Official Grizzlies Bandwagon Thread

And if Lionel Hollins had won the battle to keep Rudy Gay, we likely get knocked out in round 1.

 

It is an entrenched part of the NBA now. You can ignore the insane amount of data available or utilize it.

 

There is a diamond in the rough here. I think Lionel knows he is done here after the comments he made on the radio this morning. This is going to be one of those rare breakups where neither side is mad just can't reconcile differences and movers different directions. The huge opportunity here lies within. Dave Joerger is considered by some to be the best assistant coach available as a head coaching hire in the nba. He's a defensive guy, loved in Memphis by the fans and his peers, and is young and very much into advanced statistics.

 

It may work out great. Joerger may end up being top flight, but running off a coach that gets you to the Western Conference Finals with a roster that basically no one else in the NBA (except for Popovic) could have done it with is definitely concerning. Looks like you just figure out a way to make it work.

 

If Boston buys out Paul Pierce and makes him a free agent, do any of you guys think that's a guy the Grizz should look at signing? I'm operating under the assumption that Pierce isn't going to command some huge contract.

 

Hollins ostracized himself early and throughout. You think that this team couldn't have made the WCF without Hollins? It wasn't like the offense was stellar. Hollins got mad that the new ownership group refused t negotiate until after the season and threw a pity arty all year about it. This doesn't surprise me and I don't think anyone will say the grizz ran off a coach.

 

The only way it works out is if the grizzlies trade Randolph. It's not out of the realm of possibilities but would be a big risk.

 

I know the assumption is that Bayless is opting out. Do you know how far under the luxury tax the Grizz are if that happens?

 

I think plenty of folks will say the Grizz ran off a coach. And, yes, I think very, very few coaches get that roster to the WCF. That said, it's possible the Joerger had a big part to play in that. That's the unknown.

 

Right now the grizz sit at 58.7 (luxury tax is around 71) but that is just guaranteed money for next year not player options or restricted free agents.

There are talks about cutting prince. The nba allows you to spread out the guaranteed money if you cut someone over five years which means it would only be 3 mil per year. Bayless is all but gone but he does have a player option. I think they resign tony Allen but they'll wait until the very end because it gives them the options of going after big time free agents if they want to. It also wouldn't shock me to see them deal Randolph. His deal is in excess of 16 mil this year with a player option close to the the following year.

 

The new ownership will make Michael Heisley look like Peter Holt in short order. Grizz will be back in the lottery in two years.

 

What's your basis on why the new ownership group can't be successful?

 

Other than that they are a bunch of megalomaniacs who think running a basketball franchise is no different than running a tech company or an auto dealership?

 

Sadly, I agree. They wanted Hollins to have almost no control of the team he was coaching. Forget the fact that the team was in this position mostly because of him and Chris Wallace. Now, both likely gone.

 

Jason Levien is a former agent and has a history in NBA team management. He is calling the shots. What makes you think they can't base running a team on statistical analysis? They aren't like the Moneyball A's necessarily because they haven't cut spending to a minimum.

 

I will hate it if Chris Wallace is let go but unfortunately I think it's coming. He's a good guy and a good assessor of talent.

 

Advanced statistics say Mike Dunleavy, Anderson Varejao, Andray Blatche, Nicola Vecuvic, Jermaine O'Neal are some of the best players in the league over Conley, Randolph and the two Gasols. That's what the new ownership group worships. I don't like where this is going.

 

You must be referencing the PER to make that assertion

 

Yes.

A little hyperbole in what I'm saying, but damn it scares me how much they like advanced stats. Enough to let a coach like Lionel go.

 

I'm not sure why there needs to be drastic change right now.