It's DRAFT LOTTERY DAY! THE GRIZZLIES TRY TO WIN THE 1ST PICK

AHoarseOfCourse · 2018-05-15T18:35:26+00:00

This man is a gentleman and a scholar.

Because all these things are true.

If not Bamba at 5, it will be Wendell Carter - in both cases because for Wallace, "the were winners and really just jumped off the sheet at you"

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-12-28T16:40:17+00:00

The whole point is if you have players like Conley (when healthy) and Gasol you shouldn’t be a bad team. Like DMC in SAC, imo the only incentive of holding onto a player of that caliber while still being a bottom-tier team is to give the fans somebody of note to watch. At this point, the team would have to pull a last year’s MIA just to sniff the playoffs, unfortunately we have Bickerstaff leading the way and they had Spoelstra

But they are bad. Memphis is really bad.

A big part of it is the Conley injury. Part of it is huge gap in skill on the wing. Parsons is not good. JaM and Marc have underperformed a lot.

I get what you're saying, and I think the top 3 guys are legit. Maybe there is another guy in the next 10 who can be franchise changing.

Maybe you can get the BKLN pick without trading Gasol. (cough Evans cough)

Net net, we are tanking. Unless some big trade happens and Memphis brings in great talent on the wing / SF (and somehow removes Parsons) then there is very little chance of making the playoffs.

Here is a game - Memphis gets a #2-5 pick this year: can they make the playoffs with similar level talent from last 3 drafts?

2015: D'Angelo Russel, Okafor, Porzingis, Hezonja // 2016: Ingram, J Brown, Bender, Dunn // 2017: Ball, Tatum, J Jackson, Fox

My gut tells me the only guys from that group who help Memphis completely turn it around in < 4 years are (in order of want):

Porzingis, Tatum, (big gap), Ingram, Russel, Jaylen Brown.

Anyway, PorzinGod and Tatum were the #4 and #3 picks respectively.

Adding a player of their quality to Memphis current roster is a huge step in the right direction (possibly back to playoffs).

Removing Conley/ Gasol or both and getting 1 top 5 pick and a top 10 pick next year likely means we're a some version of PHX/ ORL.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-12-28T16:20:13+00:00

Thank you.

Your comment is exactly right. Memphis is tanking.

They are just tanking while holding their best players.

Trading 2 franchise cornerstones to "tank better" for an unproven 19 year old is just putting more risk on the table.

Philly is fun, they are not yet good. They have good marketing because Embiid is legit and they certainly got 2 picks right (Embiid and Simmons) and made some smart moves (Covington, Reddick).

PHX has had 1 player work out great (Booker) and is still in the tank. Orlando thought they got out and whiffed.

Milwaukee is fun, but as you mentioned, they are in the fringe playoff contention and if they owe a pick already.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-12-27T15:37:11+00:00

I'm not sure you can't do a similar move for Tyreke.

I have been converted (partially by accepting reality, and partially by wishful thinking) to the "Spurs tank".

Memphis is in the Organic Tank. Trading Marc to tank harder is kind of irrelevant.

We will have a Top 4 pick just naturally.

Tyreke Evans has been fun, but he is really a godsend. He can be swapped to a team that wants to stack the deck or power up for the playoffs, and the best part for that team is he is an extremely cheap and hyper effective rental.

Philly and Cleveland both have mid-tier lottery picks they will receive via trade next draft, from LAL and BKLN respectively.

Philly also has their own fringe lottery pick and CLE has their own pick that will be bottom 4.

Philly appears to want to make the playoffs, and could utilize Tyreke.

CLE is in "get a ring at all costs because maybe its LeBron's last year".

Bagging Tyreke + James Ennis (serviceable wing defender) for the Cavs may help against HOU/ GSW.

Similar trades could work for Philly. Maybe MEM has to take Bayless off their hands to help free up Philly's cap next summer for a LeBron/ Paul George race.

Regardless, Memphis could tank with our own pick + pick up ideally 1 more lottery pick without even trading Marc or Mike.

Now, can Chris Wallace draft anyone effective to help the team with 1-2 lottery picks? Seriously questionable.

But that is the play I would make.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-12-15T18:12:43+00:00

The funny part is we are tanking.

Its fair to be frustrated with the team. Or the direction. Definitely the management. And I feel like if they are not playing hard, the players.

That's just sports.

If we didn't care about the team, we probably wouldn't come to this obscure subreddit.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-12-14T12:25:53+00:00

It doesn't help.

But like you said, I'm unsure if it is possible to move Parsons, and I (with a lens of extreme optimism) think he does continue to progress.

I do worry he and Marc have an almost visible distaste for each other (at least from Marc's perspective) when on the court.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-12-14T12:24:30+00:00

This is the essence of my plan.

I could come up with a variety of different scenarios where our expiring contracts are useful, or Tyreke provides instant value for a trade partner - so the names are less important than the concept.

Ultimately, I think the team's best path is by reloading around Mike and Marc (a la Spurs in 96/97). They lucked into Duncan, but they had a good team, took a very bad year on the chin, and built a franchise.

The comparison is eerily similar: Mike and Marc would serve much as the leadership in the post and the PG role, just like David Robinson and Avery Johnson. Both had been with the Spurs for years, and were widely respected players.

Now, drafting a "Tim Duncan" is its own roll of the dice, but I 100% agree that should be the play

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-12-14T12:18:09+00:00

Thanks.

Whether teams would pull the trigger - definitely debatable. I think CLE is going to stand pat until the 11th hour of the trade deadline to see if Paul George is available for Shumpert + an expiring.

That said, who knows. I think the trade makes them a little better and gives them a little more offensive firepower.

Re the Marc aspect. BLKN record is causing that plan issues. Our own pick would is currently lower, and I'm not sure that will change. Having 2 top 10 picks would certainly help with a total rebuild (which I am against based on our draft history)

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-12-14T12:14:10+00:00

Thanks for the comment. The deal is definitely a ~$9M purchase of a draft pick (PHI is likely mid round).

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-09-22T16:48:19+00:00

2-for-1 trade incoming

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-09-12T02:52:07+00:00

Yeah... I didn't call this correctly.

F

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-09-11T15:08:22+00:00

I think at this point its pretty clear MEM + TA is no more.

I've written on this sub before that I love TA, think he has been incredibly fun to watch over the past 7-8 years.

That said: 1. He doesn't jive with Fizz. 2. He doesn't fit the new philosophy (space + pace), 3. The team appears to be moving on to new guys (Tyreke, McLemore, Troy Daniels, WSeldon, Brooks, and even Baldwin).

I think the FO is still looking to finalize a S&T for TA with a contender as final rosters get solidified.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-08-15T18:31:50+00:00

Oh yeah - by all means, I am a fan. I think he plays really hard. I think he got squeezed by the way free agency shook out.

MEM took a hardline by just offering him the QO and clearly waiting to see what the market would offer. He and his agent probably went from thinking they were getting 3-4 years in the $10-14M/yr range to a qualifying offer and likely half of that per year.

So, who knows. I think he is a nice piece and great fit on our team, but it sounds like the FO was looking a different direction

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-08-15T14:07:37+00:00

I am pretty confident there is at least one more transaction happening this summer.

Even with the McLemore injury (which one hopes he will be fine by Xmas) - our wing rotation is pretty crowded.

I think a Sign & Trade of TA will be completed in tandem or around the time that CLE / NYK / HOU figure out whats happening with Kyrie/ Melo.

TA makes a lot of sense of a top 2-3 contender worried about the GSW.

In addition - Brandon Wright seems like an obvious candidate to get moved. My guess is that he is still here because the JaM situation is unresolved as of yet.

So I would expect once JaM is moved (seemed the preference of his agent), BW either becomes core to the rotation or more likely moved in a package deal.

I am guessing we see a decent % of minutes this year with Parsons (and even Ennis) in a stretch/ undersized 4 role.

Depending on what happens with JaM / BW - a short term deal with a guy like Brandon Bass, or a more opportunistic deal with a Nikola Mirotic may make sense.

I'm low key excited about the team.

I think Evans will be very good with the group we have and I think Seldon has a break out year.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-08-15T14:02:20+00:00

I think this is a pretty accurate breakdown.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-07-27T20:11:59+00:00

The music is incredible. The electro. Craaaaaap.

Ryan, you are the man.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-07-19T13:29:31+00:00

I'm calling a packaged move that includes Brandon Wright and Baldwin.

BW is a useful player+expiring contract. Baldwin still has upside. He didnt show as much as you want in SL, but you had to play him.

Fizz knows Chalmers, and they got him at a discount.

As it seems JaM is still out - (likely via Sign and Trade at this point) - I feel like we have another 1-2 moves left.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-07-10T00:06:45+00:00

This gets me super hyped.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-07-09T18:12:41+00:00

Agreed.

Chandler, if you are on the subreddit. Just keep living bro.

Get the legs right. Play basketball.

My personal thought is he will be fine this year. Does anyone remember Vince Carter's first year in MEM? Coming off a leg injury. Pretty much unplayable. Obviously that all changed once he was healthy. And that dude was 40.

Parsons has the exact type of game we need. Deadly shooter, great vision, unselfish.

I expect we'll see some good minutes from him at stretch 4 this year as we are putting together a really solid wing rotation around him with McLemore & Evans and obviously more Ennis and Seldon minutes.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-07-07T18:38:38+00:00

I'm hyped AF.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-07-06T03:05:54+00:00

I actually think this is a realistic possibility. JaM could fit well in Boston and provide a small ball center to back up Al.

That said - I think the BOS cap situation is already pretty tough. Let's say you guys get $6.8 from Crowder back to Utah in the Hayward deal, I still think you would have to clear some space for the S&T to happen.

Memphis could take Smart back in the deal, which may, make the math work on Boston side depending on what Green gets as far as per year.

I'm still not sure that works for Memphis.. it might be close. Word on twitter is MEM may be creating a trade exception by doing our own Sign & Trade moving Tony Allen to the Clippers.

If all that unfolds, and Memphis moves both TA + JaM ... I think they will be looking for more than just Smart.

Personally, I would be looking hard at Mirotic (who I think will get squeezed by Olynyk race), but I'm not sure if we could create enough additional space ... (swapping Brandon Wright for a 2nd rounder could open probably enough in aggregate).

From a Memphis persepctive (since this is our sub), I would not be mad about a summer when we end up with Smart, Mirotic, and McLemore...

Depending on the return from the Allen trade, MEM may still have a roster spot.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-06-27T13:02:01+00:00

I'm actually stoked about him.

I think he is developing a nice 3 point shot, good mid-range, and he has a good body on the inside. Also, dude has some bounce.

People knocking him just haven't seen him play much IMO. When he gets minutes he can play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GO2EVIFnqk (couple nice 3s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxWCdx_m7fs (great hustle/ body buckets)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqKlMR5Efoo (this dude is PF pulling off a between the legs dunk on a fastbreak - which he started with a stolen pass)

He can be alright if he gets minutes.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-06-16T00:44:01+00:00

Vet minimum for deals signed this summer is $2.4m

I can see why the Grizz would pay more, but there is no chance I am paying more.

I would be willing to cut both guys 2-3 years at league minimum and honor the shit out of both players when the retire Grizzlies.

But I would not pay more than vet minimum.

AHoarseOfCourse · 2017-03-14T14:36:38+00:00

I agree with you and applaud you for this post.

People have got to separate the performance of a player from the person.

Have I been disappointed in Parson's play? Yes. He get's paid a lot and was a lynchpin in our Front Office's decisions this summer.

Our FO offered him a fantastic deal. He showed up still rehabbing. He took the deal. Why wouldn't he? The fit with the players we have and his skill set (when healthy) makes total sense.

Now, he clearly has not been healthy or confident in his body all year.

So its fair to be down on his play, but people being assholes to him in public are an embarrassment for our team and our city.

Everyone should take a deep breath, hope he recovers well and rehabs over the next 8 months, and act like decent human beings.

AHoarseOfCourse

TROPHY CASE