I'm late to the party and will need to edit as I go but I wanted to put something out:
Roster:PF David Lee/ Chuck Hayes/ J.J. Hickson
SF Rudy Fernández/ Dorrell Wright/ Anthony Randolph/ Adrian Griffen
C Andrew Bynum/ Joel Anthony/ Richard Hendrix
SG Randy Foye/ Willie Green
PG Gilbert Arenas/ Russell Westbrook/ Goran Dragic
Head Coach: Tom Thibodeau
Team Philosophy: Question marks abound in Memphis, maybe more so than anywhere else. Three major talents, three lost seasons, and the the best international player yet to join to the NBA. The latest round of rules changes have emphasized the play of penetrating guards, of which the Grizzlies feature three. (Arenas had the second most FTA in the league in ’06-’07.) While at the same time, team also starts one of the NBA’s four best under-25 centers - a distinct advantage over the next decade. A premium has been placed on gutsy play and game changers.
Grizzlies will play small ball exclusively, an up-tempo attack, quick outlet passes with any one of Arenas, Foye or Fernandez advancing the ball. In the half-court team will run a modified Princeton offense, which doesn’t rely as heavily on strict point guard/shooting guard classifications and should exploit team’s surplus of ball handlers, as well as the energy, mobility, and passing of the front court. (Modified because Lee, Hayes, Randolph, etc. aren’t perimeter threats at the 4.)
Defensive schemes by Thom Thibodeau, who ought to love having one of the game’s most mobile seven footers; a pair of strong, hard-nosed, blood-sweat-and-tears type power forwards, and a backcourt stable that should prove one of the NBA’s most disruptive by season’s end.
Draft Philosophy: I’d claim, maybe immodestly, that I selected – almost throughout – players who will outperform their draft position. Obviously considering the number of high risk high reward picks, Memphis is a harder sell than many and, so accordingly, the team has gone overlooked up to this point. The sheer number of rookies on my roster is, admittedly, a liability and not part of the original plan, but I love each kid’s prospects. I feel a team identity is anyway more evident here than on most.
Best move: I picked up Dorrell Wright off of waiver wires, which is hard to beat, but at the same time I can't take much credit for that. I expect either Foye or Fernández will most exceed other GM's expectations.
Worst move: Was there a franchise that made no trades? Otherwise, I was the least active GM, only trading up three spots in the 4th round to nab Foye and selling my 15th round pick to Phoenix; and this was not for lack of effort. Beyond my inability to work the phones, my worst move was drafting Willie Green far too high. I did so while in London while staring at the in-thread draft list for all of 30 seconds.
Roster breakdown:Gilbert Arenas (1st round 25th pick) - Thirteen regular season games and one aborted play-off series following double knee surgery in ’07-’08. In ’06-’07 averaged 28.4 points, 6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals per.
A franchise player, if flawed, and one the NBA’s premier scorers, successful to the point of impacting the league’s CBA. He's his own agent, the NBA’s most popular blogger, the league’s 10th best selling jersey
last year, the reason Leon Powe wears the number 0. Able to score in ISO, in traffic, behind the arc. A threat from anywhere on the floor. Draws fouls as well as any player in the league. Able to get his teammates easy baskets early in the shot clock while being a 30 point per game scorer himself, capable of winning a game on his own. Explosive, deceptive strength and great quickness. Oft goes unmentioned how well he rebounds the ball away from the iron. Criticisms confined largely to his gunslinger tendencies and defensive lapses.
Andrew Bynum (2nd round 6th pick) - Any discussion has to be tempered by the fact that Bynum, in his breakout season played only 35 games; but it’s difficult to temper expectations when the numbers - from that admittedly small sample set - are this good: 13.1 points on 64% shooting, 70% free throw shooter, 10.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.1 blocks per. (In six January games, 17.3 points on 70% shooting, 12.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.3 blocks) 65.9% True Shooting Percentage (1st in the league) 19.6 Rebound Rate (5th in the league) and 22.83 PER (14th in the league).
But the most dizzying stat is the +10.4 PER differential. Only 11 other players in the league had a PER differential above +10 last season, Bryant, James, Duncan, Paul, Garnett, Pierce, Howard, Yao Ming, Nowitzki, Bosh and Billups; which is a pretty reasonable approximation of the eleven best players in the league.
Long, agile, great frame, great hands, a true 7’ center. Can score with his right or his left. Has a knack for catching lob passes and finishing around the rim, though he’s not reliable facing the basket - with no jump shot to speak of. Runs the floor well. Already a difference maker on the defensive end due to his length, lateral quickness and vertical. Foul prone but to be expected of a center his age. Still leans heavily on his instincts at this point, and may only be scratching the surface.
David Lee (3rd round 25th pick)- 10.8 PPG 8.9 RPG 1.2 APG .552 FG% .819 FT% 18.17 PER (14th among power forwards, 54th among all players) 17.5 Rebound Rate (24th highest in the league) 60.6% True Shooting Percentage (4th best among power forwards, 17th in the league).
The best player on the Knicks last year, though very few give him his due, including Isiah Thomas then and Mike D'Antoni now; the highest PER, the best WP48, the best on/off, the best Roland rating, the most Winshares. A big heart, a nose for the ball, and great athleticism compensate for a lack of size at the 4. A high riser, soft hands and good footwork, ambidextrous, a savvy player and a great passer at his position. Runs the floor hard. A highly efficient scorer who outworks his opponents badly most nights. Has yet to get the opportunity to show his best - as a starter over the course of a season.
Randy Foye (4th round 3rd pick) - In ten April games he averaged 18.4 points on 46% shooting, 42% from behind the arc, 5.2 assists, 3 rebounds and 1.1 steals, all while still finding his timing and playing himself into game shape. This is the baseline of my expectations for Foye next season and I consider him the steal of the 4th round.
Everybody has forgotten about 4th Quarter Foye. The player being most frequently compared to Dwyane Wade after a good to great rookie campaign on a overmatched Wolves squad. A prototypical New York style combo-guard who was one of the best pure scorers in college basketball. Great midrange game of runners and pull ups. Doesn't shy away from contact. Great change of pace dribble. Excellent body control. Plays physical defense and anticipates well. Has competitive fire and wants to carry the load. Ought to complement Arenas well in the backcourt (think of Hughes’s career year) and the two will alternately initiate the offense and play off the ball.
Russell Westbrook (5th round 28th pick) - He outplayed Derrick Rose in Orlando and averaged 16.5 ppg on 50% shooting in only 26 mpg. Also, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals to only 1.5 turnovers. And ESPN, quoted one anonymous scout, saying "He’s flat out the best player here not named Kevin Durant.” Has great physical tools and thrives in transition, which should be perfect for this team.
Rudy Fernández (6th round 6th pick) -
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=41568673Willie Green (7th round 25th pick) - Willie Green is a high energy scorer who's capable of getting 20 if given minutes. Of course, he's not consistent, he's more comfortable as a starter (maybe the reason he started all 74 games he appeared in for Philadelphia) and not much of a threat outside of 18 feet.
Anthony Randolph (8th round 6th pick) - Randolph he's long, fluid, quick off his feet, with a great first step. He has scouts and press raving about his ability to put the ball and the floor and averaged 20.8 ppg in Las Vegas and 17.5 ppg in Salt Lake City. Yes, he's also turnover prone with a shaky jumpshot.
Outlook for the 2008-09 season and beyond: A spoiler if not a contender, but let’s argue about it. Would be a competitor on Arenas and Bynum’s backs alone for the next eight years, but team's average age is only 24.3 years.
Poll
Topic: Celticsblog Mock GM Press Conferences: Southwest Division (Read 44957 times)