Who will replace Pau. Post your ideas here

[bigballajohn]

for the grizzles to get a good replacement for pau, they need to find an athletic power forward who can run the court, get rebounds, and score on the fast break and half offense (when had to be run). there r a couple options who could fill this position for the grizzles

1. Warrick
the most logical replacement. he played well last yr when gasol was out and can contribute in the offense iavaroni has installed.
2. Tyrus Thomas
Thomas is simialr to Warrick. the biggest difference is that weve seen Warrick function well, where thomas hasnt really proven anything yet
3. Chris Wilcox
he could be the most ready to contribute player that the grizzles could get. he struggles in Seattles half court offense but could contribute anywhere from 15 to 20 pts and 8 to 10 boards. hes got the most potential these three

any other candidates or ideas how to replace pau? post them here

[BarbaGrizz]

Beasley?

[bgassassin]

Darko. I have always felt that if we were to lose Pau or got another (better yet truer) center, that Darko should be allowed to lose weight. Now some may have seen me mention this before, but I don't mean that he is fat and I wanted to clarify that. He's too bulky (muscle weight-wise and that is not good for his game). I'm not a "Darko fan" per se as I will always support the Griz over the individual player, but I see what the kid can bring if utilized properly. Unfortunately, we aren't quite in the proper situation to do so. But I do want him to lose so we can see this guy again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6Y7WtlRjVM

[rag-time4]

for the grizzles to get a good replacement for pau, they need to find an athletic power forward who can run the court, get rebounds, and score on the fast break and half offense (when had to be run). there r a couple options who could fill this position for the grizzles

1. Warrick
the most logical replacement. he played well last yr when gasol was out and can contribute in the offense iavaroni has installed.
2. Tyrus Thomas
Thomas is simialr to Warrick. the biggest difference is that weve seen Warrick function well, where thomas hasnt really proven anything yet
3. Chris Wilcox
he could be the most ready to contribute player that the grizzles could get. he struggles in Seattles half court offense but could contribute anywhere from 15 to 20 pts and 8 to 10 boards. hes got the most potential these three

any other candidates or ideas how to replace pau? post them here

Warrick didn't play well defensively last season. With Darko at Center, I would love to see Stromile Swift starting at PF. Last season, Stromile was the starting Center with Warrick playing PF...

With a big body at C Stromile has always done well at PF.

[PhD Griz]

rudy gay or shawn marion

[jefe]

Pau's production - especially points - doesn't necessarily have to be replaced; we've got plenty of guys that can put the ball in the hoop. IMO, we need a frontcourt player who can rebound and play interior D extremely well. So from you're list, I'd take Wilcox - but other guys like Okafor or Haslem would work just as well.

[Cliff Levingston]

Pau's production - especially points - doesn't necessarily have to be replaced; we've got plenty of guys that can put the ball in the hoop. IMO, we need a frontcourt player who can rebound and play interior D extremely well. So from you're list, I'd take Wilcox - but other guys like Okafor or Haslem would work just as well.

Okafor might be available but he'll be looking for a big extension in the offseason. By Charlotte fan accounts this season, he's playing like crap. He would bring the D to the front court.

Cliff Levingston would trade Andres Nocioni + either Noah or Thomas + a 1st and filler for Gasol. Either Tyrus or Noah would bring a lot of defense/rebounding/shot blocking to your front court and both guys run the floor like gazelles. Memphis also seems to like Nocioni as a 3/4 players either as a starter or a sub.

[bgassassin]

Nocioni was being pursued to play with Pau. It didn't happen. I don't get why it's thought we'll trade Pau for him.

[GrizzledGrizzFan]

Cliff Levingston is going to have to bring more to the table than that to score Pau. Sorry.

[northernpuppy]

Chris Bosh!













I can dream can't I?

[Chitan]

Pau's production - especially points - doesn't necessarily have to be replaced; we've got plenty of guys that can put the ball in the hoop.

Stoudamire??
Conley???
Lowry??
Jacobsen???
Swift???
Milicic???
Brown???

Memphis got only 4 players who can score: Mike Miller, Rudy Gay, Navarro and Pau.
If you lose Pau (and probably Navarro too) you only have two really scorers, and one of them (Rudy Gay) doesn

[dennis_mora91]

I agree with you, Rudy Gay sometimes is too egoist

[GrizzledGrizzFan]

Rudy Gay is a second year NBA player that's already on his 3rd head coach. Couple that with the fact that he only played 2 years of college ball. I think he still has room to improve.

[Chitan]

Rudy Gay is a second year NBA player that's already on his 3rd head coach. Couple that with the fact that he only played 2 years of college ball. I think he still has room to improve.

OK.
But this year, he would play like a third star player, moving the ball to his partners and looking for good shots from Pau and Mike Miller.
Maybe in the future, Rudy Gay will be a superstar, but not yet.

[jefe]

Stoudamire??
Conley???
Lowry??
Jacobsen???
Swift???
Milicic???
Brown???

Memphis got only 4 players who can score: Mike Miller, Rudy Gay, Navarro and Pau.
If you lose Pau (and probably Navarro too) you only have two really scorers, and one of them (Rudy Gay) doesn

[rag-time4]

Where to begin? Your underestimation of Rudy Gay or your mistaken presumption that Pau is irreplacable?

How about Pau:

Granted I'm not an NBA GM, but 18 and 8 (largely earned in quarters other than the 4th) with little-to-no defensive presence shouldn't be too difficult to replace. Any player we get back in the frontcourt will give some kind of PPG production - Miller, Gay, and the rest of the Grizz can surely pick up the slack of say 10ppg (assuming the rebounding, defensive-minded frontcourt player can produce at least 8ppg).

As far as Gasol always looking for his partners and moving the ball to score - I agree completely, he does have a knack for looking to pass alot in the 4th quarter. Regarding who can distribute for the Grizz in his abscence (an earth-shattering 2.7 apg), Darko is an adequate distributor out of the post and Conley (in his brief showing thus far) has shown he can create shots for all members of the team.

Next, your underestimation of Rudy Gay.

Arguing that Rudy isn't a shoot-first player would be stupid - all I'll say is that his assist numbers are trending upwards on the season (currently at 3.5 per game for the 4 games in 2008), and he's a very, very young player with alot to learn regarding (1) being a focus of the opposition's defense and (2) decision-making when the double team comes.

In terms of defense, I don't know which Rudy Gay you're watching - but the Rudy Gay I watch routinely guards the opposition's best perimeter player, collects 1.5 steals and 1 block per game, and again is very young with plenty of room to grow (specifically regarding footwork, reaching in, and foolish ticky-tack fouls in general).

Great stuff Jefe, I agreed with everything you said!

Just want to add to the discussion that Stromile Swift is a capable scorer and distributor, whose production is limited more by lack of touches than anything else. He's extremely effective at getting to the foul line and really pressuring opposing defenses.

Lately, as in the past few games, Swift has not been getting the ball when he's been posting up. I've noticed that Swift has had his man sealed and been in position to receive post entry passes but the Griz have chosen not to feed him and instead move the ball around the perimeter.

They need to throw Stromile a bone at least every once in a while so he can do his thing and feel like he's an important part of the team.

[pardon_my_interruption]

Cliff Levingston is going to have to bring more to the table than that to score Pau. Sorry.

Not for me.

I'm beginning to grow on that package of Nocioni/Noah/1st for Gasol.

We need a culture change in Memphis almost as bad as we need a talent upgrade.

That trade would at least change the culture of this team, even if we do downgrade some in talent.

[pardon_my_interruption]

Wait.

Gerald Wallace is only 25 years old??

Sign me up for Wallace as an option too.

[pardon_my_interruption]

Gerald Wallace/Sean May and Charlotte's pick for Gasol in the offseason.

Bobcats extend Okafor and can try and sign Navarro. Grizzlies could work out a sign and trade for JCN if it's in their interest.

Grizzlies could also try and move Miller/and that draft choice to move up and draft a SG in '08.

[Ruzious]

If you are rebuilding, how about Andray Blatche?

This trade was suggested in the Wiz forum - giving Memphis a lot of talented youth and size. Blatche, Nick Young, Pecherov (a 7 footer with 3 point range and solid rebounder), Etan Thomas (filler), the Wiz 2009 1st, and the Memphis pick acquired for Navarro for Gasol. The cheap contracts of Blatche, Young, and Pech more than make up for Thomas'.