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jman from another thread made me think of an idea.

jman3134 wrote:We could have used an experienced guy in the lockerroom helping to mentor our young bigs. We don't absolutely need Foyle though, and if it builds rapport with some other teams in the league, all the better.

The Grizzlies are expected to release Adonal Foyle by now if they haven't already. Here's the thing. Unless I missed something. I can't recall the last time the Grizzlies coaching staff have ever had a big man coach to help teach the frontcourt players on how to better themselves from the skills perspective and perhaps themselves personally. No Marc Iavaroni doesn't count. Maybe it's due to the Grizzlies not having an actual big man that in some ways was worth passing some knowledge towards.

Despite his less than steller career, Adonal Foyle was being a locker room mentor towards the young forntcourt of Marc Gasol, Darko Milicic, and perhaps Darrell Arthur. Now with Foyle on the verge of being release, this young frontcourt have to wing it on their own once again.

Why don't the Grizz hired an experience big man player who's been around the block for a few yrs. Dwight Howard had Patrick Ewing, Yao Ming had Hakeem Olujuwon(sp) and Patrick Ewing. Andrew Bynum has Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Who do the Grizzlies have? No one as for as I know.

How do this squad expect players to get better in general if they have no better guidance to show them the ropes?

Examples of big men who been there

Alonzo Mourning
David Robinson
Kevin Willis
Cliff Robinson
Moses Malone

The idea is to have that veteran coaching from a big man that can make a difference towards improving the frontcourt of the Grizzlies overall. Instead of inconsistancies and having to learn in the dark. Why not seek out knowledge you know that can help make a difference on how to play the game for 6 to 8 months out of the year?

Why not?

Maybe coach Hollins can bring in a former teammate: Bill Walton? The Griz don't have any tradition, that's the problem. The big man coaches you listed above were all the result of tradition. Abdul-Jabbar played with the Lakers, Olajuwon with the Rockets, Ewing because of tradition with the Van Gundys.

The Grizzlies did bring in Roy Rogers some time ago didn't they? Is he still there? He was their best big man before drafting Stromile and Pau.

~EDIT: Rogers was hired by the Nets, not the Griz.

I get the feeling that Foyle will be released at his request, which is the class thing to do in that situation. Foyle will then likely return to Orlando where he will return the coaching/front office track which he was on there.

I do wholly agree with both of you though - the Grizz do need to bring in a big man coach/mentor, but lack the ties/tradition to really pull it off like so many other franchises are able to do. SAR would be a possibility, but he has no real ties to Memphis. Another possibility would be Lorenzen Wright, if he's interested in coaching.

Right now, SAR is with the Kings coaching staff. Ren like you said could be a possibility.

i think hiring Penny Hardaway would be a much smarter choice if you want to throw money at someone that doesn't have interest to play for Grizzlies and just want to please the crowd and homers. Plus Penny gets the Tiger bandwagon folks on possibly at least for the spectacle. Leave Stromile alone!

Sign Penny! Retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be!

vanjulio wrote:i think hiring Penny Hardaway would be a much smarter choice if you want to throw money at someone that doesn't have interest to play for Grizzlies and just want to please the crowd and homers. Plus Penny gets the Tiger bandwagon folks on possibly at least for the spectacle. Leave Stromile alone!

I mean no harm, but how does Penny Hardaway even help mentor the Grzz frontcourt into getting better as players?

^ Point taken. I think he was trying to get off the subject matter and speak more generally about having mentors at the guard spot. That is, unless he thought Penny was a PF..?

jman3134 wrote:^ Point taken. I think he was trying to get off the subject matter and speak more generally about having mentors at the guard spot. That is, unless he thought Penny was a PF..?

I'm going to hope that he was just trying to change the subject. Enough said.

Guys, I've email Chris Vernon my post thread question on yesterday about the Grizz needing to add a big man coach to the coaching staff. He thought it was a good question to ask that he will ask Chris Wallace the question sometime in the 5:00 hour of today's show. I'm interested to hear what Wallace has to say about the question.

Hear's Verno's response:

Paul,

thanks for the email. I will ask Wallace about this on Wednesday. I wonder why also-- I think it is mostly because their has not been a real big time player in the post that would warrant hiring a coach to mentor. The other names mentioned seemed to have the common bond that there was a young, up-and-coming center to mentor. Maybe Marc Gasol fits that bill, but he has been a professional for some time now. Coaches just hire their friends anyway-- Lionel's happen to be guards.
Chris Vernon