43.4	34.9	29.4	19.4

Now, some analysis:

As you can see, tonight was an ugly game. It's easy to look at those numbers and suggest that the Wizards did great defensively, but it didn't really seem like it when the starters were in the game. The Grizzlies really went cold in the fourth quarter when they played nobody, which skewed the numbers a bit. The most concerning number on there is the OREB% for Memphis -- 44.4% is simply unacceptable. For the Wizards to grab only about half of all the available defensive rebounds is a real problem. It was also pretty consistent no matter who was in the game. The Grizzlies pounded the glass well when the starters were out there, and they pounded the glass well when JaVale McGee was jumping around like a pogo stick in the fourth quarter.

Brendan Haywood's read on the rebounding problem was that it was caused a lot by overhelping.

"A lot of times, we made the initial stop and cut off the drive, but when the shot went up, there were a lot of bodies left unaccounted for. We have to clean that up."

I agree that this happened a lot. Haywood himself seemed to be trying too hard to contest drives that were already being contested, which allowed his man, whether it was Marc Gasol, Hasheem Thabeet or Hamed Haddadi, get offensive rebounds. However, some of this was just caused by a lack of muscle and concentration. Zach Randolph was usually accounted for by somebody, but he still managed to grab seven offensive rebounds, shoving Antawn Jamison out of the way and out-quicking Fabricio Oberto (who looked so slow and out of it, by the way). Based on one preseason game, this could become a real problem. It's true that the first step is contesting shots and forcing misses, but the Wizards still need to work on getting back and being in position to grab defensive rebounds.

Otherwise, how did Gilbert Arenas look? He looked tentative and slow at times, but his passing really was impressive. There was one time when he perfectly set up Jamison for a transition slam on a semi-transition, looking off the defender brilliantly by making it seem he would feed the other wing guy. He also did a great job setting Jamison up for some wide open shots -- so much so that Jamison said he was often surprised at how open he was. Flip Saunders said Arenas was a few missed free throws and missed layups away from a 20-10 game, and he's probably right. That stuff will come around. His defense, however, needs to improve. He just looked lost several times.

Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison looked much more comfortable as second options. They've gone through two seasons where they have to make plays on the dribble, and frankly, as much as they squeezed the most out of that part of their games, it simply doesn't suit their strengths. Butler in particular was driving to the basket a lot more than in previous years because he was getting open driving lanes with the presence of Arenas and others. I expect him to be much more efficient this year -- fewer jumpers, more fouls drawn. His defense, after being pretty mediocre early, also really picked up late.

I didn't think Nick Young played great, but his final line (11 points on eight shots) was pretty good. He played very good defense on O.J. Mayo (though I think that was more Mayo taking himself out of the game), but really got abused by Sam Young in the second quarter. He also had a couple plays where he tried to dribble too much and forced a shot. There was one fast break in particular where Nick tried launching a terrible fadeaway from 17 feet when Memphis had gotten back. Luckily, Young was fouled on the play, but it was a pretty stupid shot. However, I also didn't notice him a ton, which is probably a good thing, because it means he wasn't dribbling much.

I'm going to write more about Randy Foye and Mike Miller later, because I think Flip may have stumbled on a good solution to mask their weaknesses. Otherwise, make the jump for some post-game quotes.

Flip Saunders on Gilbert Arenas' performance:

"He almost got to a point where he was too unselfish. He turned down some shots that I think he should maybe have taken, but that's all a part of learning a new offense."

Flip Saunders on Arenas' minutes, after saying he played 24 minutes because he looked and felt good:

"One time, he was like, 'Why don't you play me like you'd play me in the regular season?' I said, 'We're not ready for that.'"

Flip Saunders on Nick Young's performance:

"I thought he did some positive things. I thought he searched a couple of shots out, and I thought he got a little bit tired chasing some screens in the second half."

Flip Saunders on whether Young would start again Friday against Dallas:

"If we don't put him back in the starting lineup, it won't be because he didn't play well. We might just want to give somebody else some time."

Flip Saunders on the teams' offensive performance in general:

"In the fourth quarter, guys didn't really search shots. They just kind of played, moved the ball, and if the guy had a shot, he took it. Whereas I thought that we were almost too unselfish -- we tried to jam some passes -- in the first half and tried to do some things that are maybe a little uncharacteristic."

Flip Saunders on Gilbert Arenas' defense:

"In the first half, he totally didn't respect Mike Conley, so [Conley] got some open shots, but in the third quarter, I thought he had a couple great contests. We got to get that from him all the time."

Nick Young on his performance:

"I felt good. Little nervous, but then I felt comfortable once everything started rolling. I think with Gil, you just gotta be able to knock down open shots. Gil's going to find you, there's going to be a lot of pressure on Gil coming off Antawn, so I have to be that guy to hit open shots.

Nick Young on his mentality coming into the season:

"It's my third year. It's time for me to grow up and get my game out there in a game I love. I just want to try to get better every year. Last year was a down year; it felt like I could have done more."

Nick Young on his defensive performance:

"I played alright, but Sam Young got me with that pump fake. That was a crazy pump fake, but overall, I did alright."

Brendan Haywood on Gilbert Arenas:

"It starts with Gil taking a more serious approach and then it trickles down. Teams are always going to take on the identity of its leader, and he's taking a more serious approach, and JaVale [McGee] and Dray have fallen in line."

Brendan Haywood on the teams' offensive performance:

"I give us a C+ today. We did some good things, but we weren't smooth out there"

Audio:

Flip Saunders post-game press conference

Nick Young post-game interview

Randy Foye post-game interview

Brendan Haywood post-game interview

Thunder Gameday: Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies

Mr Pappagiorgio — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:00:42 -0000

Finally, finally, finally! The Oklahoma City Thunder get their 2009-10 season underway tonight, in Memphis, against the Grizzlies! Who cares if its only the pre-season? Thunder Basketball is back, so get ready to Thunder Up! Sadly enough, at the time of this writing (Last night), we don't have any update as to whether or not this game will be televised anywhere that Oklahomans will be able to see, but at the very least we should all be able to listen on the WWLS, The Sports Animal, which should be carrying the game (although I haven't confirmed that yet either). I'm sure you are quite tired of hearing me complain about the game not being televised, but let's face it, if you are reading this blog on a regular basis, chances are you are a pretty big Thunderhead yourself and just as pissed off. So hey, I'm being your voice, and you just never know who is reading. I griped and moaned all season about games that weren't broadcast in HD and a quick look at the TV schedule for the upcoming season will show that perhaps someone was listening as every single game is listed as being in HD this season.

It is still just a pre-season game, so why should you even care? Well, I'm gonna take a few minutes and hopefully give you enough reasons to be interested. First and foremost is your Thunder Roster is very different than it was just a few short months ago as the team closed out its inaugural season. When you make the jump, you'll see the entire pre-season roster which will be cut down substantially before the season begins. Gone are the likes of Robert Swift, Malik Rose, and Earl Watson, and inserted in their place are a host of new players that you should be just as anxious to see such as Etan Thomas and Kevin Ollie. As young as this team was last season, it may have gotten even younger this year as James Harden joins the mix along with some other terrific young players including Serge Ibaka, and Byron Mullens, amongst others. So go ahead and make the jump to see the full roster, along with our continued preview which will have a few more reasons to be interested in tonight's game, because there are a few more, I assure you.

If you can remember back a few short months, there was some extremely heated debate regarding who the Thunder should take, Hasheem Thabeet, or James Harden. Regardless of who we wanted or who we would have picked (although it does seem pretty clear that Harden had emerged as our guy shortly before the draft), the Grizzlies went ahead and made things a bit easier for us by picking Hasheem Thabeet with the #2 overall pick. So tonight will be our first chance at seeing these two guys match up head to head, even though they'll rarely be close to one another on the court since Harden plays guard and Thabeet is six million feet tall.

Another reason you are going to want to tune in is to check out Allen Iverson in his new home. We all know him, we all um, okay, so we all don't love him, but you still have to respect the guy on the court, no matter his flaws. For now he doesn't even seem to be a clear cut starter on the team, but it'll be interesting to see if that's a motivating factor for him in the pre-season. It'll also be fun to see how he works and interacts with guys like O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay. Oh wait, that's what you could have looked forward to if he didn't get himself injured on Sunday, so I guess we'll have to look forward to seeing that later on in the year. The Grizzlies are quite possibly the most exciting young team in the league outside of our own beloved Thunder, so this game will definitely be intriguing as two of the leagues better, up and coming, young teams, square off head to head. I tend to think we're a bit further ahead in our cycle than they are and should come away with a win, even if it is just a pre-season game, but the fun part will be watching, err, listening tonight.

Also, we will have a Live Game OPEN THREAD for commenting tonight as I'm sure one way or another a lot of us will be either listening to or watching the game. Hell, if we are listening, there is no reason to not be on the site commenting, so you better get your ass into the thread by tipoff so we can get some nice live game commenting going. Also, we'll update this post and the live game thread with anymore information on TV and Radio Coverage as the information becomes available.

2009-10 Oklahoma City Thunder Pre-Season Roster
NUM	PLAYER	POS	HT	WT	DOB	FROM	YRS
40	Ryan Bowen	F	6-9	218	11/20/1975	Iowa	9
4	Nick Collison	F-C	6-10	255	10/26/1980	Kansas	5
35	Kevin Durant	F-G	6-9	230	09/29/1988	Texas	2
22	Jeff Green	F	6-9	235	08/28/1986	Georgetown	2
13	James Harden	G	6-5	220	08/26/1989	Arizona State	R
	Mike Harris	F	6-6	240	06/15/1983	Rice	1
9	Serge Ibaka	F	6-10	235	09/18/1989	Congo	R
6	Tre Kelley	G	6-0	188	01/23/1985	South Carolina	R
12	Nenad Krstic	C	7-0	240	07/25/1983	Serbia & Montenegro	5
14	Shaun Livingston	G	6-7	185	09/11/1985	Peoria Central HS (IL)	4
23	Byron Mullens	C	7-0	275	02/14/1989	Ohio State	R
7	Kevin Ollie	G	6-2	195	12/27/1972	Connecticut	12
51	Michael Ruffin	F-C	6-8	248	01/21/1977	Tulsa	9
2	Thabo Sefolosha	F-G	6-7	215	05/02/1984	Switzerland	3
36	Etan Thomas	C	6-10	260	04/01/1978	Syracuse	7
5	Kyle Weaver	G	6-6	201	02/18/1986	Washington State	1
0	Russell Westbrook	G	6-3	187	11/12/1988	UCLA	1
3	D.J. White	F	6-9	251	08/31/1986	Indiana	1

2009-10 Memphis Grizzlies Pre-Season Roster
NUM	PLAYER	POS	HT	WT	DOB	FROM	YRS
00	Darrell Arthur	F	6-9	235	03/25/1988	Kansas	1
1	DeMarre Carroll	F	6-8	212	07/27/1986	Missouri	R
11	Mike Conley	G	6-1	185	10/11/1987	Ohio State	2
31	Thomas Gardner	G	6-5	225	02/08/1985	Missouri	2
33	Marc Gasol	C	7-1	280	01/29/1985	Spain	1
22	Rudy Gay	F	6-8	222	08/17/1986	Connecticut	3
2	Trey Gilder	F	6-9	185	01/24/1985	Northwestern State-Louisiana	R
15	Hamed Haddadi	C	7-2	265	05/19/1985	I.R. of Iran	1
45	Steven Hunter	C	7-0	240	10/31/1981	DePaul	7
3	Allen Iverson	G	6-0	165	06/07/1975	Georgetown	13
55	Marko Jaric	G	6-7	224	10/12/1978	Serbia	7
32	O.J. Mayo	G	6-4	210	11/05/1987	USC	1
50	Zach Randolph	F	6-9	260	07/16/1981	Michigan State	8
21	Leon Rodgers	F	6-6	217	06/19/1980	Northern Illinois	R
24	Mike Taylor	G	6-2	165	01/21/1986	Iowa State	1
34	Hasheem Thabeet	C	7-3	267	02/16/1987	Connecticut	R
5	Marcus Williams	G	6-3	205	12/03/1985	Connecticut	3
4	Sam Young	F-G	6-6	220	06/01/1985	Pittsburgh	R

Around the Association: 2009-2010 Memphis Grizzlies- Going Back to Vancouver

Atma Brother ONE — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:00:29 -0000

From LA-LA land to Graceland. GSoM's got you covered!

Thunder's teddy bear when he was growing up as a pudgy kid in the East Bay.

Put a little mayo on it and... JUMP for a look at the 2k9-2k10 Memphis Teddy Bears!

Before we start counting the ways of the super lotto balls for the 2009-2010 Memphis Grizzlies, let's go back... way back.

You probably remember this:

Vancouver Grizzlies Primary Logo
Vancouver Grizzlies primary logo in use from 1996-200

A bear with a basketball under script

Or maybe even this:

Vancouver Grizzlies Alternate Logo
Vancouver Grizzlies alternate logo in use from 1996-200
A bear claw holding a basketball

But do you remember THIS?

Vancouver Grizzlies Alternate Logo
Vancouver Grizzlies alternate logo in use from 1996-199
A Native American Bear with a basketball on a circle

FUN-ky piece!

Shout out to Chris Screamer's sportslogos.net for the Vancouver Grizzlies logo throwbacks.

AB1's Fav 5 Vancouver Grizzlies of All-Time

5. Bryant Reeves

The Grizzlies inaugural draft selection with the 6th pick in the 1995 draft was a big fella (7-feet 275 pound big) by the name of Big Country who had a pretty short NBA career ended early due to injury (i.e. the Oliver Miller problem). He's considered a bust with 6 year career totals of 12.5 ppg and 6.9 rpg and that insane 6 year $61.8 million contract [see Wikipedia for more].

Vansterdam Best: 2 seasons of 16 ppg and 8 rpg while sprinkling in a swat a game

I will take a second here and note the career averages of the #1 overall pick in that same draft were actually lower than Big Country's at 11.6 ppg and 6.7 rpg.

Who am I talking about? He'll be entering his 15th season in the NBA this year and he's no ordinary Joe! Well, I guess he was. Please put your hands together for...

Joe Smith: Sky was NOT the limit. Nice guy though.

via sports.tom.com

Who's a bigger bust in your book?

4. Mike Bibby

Before he was battling Shaq and the Lakers Bibby was a member of Canada's other NBA squad.

via cdn.bleacherreport.com

Vansterdam Career:

1998-1999 [age 20]: 13.2 ppg, 6.5 apg, 2.7 rpg, 1.6 stl
1999-2000 [age 21]: 14.5 ppg, 8.1 apg, 3.7 rpg, 1.6 stl
2000-2001 [age 22]: 15.9 ppg, 8.4 apg, 3.7 rpg, 1.3

Oddly enough the closest Bibby ever got to those assist totals post-Vancouver was 6.8 apg with the Sacramento Kings in 2004-2005. During most of his post-Vancouver days his assist average was ~5 apg.

So why would you trade an up and coming PG with those kind of totals at that young age? If I remember correctly the Vancouver Grizz were in full blow-out mode and there was some serious beef between Bibby and fellow Pac-10 alum Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

3. Michael Dickerson

Before his sad early retirement at the age of 28 in Memphis [CBC Sports], Dickerson was a solid swingman teaming up with Arizona backcourt buddy Mike Bibby in the Vancouver backcourt. Because of injuries he only played a total of 10 games in his last two seasons with the Grizzlies when they moved to Memphis. It was abundantly clear that the hoops gods wanted Dickerson to be a VANCOUVER Grizzlie, not a MEMPHIS Grizzlie.

via www.grizzliesonline.com

Just ask the legendary Knick and Warrior John Starks.

Dickerson was quite the enforcer in Vancouver.

Vansterdam Best: 18.2 ppg in 1999-2000

2. Shareef Abdur-Rahim

Todd Bozeman's greatest Cal hoops recruit SAR was a supremely talented balla who took home Pac-10 player of the year honors as a freshman. Abdur-Rahim has had a very nice NBA career, but I was honestly expecting much more from him back in 1996. I was thinking potential Hall of Famer <sigh>, but things didn't exactly go down like that. His odd 1.5 season stint in Portland really seemed to be end of SAR's path to stardom. Back then any time spent in Jail(Blazers) would do that to you.

via www.slamonline.com

Vansterdam Career:

1996-1997 (All-NBA Rookie 1st Team) [age 20]: 18.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 2.2 ast, 1.0 blk, 1.0 stl
1997-1998 [age 21]: 22.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 2.6 apg, 0.9 blk, 1.1 stl
1998-1999 [age 22]: 23.0 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 3.4 apg, 1.1 blk, 1.4 stl
1999-2000 [age 23]: 20.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.1 blk, 1.1 stl
2000-2001 [age 24]: 20.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.0 blk, 1.1 stl

Quite a nice body of work from the young hoops prodigy who made a fun pit stop at The People's Republic of Berkeley. Compare SAR's early production to current and recent past young Warrior forwards and supposed "building blocks" of the mythically bright future... oh, I'll spare you the details.

1. Steve Francis

Stevie didn't exactly give Vancouver the thumbs up to select him with the 2nd overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft.

Here's an often ignored fact for you. Stevie Franchise (questionable nickname) was turnover prone and made a ton of poor decisions with the rock during his stints in Houston (much to Coach Jeff Van Gundy's irritation which led him being shipped out), Orlando, and New York, but he didn't have a single of these during his (very brief) stop in Vancouver. The Grizzlies got the last laugh too [FanHouse].

I guess it all worked out in Graceland.

via media.commercialappeal.com

Vansterdam Best: ZERO turnovers

Which brings us fortunately (or unfortunately depending on how you want to slice it with your Graceland bear claws) to the MEMPHIS Grizzlies...

Quick- which player would you rather have after seeing their rookie stats per 36?

Rookie A (per 36): 15.8 ppg (53.8 TS%), 12.9 rpg, 1.5 apg : 2.1 tov, 0.9 blk, 0.6 stl
Rookie B (per 36): 17.5 ppg (53.9 TS%), 3.6 rpg, 3.0 apg :

(Thanks as always to Basketball Reference for the stats.)

Before the season began the Grizzlies banked on Rookie B O.J. Mayo and the Timberwolves went with Rookie A Kevin Love. Who's the winner of this trade so far? Well, that's a tough one. Who will be the winner of this trade 5-10 years from now? That's another tough one.

(Like how I just completely avoided my own questions?)

Regardless of how much you Love your Mayo, I'd go joyriding in a white Bronco with this O.J. any day. This guy just looks like he has the makings to become a very savvy and solid starting backcourt fixture for years to come at this level. I don't expect any buyer remorse from the Grizz about this trade.

Rewinding 2k8-2k9 Season

24 wins - 58 losses

Good thing the Grizzlies stole Gasol from the Lake-show! It's already paying dividends.

One thing's for sure. The Grizzlies OWN the Warriors.

Projecting 2k9-2k10 Season

41 wins - 41 losses

You can do worse than a lineup of:

PG: Allen Iverson/ Mike Conley/ Marcus Williams

SG: O.J. Mayo/ Marko Jaric

SF: Rudy Gay/ DeMarre Carroll

PF: Zach Randolph/ Darrell Arthur/ Steven Hunter

C: Marc Gasol/ Hasheem Thabeet/ Hamed Haddadi

Not much worse defensively mind you, but offensively that ain't half bad.

29 other teams are going to feel dumb this season for not answering the call.

[photo: Grizzlies.com]

Allen Iverson: Maybe not THE Answer, but Definitely AN Answer

The biggest offseason news for the Grizzlies and during the annual super slow NBA September was Allen Iverson signing with the Memphis Grizzlies for a bargain basement 1 year rental fee of $3.5 million.

See SBNation.com story stream: Not Ready for the Rocking Chair: Memphis Introduces Iverson

The hoops world can be very funny sometimes. Somewhere along the way Chauncey Billups went from being a very solid and underappreciated point guard to the most overrated player in the entire NBA and Allen Iverson went from being a true warrior and one of the league's greatest players to spectaculary underrated. (See the discussion in Polling GSoM: Based on their stats Guard A or Guard B?)

Make no mistake. Age 34 Allen Iverson is not an age 34 Michael Jordan (last Chicago Bulls season + NBA Champion). Iverson is not going to lead a team to a title as the #1 guy. AI has some flaws in his game at this age, notably his defensive decline and intensity. He simply is not the ballhawk he used to be early in his career, routinely netting over 2.4 steals a game and being a regular menace of D. I think everyone knows that by know. But that doesn't mean he still isn't a very good NBA player. For the way NBA teams were avoiding him this offseason you would think he had the hoops skills of Mark Madsen.

Iverson is undoubtedly coming off the worst season of his NBA career (both in terms of hoops performance and team politics), but let's not forget that he is only one season removed from averaging 26 ppg (45.8% FG, 34.5% 3pt, 80.9% FT), 7.2 apg : 3.0 turnovers, 3.0 rpg, and 2.0 steals. If Warriors "building block" Monta Ellis dropped anything close to 26 ppg and 7 apg (with a 2:1 assist: turnover ratio compared to his lowly 1.37 ratio last season) we'd all be pleasantly stunned. Too bad it's not going to happen for Ellis and the Warriors.

Bold Prediction: A rejuvenated Allen Iverson fighting for his hoops legacy is going to put up better numbers than Ellis this season.

The Grizzlies bought low and I like what they did. In a league where the Boston Celtics added Stephon Marburry for a playoff run, it makes very little sense why none of the contending teams this year wouldn't even so much as take a chance on AI at such a low financial cost.

The Answer Vault:

Allen Iverson Age 20 vs. Stephen Curry Age 20

2009 NBA Free Agency: Warriors Expected to Use Midlevel Exception- Ramon Sessions, Jarrett Jack, Jason Kidd, and Allen Iverson

The Allen Iverson Trade: Throwing Up W's and L's

Rumor: Warriors Not Interested in Allen Iverson Anymore

Rumor: Warriors Could Be in on Multiteam Allen Iverson Trade

Why the Warriors Should Trade for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Baron Davis + Andris Biedrins for Allen Iverson Package Reports Were Bogus

Rumor: Warriors Could Have Allen Iverson for Jason Richardson

Rumor: Tony Mejia Thinks AI to the Warriors by Friday

Rumor: Warriors Offered Baron Davis, but Ready to Drop Out of Allen Iverson Trade Talks

Rumor: Tom Tolbert Says Warriors Out of Allen Iverson Trade Talks

Rumor: Sixers Targetting Troy Murphy and Jason Richardson

Rumor: Troy Murphy Not in Trade Talks

Rumor: Allen Iverson to the Warriors, Ben Gordon to 76ers, and Troy Murphy to Bulls

Rumor: Baron Davis, Andris Biedrins, and 3rd Unidentified Player for Allen Iverson and Steven Hunter

Rumor: Andris Biedrins, Monta Ellis, and Baron Davis for Allen Iverson and Steven Hunter

Rumor: Warriors Upped Offer for Iverson to Baron Davis, Monta Ellis, Ike Diogu, and a 1st Rounder

Rumor: Ric Bucher Says Warriors Out of Running for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Warriors Dangling JRich and Adonal Foyle for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Stephen A. Smith Thinks the Warriors are the Frontrunners for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Warriors Looking to Move Dead-Weight Contracts for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Allen Iverson to the Warriors for JRich, Monta Ellis, or Baron Davis

Rumor: Warriors the Front-Runner in AI Sweepstakes

Rumor: Celtics, Warriors, and Kings Most Likely to Acquire Allen Iverson

Rumor: Mike Dunleavy, Troy Murphy, or Jason Richardson + Monta Ellis for Allen Iverson

GSoM Talks to Preetom Bhattacharya about Allen Iverson Rumors

Rumor: Warriors, Celtics, and Pacers in the Mix for Allen Iverson

Rumor: 76ers Contacted Warriors, Sonics, and Nuggets about an Allen Iverson Deal

Rumor: Allen Iverson Wants Out of Philly + Warriors Need The Answer

Rumor: 7-1 Odds on Allen Iverson for T-Double, Ike, MP2, and Zarko

Rumor: Sixers want Troy Murphy or Jason Richardson for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Iverson Will Play for Warriors

Rumor: 8 Team, 9 Player Super Trade brings Allen Iverson to the Warriors

Rumor: Warriors Won't Pursue Iverson

Rumor: Warriors' Youth + Bad Contract for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Sixers Listening to Troy Murphy Package for Allen Iverson

Rumor: 76ers Want a Troy Murphy Package for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Warriors in the Mix for Allen Iverson

Rumor: Warriors Really After Iverson

Rumor: Allen Iverson to the Warriors

AN Answer for the Grizzlies

Pre-Iverson it would be all but a foregone conclusion that the 2009-2010 Memphis Grizzles (barring some unforeseen leap to superstardom by sophomore Mayo) would be sitting out the big spring dance in the West again. They would simply be fighting for the meaningless 10th spot in the West with the likes of the Timberwolves, Warriors, and Thunder. Sure the Grizzlies would be young and potentially exciting in the eyes of hoops junkies, but again it would be meaningless.

Iverson makes the 2009-2010 Memphis Grizzlies season non-meaningless (I think the word I'm looking for is meaningful, but that feels a little too strong for the Grizz so please excuse me). On paper the Grizzlies now look like they have what it takes to fight with the New Orleans Hornets, Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, and LA Clippers for the lower playoff seeds in the West. For a franchise that has won 22, 22, and 24 games the past 3 seasons that's a big upgrade. Are the Grizzlies Iverson's last stop in the NBA or will they just be a bridge to a glorious finish with a championship contender in 2010 and beyond? All eyes will be Iverson and the Grizzlies.

All eyes on the Grizzlies? I don't think that has ever happened. You have to give the Grizzlies front office a ton of credit for ending their streak of meaningless-ness.

Golden Predictions

You heard it (predicted) here first. The Grizzlies will trade Rudy Gay this season. He's uber-talented and has all the physical tools, but I'm not sold he will ever make that commitment to making that big step or turn on the defensive intensity to ever reach his potential. It's kind of sad really.
Allen Iverson puts up 20 points and drops 6 dimes per game. All through February, March, and April contending teams are kicking themselves for not picking him up at a bargain basement price. Talking heads around the league start calling him a big impact free agent in the 2010 free agent class.
O.J. Mayo raises his dime total to 5 apg.
Michael Conley becomes... Mike Bibby Lite.
Rookie Hasheem Thabeet barely plays, but ends up having a solid NBA career when it's all said and done.
Warriors outcast Marcus Williams barely plays, but at least he doesn't steal R Dizzle's laptop.
Zach Randolph puts up another empty 20-10, but blocks less shots than Charlotte point guard Raymond Felton. (Seriously look up last year's totals- what an oddity.)
Marko Jaric stays a very happily married man.
Hamed Haddadi is a Warrior Killer on Wednesday November 4, 2009, Tuesday December 22, 2009, and Saturday March 20, 2010, but not on Wednesday March 24, 2010. Fourth time's the charm for the Warriors defense!
Marc Gasol raises his stats from 11.9 ppg and 7.4 rpg to 14 ppg and 8 rpg. The "Kwame Brown trade"? I laugh. It was clearly a Gasol for Gasol trade with the Grizzlies just wanting to get younger. Clearly.
Sophomore power forward Darrell Arthur makes a lot of teams wish they didn't pass on him in the 2008 NBA Draft.

For more on the Memphis Grizzlies (and hopefully a little bit about the Vancouver Grizzlies) let me direct you to our brother site Straight Outta Vancouver...

I wonder what they'd do with their blog name if Vancouver somehow got another NBA team some day.

2009-2010 Around the Association

Introduction
Atlanta Hawks: Sorry, Mrs. Jackson. The Hawks are for real.
Boston Celtics: Sheed in Green + Another Answer
Charlotte Bobcats: They Do Exist
Chicago Bulls: Ring Around the Rose-y
Cleveland Cavaliers: Now or Never
Dallas Mavericks: The Curse of the Dampier
Denver Nuggets: If it ain't broke...
Detroit Pistons: The Return of the Bay Boys
Houston Rockets: Yao-ch!, that's gotta hurt
Indiana Pacers: A One Man Show
Los Angeles Clippers: Warriors South No More
Los Angeles Lakers: Big Brother, Little Brother
Memphis Grizzlies
Miami Heat
Milwaukee Bucks
Minnesota Timberwolves
New Jersey Nets
New Orleans Hornets
New York Knicks
Oklahoma City Super Sonics
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia Sixers
Phoenix Suns
Portland TrailBlazers
Sacramento Kings
San Antonio Spurs
Toronto Raptors
Utah Jazz
Washington Wizards
Rewind

Poll

What feels the most golden?

Vancouver Grizzlies

103 votes

Memphis Grizzlies

45 votes

San Jose Grizzlies

182 votes

Seattle Grizzlies

64 votes

Grizzlies? GRIZZLIES?! WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GRIZZLIES MAN?!

141 votes

535 votes | Poll has closed

Hamed Haddadi Leads Iran to FIBA Asian Championship

djturtleface — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 17:09:07 -0000

Hamed Haddadi, one of the Grizzlies' two 7'3" tall project centers, led Iran to a victory over China in the FIBA Asian Championship this week. Haddadi scored 19 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in the resounding victory over the Chinese national team, who was obviously missing Yao Ming. For the second time in a row Haddadi won the tournament's MVP award with his stellar play.

Despite performing below expectations in D-League, Haddadi has looked great this summer and has impressed in limited time on the floor for the Memphis Grizzlies. Expect him to compete with Hasheem Thabeet for minutes in the Grizzlies' rotation, or to be traded if he isn't seeing enough action.

SB Nation - Hamed Haddadi

Lakers-Grizzlies Preview

Last Night in the Preseason

Last Night in the Preseason

Last Night in the Preseason

The Preseason So Far

OKC Thunder @ Memphis Grizzlies OPEN THREAD

Wizards beat Grizzlies in Richmond: Final wrap

Thunder Gameday: Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies

Around the Association: 2009-2010 Memphis Grizzlies- Going Back to Vancouver

Vancouver Grizzlies Primary Logo
Vancouver Grizzlies primary logo in use from 1996-200

Vancouver Grizzlies Alternate Logo
Vancouver Grizzlies alternate logo in use from 1996-200
A bear claw holding a basketball

Vancouver Grizzlies Alternate Logo
Vancouver Grizzlies alternate logo in use from 1996-199
A Native American Bear with a basketball on a circle

Vancouver Grizzlies Alternate Logo
Vancouver Grizzlies alternate logo in use from 1996-199
A Native American Bear with a basketball on a circle

AB1's Fav 5 Vancouver Grizzlies of All-Time

5. Bryant Reeves

2. Shareef Abdur-Rahim

1. Steve Francis

Rewinding 2k8-2k9 Season

Projecting 2k9-2k10 Season

Allen Iverson: Maybe not THE Answer, but Definitely AN Answer

AN Answer for the Grizzlies

Golden Predictions

2009-2010 Around the Association

What feels the most golden?

Vancouver Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies

San Jose Grizzlies

Seattle Grizzlies

Grizzlies? GRIZZLIES?! WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GRIZZLIES MAN?!

Hamed Haddadi Leads Iran to FIBA Asian Championship

SB Nation - Hamed Haddadi

Lakers-Grizzlies Preview

Last Night in the Preseason

Last Night in the Preseason

Last Night in the Preseason

The Preseason So Far

OKC Thunder @ Memphis Grizzlies OPEN THREAD

Wizards beat Grizzlies in Richmond: Final wrap

Thunder Gameday: Oklahoma City Thunder at Memphis Grizzlies

Around the Association: 2009-2010 Memphis Grizzlies- Going Back to Vancouver

Vancouver Grizzlies Primary LogoVancouver Grizzlies primary logo in use from 1996-200

Vancouver Grizzlies Alternate LogoVancouver Grizzlies alternate logo in use from 1996-200 A bear claw holding a basketball

Vancouver Grizzlies Alternate LogoVancouver Grizzlies alternate logo in use from 1996-199 A Native American Bear with a basketball on a circle

Vancouver Grizzlies Alternate LogoVancouver Grizzlies alternate logo in use from 1996-199 A Native American Bear with a basketball on a circle

AB1's Fav 5 Vancouver Grizzlies of All-Time

5. Bryant Reeves

2. Shareef Abdur-Rahim

1. Steve Francis

Rewinding 2k8-2k9 Season

Projecting 2k9-2k10 Season

Allen Iverson: Maybe not THE Answer, but Definitely AN Answer

AN Answer for the Grizzlies

Golden Predictions

2009-2010 Around the Association

What feels the most golden?

Vancouver Grizzlies

Memphis Grizzlies

San Jose Grizzlies

Seattle Grizzlies

Grizzlies? GRIZZLIES?! WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GRIZZLIES MAN?!

Hamed Haddadi Leads Iran to FIBA Asian Championship

Vancouver Grizzlies Primary Logo
Vancouver Grizzlies primary logo in use from 1996-200

Vancouver Grizzlies Alternate Logo
Vancouver Grizzlies alternate logo in use from 1996-200
A bear claw holding a basketball

Vancouver Grizzlies Alternate Logo
Vancouver Grizzlies alternate logo in use from 1996-199
A Native American Bear with a basketball on a circle

Vancouver Grizzlies Alternate Logo
Vancouver Grizzlies alternate logo in use from 1996-199
A Native American Bear with a basketball on a circle