Please tell me this isn't happening...

mid-post · Post #1 » by **mid-post** » Wed Feb 6, 2013 9:59 pm

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/eye-o ... ors-emerge

I heard chad ford reported something along these lines and he's notoriously unreliable with these reports, but I just saw this article. Does this thing have legs?

GrizzledGrizzFan · Post #2 » by **GrizzledGrizzFan** » Wed Feb 6, 2013 10:54 pm

Normally I'd blow this stuff off - especially since it spawned from Chad Fraud, that said, Matt Moore is solid and knows/understands the Grizz really well. His take on the situation has meaning IMO.

Post #3 » by **SD2042** » Thu Feb 7, 2013 1:33 am

All this insanity has taken on new flight as of late. I heard it on the news yesterday about the latest rumors on Z-Bo. This new mgmt may seem deadset on blowing up the Grizzlies if they go thru with trading the well respected Z-Bo. I don't think the city can deal with another rebuilding project this soon after coming so close to contend for a trip to the finals.

jefe · Post #4 » by **jefe** » Thu Feb 7, 2013 3:11 am

It seems like an off the cuff remark from Ford in a chat, but who really knows.

Post #5 » by **jman3134** » Thu Feb 7, 2013 3:33 am

There were rumblings that he was on the trading block during the same time that the Gay deal was being negotiated. And, it makes sense given the fact that Davis is currently not receiving any playing time. It is conjecture at this point, but it does have a basis.

vanjulio · Post #6 » by **vanjulio** » Thu Feb 7, 2013 1:32 pm

If all this is true they are either setting up for getting the franchise out of Memphis or they are just really green and don't know what the hell they are doing. It's probably the latter... Getting out of control really quick.

darkangle901 · Post #7 » by **darkangle901** » Fri Feb 8, 2013 7:23 am

vanjulio wrote:If all this is true they are either setting up for getting the franchise out of Memphis or they are just really green and don't know what the hell they are doing. It's probably the latter... Getting out of control really quick.

Well, I wouldn't worry about them leaving Memphis. The Fedex Forum is leased til 2021, and Heisley made it clear he wouldn't sell to anyone he thought would move the team.

But there's a lot going on here.

Pera is not a gazillionaire. Everyone wants to have a Mark Cuban type owner, but they are rare. I think Pera has probably directed management that their number one priority is profit. Memphis is a small market with unimpressive attendance levels. They reportedly lost 25 million dollars in 2010-2011. Heisley is on record saying that some of his worst financial losses came during the playoff years (the Pau Gasol playoff years).

I believe Pera's goal is to put together a winner but to do it while remaining profitable, year in and year out. This was confirmed by the recent salary-slashing moves the team has made. It kind of makes sense if you think about it. In order to be profitable in a market like this one, the team needs to have 8-10 years of playoff runs so that it can build the fan-base, and you can't have 25 million dollar losses 10 years in a row. I find it likely that the management is going to put an emphasis on players on good value contracts like Prince.

Personally, I prefer the Spurs version of "moneyball". They pay their core guys what they're worth and draft the best guys they can, but they fill out their stable of role players with d-leaguers, international guys, rookie free agents, etc. They scout for the key skills they want from a certain position and rely on Pop and his staff to help those guys become more complete players. Of course, the Spurs are helped by the fact that their core is so good they can afford to risk giving away games early in the season while handing big minutes to unheralded players. But given that we have the hardest kind of player to find (an elite center), and a very solid PG, we have 2/3 of the core we need to replicate that strategy.

But Pera has brought in a stable of personnel guys with, ostensibly, a slightly different strategy. My guess is they'll try to build this team around Gasol, and have him as the only guy getting an 8 figure salary. They'll try to fill the rest of the team with guys who have already proven that they deserve their contracts. I doubt they'll be as concerned with finding guys who fit a particular system than they are just finding guys who are known to produce (like Prince) and trusting the coach to make the whole thing work.

That's likely the reason Randolph will be dealt. He is a great player, but he is overpaid and is declining. With the bench more or less rebuilt after the Gay trade, a Randolph deal will likely be one that is more focused on acquiring long-term assets than immediate contributors. The goal will be to try parlay those assets into a couple players who can form a younger, cheaper core with Gasol and Conley.

grizzlies50 · Post #8 » by **grizzlies50** » Fri Feb 8, 2013 6:49 pm

mid-post wrote:http://www.cbssports.com/nba/blog/eye-on-basketball/21656372/grizzlies-chemistry-in-flux-as-zach-randolph-trade-rumors-emerge

I heard chad ford reported something along these lines and he's notoriously unreliable with these reports, but I just saw this article. Does this thing have legs?

Grizzlies already announced they are not going trade Zack Randolph this season. Only if Grizz trade the Z-Bo then we are going to back glacial period again.
http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/20 ... r-forward/

Post #9 » by **SD2042** » Fri Feb 8, 2013 8:36 pm

Good news. Now this team can focus on getting their chemistry restarted again.

darkangle901 · Post #10 » by **darkangle901** » Fri Feb 8, 2013 10:15 pm

Yeah. On the bright side, we should be able to get back to where we were once Q gets healthy again. Examining what our net gains/losses is after this trade:

Gay for Prince: should be okay here this season. Gay is easily the better player, but we sort of tried to make him into something he's not. We basically asked him to be Tayshaun Prince - a jack of all trades SF. Prince should fit in okay once he starts shooting threes (I believe he's yet to attempt one).

Speights for Davis: in theory, this is an upgrade. I don't think Davis' jumpshot is as consistent, but he's a bit more mobile and a better shot blocker. Both are good rebounders. If Hollins can get over being butt-hurt about losing Haddadi, and actually gives Davis some minutes, this should be close to a wash

Ellington for Bayless: I say this because we're essentially playing Bayless as a pure SG. He can't knock down threes like Ellington, but he's a better overall scorer, and just as mediocre defensively

Bayless for Wroten: better ball-handler, but pretty unseasoned. Of course, Bayless was something of a disaster at PG, so I can't see how this is a downgrade.

In theory, we should be no worse once the new guys figure out their roles. We got hurt long term, in my opinion, by giving up Gay and the pick, but we have a fighting chance to be the 4th seed again this year.