Memphis Grizzlies Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Gasol, Fizdale Tensions Went Far Beyond Benching

November 27th, 2017 at 7:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Grizzlies center Marc Gasol and former coach David Fizdale had such a strained relationship that they rarely spoke to one another, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s Geoff Calkins. Fizdale was fired on Monday, one day after he benched his leading scorer, rebounder and shotblocker in the fourth quarter against the Nets. The benching served as the breaking point and Gasol, who has a tight relationship with owner Robert Pera, had expressed major concerns about the team’s direction under Fizdale, Calkins continues.

Commercial Appeal beat writer Ronald Tillery confirms the longterm disconnect between coach and star player. A team source told Tillery that the tension between them and Sunday’s benching weren’t the only reasons that Fizdale was axed. That source said the team was “trending down in several categories.” However, Tillery tweets that as recently as Saturday, a source close to the owner said that Fizdale’s job was safe because of the team’s injury issues. That’s an indication that Sunday’s incident swiftly changed Pera’s thinking.

In other reactions to Fizdale’s dismissal:

Cavaliers stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade both expressed their dismay on social media, demanding answers regarding the firing, as Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com relays. Both played under Fizdale when he was an assistant with the Heat.
Interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff is one of the potential long-term replacements for Fizdale but Sean Deveney of the Sporting News lists several other intriguing names. Former head coaches Mark Jackson, David Blatt and Monty Williams, former player Shane Battier, and several current college coaches such as Tony Bennett, Patrick Ewing and John Calipari are some of the candidates Memphis could look at, according to Deveney.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/27/17

November 27th, 2017 at 5:32pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Here are the G League moves from around the NBA today:

The Knicks assigned guard Ron Baker to their Westchester affiliate and he’s expected to play tonight against the Windy City Bulls, according to a tweet from their PR department. Baker has already appeared in two G League games this season, averaging 13.0 PPG in 36.1 MPG.
The Rockets recalled center Zhou Qi from the RGV Vipers, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle tweets. That’s an indication that his sore calf would have prevented him from playing with the Vipers tonight, Feigen adds. Zhou missed the Vipers’ game on Saturday and the recall will allow him to get treatment from Houston’s medical staff.
The Grizzlies assigned power forward Ivan Rabb to their affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies media relations department tweets. The second-rounder out of Cal has already played six G League games, averaging 19.0 PPG and 9.7 RPG in 28.6 MPG.
The Jazz assigned center Tony Bradley to the Salt Lake City Stars, according to the team’s Twitter feed (Twitter link). The big man out of North Carolina scored 20 points in his only previous G League appearance.
The Nets recalled guard Isaiah Whitehead from the Long Island Nets prior to their game against the Rockets, according to a team press release. He has played two G League games, averaging 29.0 PPG, 8.5 RPG and 3.5 APG in 37.3 MPG.

Grizzlies Fire Head Coach David Fizdale

November 27th, 2017 at 3:50pm CST by Luke Adams

3:50pm: The Grizzlies have issued a press release formally announcing that they’ve parted ways with Fizdale.

“After a thorough evaluation, I decided a change in course was necessary to move forward and provide the team and organization its best chance at success this season and beyond,” Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement. “Coach Fizdale represented the Grizzlies and City of Memphis proudly, and we wish him well as he continues his career.”

3:26pm: The Grizzlies have fired head coach David Fizdale, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Associate head coach J.B. Bickerstaff will take over as Memphis’ interim head coach with Fizdale gone, Wojnarowski reports.

Fizdale’s ouster comes as a surprise, but the Grizzlies hit a low point on Sunday when a home loss to Brooklyn extended the team’s losing streak to eight games. In the wake of that defeat, star center Marc Gasol questioned Fizdale’s decision to bench him in the fourth quarter, expressing anger and confusion at not getting to play while the game slipped away from the Grizzlies.

Still, Fizdale did a solid job last season in his first stint as a head coach, leading the Grizzlies to a 43-39 record and a playoff berth. The team had also gotten off to a good start this season, winning seven of its first 11 games despite losing veteran leaders Zach Randolph, Vince Carter, and Tony Allen in the offseason. Memphis’ recent losing skid has taken place with standout point guard Mike Conley sidelined due to an Achilles injury.

Given Fizdale’s respectable on-court results, it seems probable that the Grizzlies made the change due to concerns about his relationship with Gasol and other Memphis players. According to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (Twitter link), the word out of Memphis in the offseason suggested that Gasol and Fizdale were already on poor terms, with some confrontations taking place in practice. Firing Fizdale this early in the season should send a signal to Gasol that the franchise is fully committed to its veteran center.

Before joining the Grizzlies, Fizdale as served a highly-regarded assistant coach in Miami, and Chris Mannix of The Vertical suggests (via Twitter) that it wouldn’t be surprising to see him eventually rejoin the Heat. However, it’s not clear if Fizdale will seek out a new job as soon as possible or if he’ll wait until after the 2017/18 season to try to return to the coaching ranks.

As for Bickerstaff, this is the second time in the last three seasons that he’ll take over as the interim head coach of an NBA team. Following Kevin McHale‘s ouster in Houston in November 2015, Bickerstaff – a veteran assistant with the Rockets at the time – assumed head coaching duties. However, when the Rockets sought out a permanent head coach after the season, Bickerstaff withdrew his name from consideration as the team opted to hire Mike D’Antoni.

After a year in which no NBA team made a coaching change, Fizdale is the second head coach to be dismissed since the 2017/18 season began — Earl Watson of the Suns was the first.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Marc Gasol Upset After Fourth-Quarter Benching

November 27th, 2017 at 8:27am CST by Luke Adams

The Grizzlies’ struggles continued on Sunday, with the team dropping its eighth straight game and falling to 7-12 on the season. Three-time All-Star Marc Gasol is Memphis’ veteran leader with Mike Conley sidelined, but Gasol didn’t see the court during the fourth quarter of the club’s home loss to the Nets on Sunday, leaving him upset and confused, writes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal.

As Tillery details, head coach David Fizdale decided to keep rolling with a lineup that had cut a 19-point deficit to just five points, indicating later that he wasn’t trying to send a message to his veteran center. But Gasol said after the game that he wasn’t given an explanation by the coaching staff, and called it an “awkward situation.”

“I don’t like it one bit,” Gasol told reporters after the game. “I’m more (angry) than I can show, and frustrated. But for the benefit of the team, I’ve got to show good leadership and continue to do my job.

“If I start venting, that would be counterproductive,” Gasol added. “But at the end of the day, I’m as competitive as anybody. I hate not playing. That’s what I value most. If I’m not out there, I’m not valued. I’m sure they knew that would hurt me the most.”

Gasol is hardly the first star to be benched in the fourth quarter when a different lineup has some success, but this is still a situation worth monitoring closely. Coming into the season, Gasol was viewed as a player who could become a trade candidate if Memphis struggled in the first half. The Grizzlies have given no indication that they’d consider moving the 32-year-old, and even at 7-12, they’re only 1.5 games out of a playoff spot. Still, if the club continues to lose and there’s tension between Gasol and the coaching staff, the idea of a trade becomes more viable.

Following the 2017/18 season, Gasol has one more guaranteed year on his contract, then a player option for 2019/20. He and Conley are considered the core players Memphis is building around, though Gasol suggested on Sunday night that he doesn’t believe the team would have done to Conley what it did to him.

“You don’t put Mike back in? I’m sure they wouldn’t do it to Mike,” Gasol said. “I don’t know. It’s just the way it is. You have to deal with it. But I’m not just going to lay down and take it. … You try to prove them wrong. I should be playing in the fourth quarter. I think I’ve proven that different times. I’m not just going to accept not playing in the fourth quarter and be happy with it. That’s not my character.”

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/26/17

November 26th, 2017 at 4:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are the G League moves from around the NBA today:

The Grizzlies recalled forwards Jarell Martin and Ivan Rabb from their Memphis Hustle affiliate, the team announced on its website. Martin, who was sent down Saturday, has played 17 games for the Grizzlies and two for the Hustle. Rabb has appeared in six G League games this season and just one in the NBA.
The Cavaliers have recalled Cedi Osman and Ante Zizic from the Canton Charge one day after they were assigned to the G League team. Both played in Saturday’s game against Long Island, with Osman posting 21 points and eight rebounds and Zizic adding 14 points and seven boards.
The Hawks assigned rookie guard Tyler Dorsey to their Erie affiliate, tweets Michael Cunningham of The Journal Constitution. Dorsey has played seven games for Atlanta and is averaging 2.3 points per night.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 11/25/17

November 25th, 2017 at 10:56pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are the G League moves from around the NBA today:

The Cavaliers sent forward Cedi Osman and center Ante Zizic to their affiliate in Canton, the team announced on its website. This is Osman’s first trip to the G League, while Zizic has played one game for the Charge. Osman is averaging 1.5 points in 11 games with Cleveland, while Zizic is scoring 1.2 points in six games.
The Grizzlies assigned forward Jarell Martin to their Memphis Hustle affiliate, according to an email from the team. Martin has played 17 games for the Grizzlies, starting 12, and is averaging 4.4 points and 3.7 rebounds in 18.4 minutes.

Grizzlies Send Ivan Rabb To G League Affiliate

November 24th, 2017 at 9:02pm CST by Austin Kent

The Grizzlies assigned Ivan Rabb to the Memphis Hustle, the team tweeted. Rabb has averaged 21.3 points and 11.3 rebounds per game for the G League affiliate this season.

2018 Free Agent Stock Watch: Memphis Grizzlies

November 23rd, 2017 at 7:20pm CST by Austin Kent

The Grizzlies are in an interesting place as a franchise and how they fare over the course of the next few seasons will have an impact on the team’s lasting legacy.

With $160MM tied up in franchise cornerstones Marc Gasol (32 years old) and Mike Conley (30), the good-but-not-exactly-great club has little choice but to keep retooling its rotation with low-cost players capable of possibly contributing to a second-tier Western Conference squad. More importantly, the Grizzlies have to be ready to promptly move on if those experiments don’t pan out.

Memphis isn’t expected to have any cap space next season, so any progress or roster development will have to come from within. Here’s a look at the team’s players who will hit free agency this summer and which way their value is trending.

Mario Chalmers, PG, 32 (Up) – Signed to 1-year, $2.1MM deal in 2017
The Grizz brought Chalmers back on board after waiving him in the spring of 2016. After spending last season out of the NBA altogether recovering from an Achilles injury, the former Heat punching bag has stepped into a role as a backup point guard and spot starter. Chalmers lacks the ceiling of a younger prospect and doesn’t contribute consistently enough to qualify as a reliable go-to bench option, so don’t expect any teams to offer big money. Still, that doesn’t mean he’s not capable of landing slightly more than the veteran’s-minimum contract he signed for last summer. If he stays healthy, Chalmers could find other suitors around the league. But with little reliable point guard depth under contract, the Grizzlies may be among those most eager to sign him.

James Ennis, SF, 28 (Down) – Signed to 2-year, $5.9MM deal in 2016
Memphis isn’t afraid to give Ennis a sizable workload, as evidenced by the 23.5 minutes per game he saw last year (which has risen to 26.5 so far in 2017/18), but the small forward isn’t particularly effective with that time on the court. With so many other swingmen on the roster, three of whom were signed just last summer, it doesn’t make much sense for the Grizzlies to commit long-term to the gritty veteran.

Tyreke Evans, SG/SF, 28 (Up) – Signed to 1-year, $3.3MM deal in 2017
The Grizzlies got one of the biggest bargains of the summer when they signed Evans with their bi-annual exception. The biggest issue with Evans, however, is health — he played just 65 games over the course of the previous two seasons. That said, Evans has shown no signs of lingering ailments so far this season and has averaged a head-turning 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in just 28.2 minutes per contest. If Evans keeps up his trademark versatile play for a full season, he’ll yield plenty more on the open market than what Memphis will be able to cover with his Non-Bird rights.

Brandan Wright, PF/C, 30 (Down) – Signed to 3-year, $17.2MM deal in 2015
Having played in just 40 games over the course of the past two seasons – and having been traded twice mid-season the year before that – it’s hard to know what to expect out of Wright. While the big man was once a surprisingly productive reserve, he suddenly qualifies as a 30-year-old journeyman who has made six forgettable stops over the course of 10 NBA seasons. Wright has done an admirable job trying to fill holes in Memphis’ depleted 2017/18 rotation, averaging 13.8 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per 36 minutes, but given his spotty track record, don’t expect him to net more than the veteran’s minimum next summer.

Player ages as of July 1, 2018. Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Jarell Martin Has Room To Grow; Austin Nichols Returns To Memphis

November 23rd, 2017 at 3:32pm CST by Austin Kent

Tennessee native Austin Nichols will suit up in the FedEx Forum as a member of the Memphis Hustle tomorrow night. It will mark the G League affiliate’s only performance in the Grizzlies‘ arena this season. “I was a little burned out on ball, but I’ve fallen back in love with it,” Nichols, once a featured member of the city’s revered college program until his unceremonious exit told Pete Wickham of Grind City Media. “I’ve matured on and off the court, trying to figure out who I wanted to be, and trying to mature as a person. I wanted to stay in the States, and when this option became available, it was great to be back home playing for the city.”
Although he hasn’t had much of an opportunity to showcase it, Grizzlies forward Jarell Martin believes that the sky is the limit for his development as a player, Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype writes. The 23-year-old, who didn’t start playing basketball until his junior season in high school, has averaged 4.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game this season.

Grizzlies Offer Update On Conley's Health

November 18th, 2017 at 5:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Grizzlies provided an update on injured point guard Mike Conley after Friday’s game, saying treatment and therapy will be used to lessen the pain in his left heel and Achilles tendon, according to an Associated Press story. The team plans to re-examine Conley in two weeks, and coach David Fizdale is optimistic that he will be ready to play by then.