Team Needs More Shooters, Athleticism
- Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace will be looking for better shooters during the offseason, as he told Michael Wallace from the team’s website during a Q&A session. Asked about the upcoming draft, Wallace spoke in general terms about what type of players he’d target. “As far as our team need, you can always use outside shooting in the NBA of 2018,” he said. “It’s such a premium placed on the three-point shot, you can never have enough guys who can shoot the three. We also have to get more and more athletic.”
Grizzlies Notes: Ownership, Losing Streak, Evans
The unusual ownership situation in Memphis appears set to take a step forward, according to a report from Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal. As we’ve detailed in the past, the nature of the agreement between the Grizzlies’ various owners gives controlling owner Robert Pera the opportunity to buy out two of the club’s top minority stakeholders, or to sell his shares to one of them.
As Kaplan details, Steve Kaplan and Daniel Straus intend to place a valuation of just over $1 billion on the Grizzlies. Once the two minority owners make that price official, Pera would have to decide between buying out their shares or selling his own shares at the price of their valuation. According to Kaplan, most observers of the process expect Pera to keep the team, but if he sells, Kaplan and Straus would have to determine which of them will become the controlling owner.
While Pera may ultimately buy out Kaplan and Straus, that decision seems less obvious now than it has in the past. As Grizzly Bear Blues outlined last month, Pera’s company Ubiquiti Networks saw the value of its shares drop by 25% after the SEC issued subpeonas to look into the company’s finances and structure. However, Kaplan estimates that Pera’s shares in the telecommunications firm would still be worth nearly $4 billion today.
As we wait to see how the Grizzlies’ ownership situation plays out, let’s round up more notes out of Memphis…
- The Grizzlies’ 18-game losing streak has done wonders for the club’s odds of landing a top pick in the 2018 draft, but all those losses are taking a toll on many of the team’s players, writes Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. “I’m offended about losing. I’m just tired of losing,” JaMychal Green said. “I’d rather win so we won’t be talking about this. I’m trying to stay positive. … It’s tough for us to lose. I’m trying not to let the losing affect me and my game and my spirit. I want to just finish strong.”
- According to Tillery, Tyreke Evans probably won’t return to the court for Memphis before the end of the regular season, in part because it’s simply not worth the risk as he prepares to enter free agency.
- The Grizzlies signed Briante Weber to a 10-day contract on Wednesday to fill the roster spot vacated by Xavier Rathan-Mayes. We have that story right here.
Grizzlies Sign Briante Weber To 10-Day Deal
MARCH 14: The Grizzlies have officially signed Weber to a 10-day contract, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will run through next Friday, March 23.
In order to create room on the roster for Weber, Memphis waived Xavier Rathan-Mayes, whose 10-day contract had been set to expire tonight. We had previously noted that Rathan-Mayes wouldn’t be getting a second 10-day pact from the Grizzlies.
MARCH 13: The Grizzlies have agreed to a deal with Briante Weber, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com (Twitter link). The contract will be a 10-day pact.
Weber appeared in 13 games for the Rockets earlier this season, playing under a two-way deal. The point guard saw 118 minutes of action and scored 7.9 points per contest. After the Rockets waived him, he caught on with the Sioux Falls Skyforce of the G League.
This will be Weber’s second stint with Memphis, as he played seven games with the club during the 2015/16 season. He has also spent time with the Warriors, Heat and, Hornets. For his career, he has 40 games (four starts) under his belt and nearly 500 minutes worth of court time.
Walt Lemon Jr., Xavier Rathan-Mayes Won’t Be Re-Signed
Two players won’t be re-signed as they reach the end of their 10-day contracts, according to Chris Haynes of ESPN.
The Pelicans have decided not to retain Walt Lemon Jr., Haynes tweets. The 25-year-old guard completed two 10-day deals with the team and would need to be signed for the rest of season to remain in New Orleans. Lemon appeared in five games during his 20 days with the Pelicans, averaging 3.4 points in 7.0 minutes per night.
The Grizzlies’ impending signing of Briante Weber means guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes won’t receive a second 10-day contract (Twitter link). The 23-year-old saw action in five games with Memphis, playing 23.6 minutes per night and averaging 5.8 points.
Also expiring overnight was a second 10-day contract for Antonius Cleveland, whom the Hawks are expected to sign to a multi-year deal.
Marc Gasol Talks Losing Season, Goals, And Future
In a Q&A with the Commercial Appeal, veteran center Marc Gasol discussed an array of topics, including the Grizzlies‘ poor season, his goals for the rest of the year and looking ahead beyond 2017/18. Gasol is in his 10th NBA season and despite his usually solid numbers, it has not translated into team success.
Gasol has only been part of one other losing season in Memphis, his rookie season, when the team went 24-58. Currently, the Grizzlies own an 18-47 record, so Gasol could be part of his worst Memphis team to date. The 33-year-old has been candid about his frustrations with the team and their performance but he is also taking positives out of the experience.
The Commercial Appeal’s piece is well worth a full read but we’ve pulled a few of Gasol’s’ more memorable quotes. Let’s check them out…
On how quickly the Grizzlies fell out of contention:
“I don’t know. There’s a process to everything. I think we lived on credit for a little too long, forgot the small details of things.
“Obviously, we had pretty talented players on both ends of the floor who fed off each other and complemented each other. There was one non-negotiable rule: We competed. No matter who the other team was, we always competed and did our job. Now, it’s not the same.
“We’re trying to figure out our strengths and weaknesses to try to put something together that’s somewhat stable.”
On Gasol’s goal for the rest of the season:
“I mean, win a game, right? Win some games. Winning puts a stamp on it and reassures you. It sends a message that the things you’re trying to do, the consequences are winning.
“So, I think winning, finding consistency, trying to build on something, finding something solid you can have a foundation to build on for whatever you’re trying to do next year. Because at this point, if you don’t find that consistency, it’s going to be really hard. You’re going to start from zero and you don’t want to start from zero again.”
On trying to stay in the present and not worry about the losses building up and look to the future:
“We’ll talk about it after the season. That’s when you do it. During the season, you put everything on hold and not allow your mind to go there. But, obviously, there are a lot of things we need to figure out as a franchise.
“Right now, there’s nothing we can do about that. We have to build momentum going into the off-season and get clear ideas about what guys – and myself – need to work on for the future.”
Grizzlies Being Cautious With Evans
- The Grizzlies are being cautious with Tyreke Evans‘ recovery from a rib injury, writes Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. Evans, who has been out since late February, remains day-to-day and will not play against the Jazz tomorrow night.
Gasol Gets Advice From Brother On Dealing With Losing
- Pau Gasol advised his younger brother to remain professional and mentally tough as the Grizzlies suffer through a long losing streak, writes Ronald Tillery of USA Today. The frustration in Memphis is something new for Marc Gasol, who has been to the playoffs the past seven years. “What I told him is, ‘Do your best. Keep competing.’ That’s the only thing you can control,” Pau said. “You can’t control that one of your best players, Mike Conley, is out for the year. You can’t control that [Chandler] Parsons, one of your biggest signings, has an [injury] issue and so forth. All you can control is your effort, your work ethic, your mindset going into games.”
- The Grizzlies should make trading Gasol a priority for the offseason, contends Spencer Davies of Basketball Insiders. Moving Gasol would not only bring a nice package of players and draft picks, Davies argues, it would also get rid of an unhappy star and shed one of the three huge contracts that are clogging the team’s salary cap.
Grizzlies Sign Xavier Rathan-Mayes To 10-Day Contract
MARCH 5: The Grizzlies have officially signed Rathan-Mayes, the team announced today in a press release. The deal will run through March 14, next Wednesday.
MARCH 4: The Grizzlies will sign G League guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes to a 10-day contract, tweets Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports.
Undrafted out of Florida State last summer, Rathan-Mayes joined the Knicks for training camp and was one of the team’s final cuts before the season began. He has been playing for Westchester in the G League, where he is averaging 16.6 points, 7.2 assists and 6.4 rebounds in 39 games.
The signing will bring the Grizzlies back to a full 15-player roster. They have been carrying an open spot since February 12 when they bought out Brandan Wright.
Southwest Notes: Leonard, Johnson, Gasol
Kawhi Leonard‘s health has cast doubt on him returning this season, and his future with the Jordan Brand is also unclear, sources tell ESPN’s Michael C. Wright and Ramona Shelburne. Leonard and Nike were reportedly “very close” to a four-year, $20MM extension but his representatives felt the offer was not reflective of his recent success and standing within the league.
Leonard, 26, has racked up droves of impressive accolades during his seven-year NBA career. He is a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, two-time All-Star, NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, and part of the Spurs‘ 2014 championship team. Leonard pockets south of $500K annually on his current deal and his representatives want a deal that reflects the aforementioned accomplishments.
Leonard’s current agreement expires on October 1, but Nike has the option of matching any deal he receives from another brand. Injuries have limited Leonard to just nine games this season but there is optimism he may return later this month.
Check out other Southwest Division notes below:
- Joe Johnson came to the Rockets as a veteran who can score and provide leadership as the team prepares for the postseason. Injuries have allowed Johnson to see more minutes and he is thrilled to show off his versatility, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle writes. “As someone who came into the league as a one, two and three, playing the four, I can do things some guys are not as comfortable with,” Johnson said. “We just look to make plays. That’s what it’s about.”
- Marc Gasol shares an idealist and pure take on the NBA and recent tanking debate — while the Grizzlies are in the midst of a 13-game losing streak, Chris Herrington of the Commercial Appeal relays. “Winning is what this is about. It’s not about somebody playing well, or getting your reps, or developing players. We’ve got a league for that. … This is the NBA, not the D League,” Gasol said.
- Speaking of the Grizzlies’ losing streak, the team, sporting an 18-44 record, is playing its hardest, but each loss is taking its toll, Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal writes. “You’ve got a bunch of guys who are committed to doing the right thing. And there’s only so many moral victories that you can have,” Grizzlies interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “At the end of the day, this is results based but it hurts. And it hurts them because they’re giving so much. They’re competing so hard. You can’t tell me a guy that didn’t leave it all out there tonight. And circumstances are what they are. But like I said, you hurt for these guys. And you want them to be rewarded with a ‘W.’”
Gasol Highly Frustrated
The Grizzlies are on a 10-game losing streak and Marc Gasol is admittedly highly frustrated, he tells Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. As he sees it, the NBA is about winning, not about getting more repetitions for younger players or player development, which, in Gasol’s view, should be left to the G League. In a piece for Yahoo Sports, Chris Mannix adds that head coach J.B. Bickerstaff acknowledges the frustration that Gasol is experiencing.