2019 Preseason Games

[VCfor3]

First preseason game in the books. Can't read too much into it since it is only preseason after all but still fun to speculate.

-Brooks looked good/healthy today even though his stats are meh
-Our young guys started off rough in the 1st quarter but were better in their subsequent stints
-Rabb and Plumlee the ones likely to get cut based on the lack of minutes until garbage time?
-Our young core will be fun
-Allen looked ok
-Caboclo got minutes as the backup 5
-Solomon Hill played a decent bit of backup 4 for us
-Tyus should be a steady hand behind Ja
-Ja was able to show off his vision a bit after he settled down
-I didn't get to see JJJ taking people off the dribble as much as I had hoped, but the play with him getting a block, taking it coast to coast, and dribbling in between defenders leading to an And1 will have to suffice

Next game is Tuesday against RJ Hampton, a guy we will likely take a strong look at if we end up keeping our pick this next draft.

[BarbaGrizz]

How did Caboclo played? His numbers looks great

[VCfor3]

How did Caboclo played? His numbers looks great

He did okay, but I can't see him banging with big bruising centers ha. His insane reach allowed him to play small ball 5 fairly well but overall our team will have rebounding issues if he is the 5. When JV is back I wonder if Clarke/Bruno will be the backup 4/5 with Solomon Hill getting spot minutes at the 4.

[Jamaaliver]

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[Whole Truth]

Just finished watching the Cats/Grizz match.

Plumlee was a one man wrecking crew...…… for the Cats. Beyond useless on both ends. He single handily changed the energy & momentum Grizz started with. If he's not slated to be traded as an expiring filler, he needs to be cut. (Re-sign Noah if possible)

IMO, Memphis have too many scrubs killing the rhythm & flow, they need to trim that fat. Even though the desired outcome is to tank the season. The goal is to lose competitively, not get embarrassed with a side of frustration.

This was my first look at Anderson & Brooks. All I was thinking was Memphis needed to trim the fat.

Morant needs to work on his defense & not be reluctant to take the open 3pt shot. I don't mind the aggression despite the TO's. It will benefit his learning curve & tank.

Did 3J play? he was MIA. Was hoping to see an improved player. Instead he fouled out in 20mins against a weak front court.

It wasn't all bad, Memphis young core of Ja, Clarke & 3J outplayed Charlotte for the most part.

[VCfor3]

-Memphis has to cut two people and pretty much everyone who covers the team says Plumlee is likely one of those. Rabb may be the other but harder to tell.

-I really don't think our goal is to tank this season. We either get a top 6 pick or we convey and keep our pick next year when the draft is supposedly a bit stronger. I think management is fine with whatever happens.

-Brooks was one of the two people on our team who actually shot efficiently this game (Clarke was the other) and is probably our starting SG. You want to cut him? I seriously doubt he is our long term SG but I could see him as a 6th man off the bench potentially.

-Anderson is just now getting back to playing after his surgery. Dude is going to be rusty. Give him a couple months and then see how he is looking.

-Morant only had 2 turnovers this game. I realize it is only preseason, but for a rookie PG he has kept his turnovers down quite nicely. His defense and lack of shooting are large issures though.

-Yeah JJJ had a bad game. He was better in the other games so hopefully this was just a fluke.

-Allen came back down to earth after two really good games.

-Clarke looked awesome

-Coach looked a little frustrated for the first time at points this game

[Whole Truth]

-Memphis has to cut two people and pretty much everyone who covers the team says Plumlee is likely one of those. Rabb may be the other but harder to tell.

-I really don't think our goal is to tank this season. We either get a top 6 pick or we convey and keep our pick next year when the draft is supposedly a bit stronger. I think management is fine with whatever happens.

-Brooks was one of the two people on our team who actually shot efficiently this game (Clarke was the other) and is probably our starting SG. You want to cut him? I seriously doubt he is our long term SG but I could see him as a 6th man off the bench potentially.

-Anderson is just now getting back to playing after his surgery. Dude is going to be rusty. Give him a couple months and then see how he is looking.

-Morant only had 2 turnovers this game. I realize it is only preseason, but for a rookie PG he has kept his turnovers down quite nicely. His defense and lack of shooting are large issures though.

-Yeah JJJ had a bad game. He was better in the other games so hopefully this was just a fluke.

-Allen came back down to earth after two really good games.

-Clarke looked awesome

-Coach looked a little frustrated for the first time at points this game

It's very hard to develop a lot of young talent at the same time, especially when the team has a lot of weak links. He's going to have a lot of frustrating moments this year but it will be the best possible outcome. Drafting Edwards top 6 & trading possibly Josh Jackson if Memphis can fluff his value/Filler + picks for Beal for a potential core of Jonas/3J, Clarke, Edwards, Beal (agreed ext), Ja. IMO, Would be a best case scenario considering Beal is only 25/6.

Clarke also surprised me with his floaters, he picked & got to his spots decisively. +10 in a 30 pt loss. Memphis now have potentially 2 very efficient players.

Some of my post was a hot take but what wasn't is that a team is only as good as it's weakest link or in Memphis case, links. There's too many players on Memphis that kill the flow & structure. Cats were struggling to score when Plumlee entered the game. It wasn't long before they opened a quick 10 pt lead & confidence shifted. If Jonas was in this game, Cats front court would have been run over, which made it disappointing to see 3J struggle the way he did.. They did to 3J what Jonas would have done to them.

Despite all the Memphis players Cats could exploit, like Plumlee & shooting over the undersized Allen from range. 3J, Clarke, Crowder & Ja bettered the Cats for the most part even with 3J struggling, which is all that really mattered.

I think It's good that Memphis have players that can help them land top 6, they just have too many holes which could lead to unwanted frustration. If the coach was frustrated … so were Ja & company. I don't want Memphis to do what Philly did. IMO, the featured youth need better support & structure to get them playing the right way out the gate with less potential for internal conflict which comes with losses, especially embarrassing ones..

[VCfor3]

-Memphis has to cut two people and pretty much everyone who covers the team says Plumlee is likely one of those. Rabb may be the other but harder to tell.

-I really don't think our goal is to tank this season. We either get a top 6 pick or we convey and keep our pick next year when the draft is supposedly a bit stronger. I think management is fine with whatever happens.

-Brooks was one of the two people on our team who actually shot efficiently this game (Clarke was the other) and is probably our starting SG. You want to cut him? I seriously doubt he is our long term SG but I could see him as a 6th man off the bench potentially.

-Anderson is just now getting back to playing after his surgery. Dude is going to be rusty. Give him a couple months and then see how he is looking.

-Morant only had 2 turnovers this game. I realize it is only preseason, but for a rookie PG he has kept his turnovers down quite nicely. His defense and lack of shooting are large issures though.

-Yeah JJJ had a bad game. He was better in the other games so hopefully this was just a fluke.

-Allen came back down to earth after two really good games.

-Clarke looked awesome

-Coach looked a little frustrated for the first time at points this game

It's very hard to develop a lot of young talent at the same time, especially when the team has a lot of weak links. He's going to have a lot of frustrating moments this year but it will be the best possible outcome. Drafting Edwards top 6 & trading possibly Josh Jackson if Memphis can fluff his value/Filler + picks for Beal for a potential core of Jonas/3J, Clarke, Edwards, Beal (agreed ext), Ja. IMO, Would be a best case scenario considering Beal is only 25/6.

Clarke also surprised me with his floaters, he picked & got to his spots decisively. +10 in a 30 pt loss. Memphis now have potentially 2 very efficient players.

Some of my post was a hot take but what wasn't is that a team is only as good as it's weakest link or in Memphis case, links. There's too many players on Memphis that kill the flow & structure. Cats were struggling to score when Plumlee entered the game. It wasn't long before they opened a quick 10 pt lead & confidence shifted. If Jonas was in this game, Cats front court would have been run over, which made it disappointing to see 3J struggle the way he did.. They did to 3J what Jonas would have done to them.

Despite all the Memphis players Cats could exploit, like Plumlee & shooting over the undersized Allen from range. 3J, Clarke, Crowder & Ja bettered the Cats for the most part even with 3J struggling, which is all that really mattered.

I think It's good that Memphis have players that can help them land top 6, they just have too many holes which could lead to unwanted frustration. If the coach was frustrated … so were Ja & company. I don't want Memphis to do what Philly did. IMO, the featured youth need better support & structure to get them playing the right way out the gate with less potential for internal conflict which comes with losses, especially embarrassing ones..

I wouldn't sweat the current roster makeup too much. Ja, JJJ, and MAYBE Clarke are your only future starters. Brooks and Tyus may be bench guys. Allen, Josh Jackson, the new foreign guy, and Bruno have a chance to be part of the bench but have work to do. If JV sticks around then he could be our bench big with occasional starts (with a chance to be our starter depending on how far into the future this is and what position JJJ plays). That is likely it for who is on our team next time we make the playoffs. We can worry about balancing the roster over the next few years, but in the meantime Crowder is a decent vet leader and Hill supposedly is a good locker room guy if he is kept. Plumlee is gone. He is terrible.

As for the frustration, it was more about the young guys that matter (JJJ playing poorly, Ja missing some defensive assignments). The FO has made it clear to the coaching staff that we want to be competitive and aren't actively tanking but that they understand we will likely be one of the worst teams. The goal is simply to have our young guys continue to develop over the season. Hopefully the lack of pressure to immediately produce results will let the new staff flourish. You're 100% right though that bad chemistry and losing can lead to a frustrated locker room. Hopefully the vets keep the young guys engaged and we keep losing streaks from extending too long.

[Whole Truth]

I wouldn't sweat the current roster makeup too much. Ja, JJJ, and MAYBE Clarke are your only future starters. Brooks and Tyus may be bench guys. Allen, Josh Jackson, the new foreign guy, and Bruno have a chance to be part of the bench but have work to do. If JV sticks around then he could be our bench big with occasional starts (with a chance to be our starter depending on how far into the future this is and what position JJJ plays). That is likely it for who is on our team next time we make the playoffs. We can worry about balancing the roster over the next few years, but in the meantime Crowder is a decent vet leader and Hill supposedly is a good locker room guy if he is kept. Plumlee is gone. He is terrible.

As for the frustration, it was more about the young guys that matter (JJJ playing poorly, Ja missing some defensive assignments). The FO has made it clear to the coaching staff that we want to be competitive and aren't actively tanking but that they understand we will likely be one of the worst teams. The goal is simply to have our young guys continue to develop over the season. Hopefully the lack of pressure to immediately produce results will let the new staff flourish. You're 100% right though that bad chemistry and losing can lead to a frustrated locker room. Hopefully the vets keep the young guys engaged and we keep losing streaks from extending too long.

Your post was reassuring & didn't require a response but I have one anyway, lol.'

If I'm not mistaken Grizz need to shed 2 roster spots. I'm glad that Plumlee is the cut but he is a 12m expiring, which has value. Still think he should be apart of a consolidating trade for a pick from a team looking to shed a bad contract. Combine Plumlee & 2 others for someone like Dieng in a 3 for 1 deal, then resign Noah. It could also clear up the log Jam at the 3/4.

You seem to be somewhat connected to the team. What kind of defensive drills is Ja doing?. He was too erect in his defensive stance & often had bad positioning. He's too long, athletic with great court vision/IQ, to be this bad defensively.

[VCfor3]

I wouldn't sweat the current roster makeup too much. Ja, JJJ, and MAYBE Clarke are your only future starters. Brooks and Tyus may be bench guys. Allen, Josh Jackson, the new foreign guy, and Bruno have a chance to be part of the bench but have work to do. If JV sticks around then he could be our bench big with occasional starts (with a chance to be our starter depending on how far into the future this is and what position JJJ plays). That is likely it for who is on our team next time we make the playoffs. We can worry about balancing the roster over the next few years, but in the meantime Crowder is a decent vet leader and Hill supposedly is a good locker room guy if he is kept. Plumlee is gone. He is terrible.

As for the frustration, it was more about the young guys that matter (JJJ playing poorly, Ja missing some defensive assignments). The FO has made it clear to the coaching staff that we want to be competitive and aren't actively tanking but that they understand we will likely be one of the worst teams. The goal is simply to have our young guys continue to develop over the season. Hopefully the lack of pressure to immediately produce results will let the new staff flourish. You're 100% right though that bad chemistry and losing can lead to a frustrated locker room. Hopefully the vets keep the young guys engaged and we keep losing streaks from extending too long.

Your post was reassuring & didn't require a response but I have one anyway, lol.'

If I'm not mistaken Grizz need to shed 2 roster spots. I'm glad that Plumlee is the cut but he is a 12m expiring, which has value. Still think he should be apart of a consolidating trade for a pick from a team looking to shed a bad contract. Combine Plumlee & 2 others for someone like Dieng in a 3 for 1 deal, then resign Noah. It could also clear up the log Jam at the 3/4.

You seem to be somewhat connected to the team. What kind of defensive drills is Ja doing?. He was too erect in his defensive stance & often had bad positioning. He's too long, athletic with great court vision/IQ, to be this bad defensively.

I have no idea what he is doing lol. I'm just an overzealous fan who watches every game.

[Whole Truth]

Front page has Shams reporting that Memphis & Bulls have had contract talks with Iman.

Makes sense, in that Memphis are weakest at SG but they are still 2 roster spots over regulation.

Would Memphis buy out & or cut 3 players to fit Iman in. I'm thinking they have a consolidation trade in the works. It would be the easiest way to cut roster while potentially netting an asset or 2 with the buyout options totaling 41m in expiring value.

[Whole Truth]

Much better from Ja defensively vs Spurs. He & the bigs would fair better if the wings could consistently hit an open 3, which they don't seem to be able to outside of Crowder.

Thought Marko might struggle but not as the shooter he was billed at.

Brooks runs hot & cold.

Teams are shooting over Allen with ease, he'll be exploited.

With the lack of options Grizz have at SG, I'd try Bruno there. He'll be no worse a floor spacer but would put some nice defensive length next to Ja.

Still hold a negative impression of Anderson's game. Crowder should definitely be starting over him with hope Josh can find his way. He's not going to find a better opportunity to take a starting spot.

Knowing raw bigs take longer to develop, I've set my expectation of 3J too high & have been disappointed in his progression.

I hope Memphis have invested in a good shooting coach & are willing to trim the fat, which for me is any or all of (Plumlee, Anderson, Hill, Brooks, Allen).

[Whole Truth]

I'm late on this & know this is not a trade topic but I see Pacers have made Sabonis available because they are far apart on extension talks. Memphis could still use another serviceable big & shake out the young big man rotation moving forward.

I don't know what Pacers want in return but from some of the trade suggestions I've seen & with them wanting to contend. I'm thinking 3 packages.

Iggy or Crowder + Utah pick for Sabonis + bad contract filler.

Josh Jackson + Utah pick for Sabonis - (Though with Memphis wing rotation as weak as it is I'd be reluctant to not give Josh a shot).

Allen, Melton + Utah pick for Sabonis

[VCfor3]

I'm late on this & know this is not a trade topic but I see Pacers have made Sabonis available because they are far apart on extension talks. Memphis could still use another serviceable big & shake out the young big man rotation moving forward.

I don't know what Pacers want in return but from some of the trade suggestions I've seen & with them wanting to contend. I'm thinking 3 packages.

Iggy or Crowder + Utah pick for Sabonis + bad contract filler.

Josh Jackson + Utah pick for Sabonis - (Though with Memphis wing rotation as weak as it is I'd be reluctant to not give Josh a shot).

Allen, Melton + Utah pick for Sabonis

Supposedly the asking price was quite high for Sabonis so I don't know if either of those deals would have worked for them. I think it would have taken more than we were willing to give to get him though I wouldn't mind having him on the team.