Newly-hired Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations, Chris Wallace, have gotten off to a great start in Memphis. Coming of a 22-60 regular season record last year, the Grizzlies offseason started off with a disappointment when they fell in the lottery down to the fourth spot. However, it has been all positive since then. On May 31, the Grizzlies named Marc Iavaroni as their new head coach. The previous three and a half years, Iavaroni was the Phoenix Suns lead assistant. Iavaroni was credited for helping Amare Stoudemire with his development, as well as, other young players who spent time with the Suns.
The next pivotal step for the Grizzlies occurred when they picked point guard, Mike Conley, with the fourth pick in the draft. Conley will pair with Kyle Lowry to create a great, young tandem of point guards in Memphis. Conley has proven to have a high basketball IQ and is an intense competitor. He has nice moves around the basket, but needs to improve the quickness of his jump shot. He is lightening quick and rebounds well for his size. Adding strength and improving his three-point accuracy will also help him to improve. Conley will be a great leader for the rebuilding of the Grizzlies.
The Grizzlies pivotal move came on July 11, when it was reported that they agreed to terms with Darko Milicic. At 22, Milicic is still very raw, but has show flashes of the potential seen what he was the second pick in the draft in 2003. Working with Iavaroni, Milicic should be able to continue to develop and take some of the pressure off of Grizzlies big man, Pau Gasol. Milicic has shown a variety of skills, including a nice mid-range jump shot and a lefty hook shot. He needs to improve from the free throw line and get tougher around the basket. On the defensive side, he has shown an outstanding ability to block shots with great timing and instincts. The main concern in the past has been that Milicic sometimes appears not intense enough and can become out of shape.
Adding Milicic was a win-win situation for Memphis. Signing only a three-year, $21,000,000 deal was a no-brainer for Wallace and the Grizzlies. At worse, he’s a big, young body who can block some shots and fill some minutes for Gasol. After three years, his contract will expire and the Grizzlies can say goodbye to win. At best, Milicic develops into a young, versatile force who pairs with Conley, Rudy Gay, and Gasol to create one of the best young cores in the league.
Last week, the Grizzlies also brought in Andre Brown, who played 38 games last season with Seattle. Brown is an athletic, hard working power forward, who Wallace hopes will improve with more playing time. So, that leaves the Grizzlies right now with a nice mix of youth and veterans. At point guard, Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, and Damon Stoudamire will be competing for time. Mike Miller, Rudy Gay, and Tarance Kinsey will be fighting for minutes at the shooting guard and small forward positions. Up front, the Grizzlies will be deep with Pau Gasol, Darko Milicic, Stromile Swift, Hakim Warrick, Brian Cardinal, and Andre Brown. The Grizzlies biggest need right now is some outside shooting at the wing positions. The Grizzlies have been rumored to be considering Casey Jacobson and Ime Udoka for this spot. Both of these players would perfectly fit the need for Wallace. Wallace was quoted today as saying, "''It's a small group we're looking at and we could have something pretty soon."
With Conley and Lowry as the point guards, Iavaroni will look to speed up the tempo in Memphis similarly to what they did with his old team, Phoenix. Iavaroni will be expected to work closely with the big men as well, helping Swift reach his potential and to continue to develop Warrick’s game. The style of play and development of players will be essential to Iavaroni's success in Memphis.
At the start of the upcoming season, the Grizzlies will be vastly improved for both today and the future. With Stoudamire and Swift's contract expiring after the 2008-09 season, there will be room to still add in another high-profile player to the mix. If the Grizzlies can continue this positive momentum, Iavaroni and Wallace should have the franchise turned around very quickly.
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