Jordan Adams/Russ Smith the future of the Grizz?

[Zordor]

With the spot minutes he has played this year they have truly capitalized on their chances and been a real positive to the team off the bench when we needed to rest some guys. The hard question is, they have to take SOMEONE's place, so whose do they take? The grizz if they have a chink in the armour , its having to play small ball and the lackluster 3 point shooting along with some shawdy athleticism and getting away from the grinding scary defense we had in the past. So does russ take the spot of Calathes? maybe, but Calathes has proven he deserves to be on the team and is a good combo guard off the bench, but I think Russ could still see minutes behind Calathes and Udrih and Conley, not a lot, but SOME. So that leaves the question on what to do with Adams. I love Courtney Lee even before he came to the Grizzlies, and he is on a great contract, but it is also expiring next year and going into the big cap year of 2016 and having to resign conley, it might not be advantageous to keep him over Adams. Carter is also on the way out as well just due to age and play, so this leaves Allen/Adams/Green on the wings, and again a gaping hole at a true backup PF and 3 point shooting.

Proposal:

Use First Round pick on Justin Anderson from UVA, currently an early 2nd round draftee, he was a top 10 prospect and ACC player of the year candidate (later taken by teammate Malcom Brogden), he went down late december having broken his pinkie on his shooting hand (left) and then right after recovery had an appendectomy (great timing right?) so his draft stock fell, he was not 100 percent in the tournament at all, but they needed him, so his poor play dropped his draft stock, but his a solid 3 point shooting 3 man, but his greatest asset to any team (Grizzlies especially) is his Athleticism which is top notch, not to mention his usually overlooked, but hardly undervalued, defensive play for UVA, who play an uncannily similar defensive style to Memphis making teams grind out every point.

Trade Jon Leur + Courtney Lee (+ Calathes if it gets the deal done)

for a solid late lottery/right after lottery PF, ie Montrezl Harrell, Kevon Looney, Myles Turner, Jordan Mickey after they have been selected for a draft day deal

or trade for an underutilized PF who is in the league now who is on a long term contract that is a decent evaluation

Conley/Udrih/Smith
Allen/Adams/Calathes
Green/Anderson/Carter
Z-Bo/Mickey(or whoever)/Green#2 / Stokes
Gasol/ Koufos

Solid core of Young and old guys and it helps with cap as well as getting a 3 point option and more athleticism as well as getting back to the grit and grind defensive style of play with guys like Anderson and Mickey.

Give me your thoughts! Thanks

[BarbaGrizz]

I would just trade our 1st for a future pick. We just don´t have the luxury to develop young players right now, they´ll just be end of the bench players, just like Adams was this year.

[SD2042]

I'm still undecided about what to do with this year's pic to be honest. I can't help to err on the side of caution when it comes to the Grizzlies and their notorious habits of not utilizing their draft picks and develop them to current system they run. That's one of many issues that pisses me off about this team.

As for chinks in the armor, there are several like you stated above Zordor. I would like to add a scorer to boot. After last night's embarrassment, I'm leaning on the idea of Jordan Adams of being that scorer the Grizzlies can utilize to their system. He's aggressive, young, is a nifty defender and who still has some learning to do on both sides of the rock. I think that he at least some get some of Vince Carter's minutes. The guy is 38yrs old and hasn't brought much fire this season and not surprising I might add. His time has passed at this point, but yet the Grizz continue to play him. Russ Smith is another scorer who best benefit mostly on a system that efficient in transition or up-tempo offense. As much as I would welcome that to the squad, I don't see Russ staying a Grizzly beyond this season. Also to note, Smith also isn't known for his defense and lacks traditional PG skills. This team has too many passive aggressive 3 point shooters on the team not willing to take some calculated chances to shoot the rock. Sure, the fans are crying we need shooters. WE HAVE SHOOTERS!! The current system in place is not designed to set up three point shooters consistently.

Leadership is another issue as well. Outside of Z-Bo and TA having the alpha-male personalities to be leaders, in comparisons to MC11 and MG33 personalities, they lack the aggressiveness to be leaders and at best fit being very good complimentary pieces to the squad. They need more leadership and accountability including the coaching staff as well.

[jumivi]

This is offtopic but i need to ask:

Why u said WE HAVE SHOOTERS... arent u a Magic fan?

about the original post, i guess they are in the future of the Grizz, but i hope they are not the future!!!
Like SD2042 said, we need to change the system and to do that, we need to bench zbo. We cant play two post player (marc and zbo) at the same time. We need to makes plays for other players, we dont have the talent to take over a game with one player. We just need more offball plays, and more movement.

[SD2042]

This is offtopic but i need to ask:

Why u said WE HAVE SHOOTERS... arent u a Magic fan?

about the original post, i guess they are in the future of the Grizz, but i hope they are not the future!!!
Like SD2042 said, we need to change the system and to do that, we need to bench zbo. We cant play two post player (marc and zbo) at the same time. We need to makes plays for other players, we dont have the talent to take over a game with one player. We just need more offball plays, and more movement.

First off, me being a Magic fan has nothing to do with the current status of the Grizzlies. As for the shooters comment, like I stated above, this team has shooters on the team, but the system is not designed to make plays towards the shooters i.e. Lee, Green, Conley, and Udrih. And on top of that, the shooters we have on the team are passive aggressive meaning they have the range to shoot the ball, but they are not as aggressive to take the shots like a Ray Allen or a Kyle Korver type. Those players who will shoot the ball with a full fledge confidence.

When you bench Z-Bo, who will be his replacement? Jon Leuer or Jarnell Stokes? Leuer is a spot up player and Stokes has more learning to do in the NBA before his time put in work. And we can have two post players. Z-Bo is a better post scorer than Marc is whereas Marc is a better mid-range scorer than Z-Bo is. Hence the reason they work well with each other. Also, past PF/C post players combos that worked well in the past.

David Robinson/Tim Duncan
Aardyvus Sabonis/Rasheed Wallace
Robert Parrish/Kevin McHale


I'm sure there are more that I didn't think of, but those are some examples.

I will agree that the quality of play calls could be better from the point of involving other players to keep the defense at bay and make sure that respect the fact that the team are as dangerous to dialing it out from beyond the arc as well as well as owning your butts down in the post. That goes to the coach and his staff to make better calls to preserve his team's chances of winning games.

[jumivi]

First off, me being a Magic fan has nothing to do with the current status of the Grizzlies. As for the shooters comment, like I stated above, this team has shooters on the team, but the system is not designed to make plays towards the shooters i.e. Lee, Green, Conley, and Udrih. And on top of that, the shooters we have on the team are passive aggressive meaning they have the range to shoot the ball, but they are not as aggressive to take the shots like a Ray Allen or a Kyle Korver type. Those players who will shoot the ball with a full fledge confidence.

When you bench Z-Bo, who will be his replacement? Jon Leuer or Jarnell Stokes? Leuer is a spot up player and Stokes has more learning to do in the NBA before his time put in work. And we can have two post players. Z-Bo is a better post scorer than Marc is whereas Marc is a better mid-range scorer than Z-Bo is. Hence the reason they work well with each other. Also, past PF/C post players combos that worked well in the past.

David Robinson/Tim Duncan
Aardyvus Sabonis/Rasheed Wallace
Robert Parrish/Kevin McHale


I'm sure there are more that I didn't think of, but those are some examples.

I will agree that the quality of play calls could be better from the point of involving other players to keep the defense at bay and make sure that respect the fact that the team are as dangerous to dialing it out from beyond the arc as well as well as owning your butts down in the post. That goes to the coach and his staff to make better calls to preserve his team's chances of winning games.

im asking for the WE because i use it for my team.
the shooters comment i agree.
when i bench zbo, its a system thing, like u said. If u look yesterday game, maybe u can see what i saw. Marc to be effective/agressive must be the player inside. Sure they can play together but not with our system, when we just put the ball in the post and see what happens. About the midrange i think zbo could do it really well, no worst than marc.... but he just have to change his mentality, plays for others and take the midrange shot as a primary options. If he cant, hes replacement today could be Green/Green/Leuer.
conley lee allen green marc / conley lee green leuer marc / conley lee green green marc

About the combos in the past, i dont know what is the point, there were other rules, other systems, etc. This nba is a lot less physical, u cant touch the oponent, the rules change for the offense, thats why in today games u see a lot of strech four, 4 or 5 guys open going to the hoop and shooting 3, the point guards are protagonists, etc etc.

I repeat with this system they cant be effective playing zbo iso and everybody watching, with that we are a 50% team.