Iverson and ZBO

[rickbrunson]

Are you guys cool with having both of these guys on your team? I thought you had some nice pieces with Gay, Mayo, and Gasol. Iverson and Zbo have been poison in the past. Opinions?

[GrizzledGrizzFan]

We'll have to wait and see. Both have a lot on the line. Z'Bo could (potentially) score another big money deal and AI could end up signing another pact with a contender (or be traded to one) IF they produce and behave. The ball is in their court.

[jefe]

I'll second GGF. It's highly against their (economic) interest to rock the boat right this season - AI moreso than Zbo, but you get my point.

[Mik317]

You Give A.I his mins and don't try to put him in a box( Lol I love that phrase) he'll produce and Z-Bo for all of his selfish tags isn't an ****...a blackhole yes but his teammates seem to like him. I think you guys will surprise many people this year..

[dark-child]

I am very happy that we (Grizzlies) got two guys that are happy to be here and love this city to the point that they spent significant time here before ever working here.

Winning games is what it is all about and basketball is such a team game that believe it or not the better Thabeet is as a defensive presence the better potentially both A.I. and Z-bo can be. If we require more than what they have displayed in their careers defensively, than what they bring offensively will just balance out with what they are giving up on the other end.

[bobobolas1]

yep, im glad they both came here. Lot of ppl says that they are going to ruin the team but put yourself in their positions. they are playing basketball, they are supposed to love it. they are not traveling all around the US to lose of 20 pts. and this team havent had players with that experience. Iverson knows what it takes to win. OJ may copy and paste lots of things from Iverson

[CoolKids]

Theres only one basketball. You cant have a starting lineup that wants to attempt 120 shots a game and expect to win.

[BarbaGrizz]

We´ll see...

[Shemy]

the AI signing i like......trading for Z-Bo I hate alot, just shows u how cheap heisley really is

[hairybyrd]

This question is brought up all the time but, who cares? The Grizz have NOTHING to lose. The Randolph trade was great value and the Iverson signing was an absolute steal. If the Grizz make the playoffs this year, these moves become monumental and if not, it won't be difficult for the Grizz to rebuild next year.

[MattBoner]

I doubt the Grizz would've made the playoffs this year with last year's roster, the young guns still need time to develop so AI and ZBo give them a chance to sneak in, not to mention ticket/jersey sales

[vanjulio]

I think we win with 120 shots a game yes!

[NetsForce]

I'm still not a big fan of the Z-Bo trade. Zach's problems have nothing to do with his intentions hes doesn't go out there thinking "today I'm going to be a black hole, play no defense, and never pass the ball" that's just his game... It's how he was brought up, it's his style of play...

[Downtown]

Obviously there were better options out there for Memphis, such as keeping Milicic and trading his $7mil expiring contract to Utah for Carlos Boozer, whose contract is larger than Milicic's but less than Randolphs, and being in a position to draft one of the top power forwards in next years draft. But until we actually see how Randolph performs I don't want to pass judgement. You can't deny his individual talent. He's consistantly been one of the best statistically wise for many years.

As for Iverson I think it was a good signing. I mean we know Memphis needed backcourt help and the names thrown around weren't nearly on his talent level. Sure I would have preferred a bigger, more defensive type of guard who is used to playing backup roles such as a Keyon Dooling. But I didn't see too many of those types available on the free agent market.

I'm not a big fan of how they structured this team and I would have gone about it differently, but no one can argue that they didn't need a couple of veterans. I just would have tried to get more of the Shane Battier, unsung hero type to shoulder the load while allowing the young stars to do what they do best rather than be in the shadow of more dominant type that are Randolph and Iverson.

But I think we should give it a chance before we declare the experiment a failure.

[ambiglight]

Congrats, from what I hear you guys already got a boost in ticket sales and merchandising. The arena's going to be live when the season starts. Hopefully, this translates to some wins. AIs a warrior and some of the younger guys should feed off of his energy and competitiveness . Going to be fun to watch.

[TerryTate]

I am very happy that we (Grizzlies) got two guys that are happy to be here and love this city to the point that they spent significant time here before ever working here.

Winning games is what it is all about and basketball is such a team game that believe it or not the better Thabeet is as a defensive presence the better potentially both A.I. and Z-bo can be. If we require more than what they have displayed in their careers defensively, than what they bring offensively will just balance out with what they are giving up on the other end.

Honestly, don't think ZBO is that bad of a player.....a blackhole yes, but a great offensive beast and on boards too. Thabbeet can not make AI and ZBO better defensive players. He can cover up some of their mistakes on the defensive end, but NOT make them defensive players. Their defense is only deteremined by the player. Although, IMO, Thabbeet is unproven,raw, and severely overrated in his defense. Haddadi is a much better prospect. I have NO clue why Memphis draft him.... They should have drafted a backup PF to develop when ZBO is gone or T.Evans. Haddadi has twice as many blocks and half the amount of fouls on average in HALF the minutes in Summer League when compared to Thabbeet.