[08]Grizzlies(18-5) -- Grizz win nail-biter!

[almightyx]

Hey guys. This is my first shot at making a dynasty here. I was waiting for Albys's 08-09 roster to come out before I started one because I wanted to play with the new draft class. If you're wondering why I picked Memphis its because I wanted a young team with potential and I wanted a challenge, plus there's already a great Blazers dynasty going so I wanted to take a different direction. I'm a terrible fiction writer but I'm pretty good at analysis so I'm going to be doing this from the standpoint of a Memphis beat writer with media articles and such. I'm also not very good with photoshop so my banners aren't very good, but I'll continue working with it and I'll try to come up with something better. Hopefully you guys will like it!

Dynasty Settings
Roster: Albys's 08-09 Roster
Schedule: Random
Sim Q Length: 11 mins.
Actual Q Length: 9 mins.
Difficulty: All-Star/Superstar
Sliders: Albys RR6 (tweaked to my liking)



Starters

C: Marc Gasol
PF: Darrell Arthur
SF: Rudy Gay
SG: OJ Mayo
PG: Gilbert Arenas

Active Bench

C: Adonal Foyle
PF: Hakim Warrick
SF: Antoine Walker
SG: Juan Carlos Navarro
PG: Ramon Sessions

Deep Bench/Inactive

Greg Buckner, Casey Jacobsen, Andre Brown

[almightyx]

Gay, Mayo ready to lead Grizzlies



Memphis, TN -- The 2008-2009 NBA basketball season is upon us already, and the Grizzlies front office have made some moves that they hope have pulled them out of the cellar in the Southwest. From the addition of Marc Gasol, OJ Mayo, and Marko Jaric, the trading of Mike Miller, and the release of Kwame Brown, here's an overview of this past offseason and what to expect from Memphis this season.

OJ Mayo. Before the draft, nobody questioned his talent. His character, however, brought all kinds of red flags. Did he recieve gifts during his time at USC? How will this affect his performance on the court? How long is this going to follow him? How far will he fall on draft night? These were all questions being asked about him. He fell out of the top ten of several mock draft boards, even though his talent was unquestionable. One draft board he didn't fall from was Minnesota's, however, as they took him with the third overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. Not long after though, they traded him down to Memphis with Marko Jaric, for Kevin Love and Mike Miller. Mayo, although not as good of a shooter as Miller, is a much better slasher with excellent passing skills and the ability to finish. He can play either the 1 or 2 guard, but with Mike Conley on the roster, expect Mayo to play the 2 and for Jaric to come off the bench. If Conley struggles early though, don't be surprised to see Mayo start at the point and run the offense. OJ's tremendous potential combined with Rudy Gay's rise has Memphis faithfuls (including yours truly) salivating over what is to come.

What's in a name? Well, if your last name is Gasol and you're coming to play basketball in Memphis, its lots of expectations. The Grizzlies signed Pau's younger brother, Marc, to a contract this past offseason. After practically giving the Lakers the elder Gasol, Memphis is hoping that by signing one of the premiere players in Spain, they can keep from looking like complete idiots. If Marc can make the transition to the NBA, don't be surprised to see him do well this year.

The Mayo-Love trade that also sent Miller to Minnesota and brought in Jaric seemed like it was heavily in favor of Minnesota, but I disagree. Yes, right now, it doesn't seem all that great, but I expect it to be a great trade in a year or so. A lot of the media criticized Memphis for bringing in the big contract, small output Marko Jaric. I think it helps relieve some of the loss of Miller, but I don't expect Jaric to be in Memphis long. Speaking of those not being in Memphis long, I was glad to see Kwame Brown head to free agency. Coming over in the Gasol trade, the only thing Brown was good for was a big expiring contract. With the Minnesota trade and Brown's release, Memphis has around 10 million in cap space so don't be surprised to see them make a move or two during the season.

OK, so after a decent offseason, how do I expect the Grizzlies to do this year? Better than last year. Of course, with only 22 wins in the 07-08 campaign, its not hard to do better than last year. 30+ wins is a possibility. I think any more than 35 might be pushing it, due to the fact that Memphis plays in a division that had 4 (4!) 50 win teams last year. All four made the playoffs last year. If GM Chris Wallace can continue to make good moves and the young guns progress like they should, I fully expect this team to compete for a playoff spot in the near future, but not this year. My advice to Memphis fans is to go to the games, watch a fast-paced, team-oriented offense and be happy when the Grizz do win.

[almightyx]

Mayo scores 39 in debut, Grizzlies lose to Nuggets
October 28, 2008
Box Scores: Memphis 86 Denver 96

Denver, CO -- OJ Mayo showed why he deserved to be a top 5 pick in this year's draft. He was matched up against former NBA MVP and 3 time scoring champ Allen Iverson, and Mayo was determined to show him up, or so it seemed. With his teammates feeding him the ball on almost every play in the first half, Mayo drained shot after shot, showing he wasn't afraid to shoot from anywhere on the floor. With Rudy Gay struggling on offense, the Mike Conley kept looking to get his new teammate the ball. "It seemed like everytime we ran down the floor, OJ was always open. I kept givin' him the ball and he kept makin' shots," said Conley. Mayo led the Grizzlies into the break with 20 points and a 4 point lead, 46-42. It was looking as if Memphis kept trying to run away with the game, but turnovers kept Denver within reach in the first half.

The Nuggets came out in the third quarter and decided to play some defense. The Grizzlies shot only 41 percent from the field in the third quarter, after shooting 62 percent in the second. Memphis, however, still couldn't get things figured out and let Denver penetrate the lane over and over again. It didn't help that Carmello Anthony was lights out as well, shooting 11-17, including 3-6 from behind the arc. As far as the Mayo-Iverson matchup? OJ won the individual battle, with 39 points on 18-31 shooting, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds. Iverson finished with 17 points on 7-18 shooting, with 4 rebounds, 0 assists, but 5 steals. When asked about the matchup, Mayo was unphased. "I wouldn't say I was nervous. Excited, yeah, but not nervous. I was a bit starstruck when I first walked out on the court, but when the game got goin' and that adrenaline started kicking in, I was all business. I did my best to help my team win, but we didn't get it done today." Rudy Gay couldn't find the basket to save his life. Gay had a dismal 2-14 performance with 6 points. Coach Iavaroni commented on his star, "He had one of those nights. Sometimes you're on, sometimes you're off. He was just off. I was glad to see him continue to take shots though. He'll be fine though, its early. I'm not worried about it." Only 3 Grizzlies scored in double figures. Besides Mayo's 39, Warrick had 12 points, and Conley added in another 10.

On top of the loss, second year point guard Kyle Lowry injured his knee midway through the second quarter. He was taken to the locker room, but later returned to the floor at the end of the third. He was subbed for at the start of the fourth quarter and did not return to play. He should receive an MRI tomorrow to determine the extent of the injury.

Around the League:
Kevin Durant dropped 38 points, but Seattle still lost to the Suns, 106-90.
Baron Davis and Chris Paul waged a Point Guard war in New Orleans, with each scoring 44 points and tossing 5 assists. The Clippers won 114-110.
Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala contributed 55 of Philly's 105 points in a 1 point win at Orlando. They shot a combined 19-34 from the field, including 13-14 from the charity stripe. Rashard Lewis scored 37 in the losing effort.
Gilbert Arenas scored 37 points on 14-27 shooting from the field, including 7-15 from behind the arc, but only had 1 assist in the losing effort at Cleveland, 88-82.

[Lamrock]

!!! Very impressive, especially for a first-timer! Glad the cats didn't scare you away. Very well-written article and recap. Can't wait for the season, and the rebuilding to start.

Mayo for ROY!

[Chaser7]

I agree this is pretty impressive. Also I'm a big fan of Mayo, what adebut for him. Good luck next game! Im following..

[Celtica]

Another great-looking dynasty that I will be following. Tough loss, but keep feeding Mayo the ball and you'll do fine.

[jvjvnvjvjbjbjb]

Nice articles...
can you teach me on how to make a god one....l.o.l.

[almightyx]

Grizzlies ink Navarro to short term deal
October 30, 2008

Memphis, TN -- The Memphis Grizzlies signed combo guard Juan Carlos Navarro to a 1 year deal worth $4.85 Million last night. Navarro joins an already crowded backcourt with OJ Mayo, Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, and Marko Jaric. GM Chris Wallace commented on the signing. "I brought in Navarro as a sort of insurance policy. We don't know how long Lowry is going to be out. Even if he does come back, knee injuries have a tendency to haunt people. We had been looking at Navarro this past offseason and we were surprised nobody had signed him yet. When Lowry went down, we saw our chance to go get him. Juan is also one of the best 3 point shooters left in free agency and we couldn't pass that up any longer." Navarro is expected to contribute off the bench.

[Skills]

Very good read. And if you were reffering to my Blazers dynasty, thanks. Even though hardly anyone's commenting on it.
Anyway, good luck with this! Turn Mayo into the scoring beast he is! Oh, and goob job on getting rid of Kwame.

[almightyx]

Grizzlies can't shoot, lose to Lakers
October 31, 2008
Box Scores: Memphis 69 LA Lakers 102

Gay drives in for a dunk in the 1st quarter

Los Angeles, CA -- If there was any question as to how far away the Memphis Grizzlies are to being a playoff contender, this game proved it. Memphis, having an off night for the ages, lost to the Los Angeles Lakers by 33, 102-69. Memphis shot out of the gate early, taking the lead in the first quarter, 25-21. Rudy Gay scored 10 of his game-high 22 in the 1st, behind 4-7 shooting, including 2-3 from behind the arc. After dropping 39 points in his first NBA game, OJ Mayo looked to feed his teammates more tonight, finishing the 1st quarter with only 3 points but 4 assists. The Grizzlies shot 57% from the field in the 1st, while holding the Lakers to just 40%.

The 2nd quarter was where things began to unravel for the Grizzlies, however, as they were outscored 30-18. Gay was doing his best to keep his team in it by scoring another 8 points, but nobody else got the message. Memphis went into the break, losing by 8, 51-43. Memphis should have just called the game at the half. They had an absolutely horrendous 3rd quarter. The Grizzlies didn't get their first point until a free throw by OJ Mayo at the 7:09 mark. It was another 30 seconds after that when they got their first FG. Memphis only scored 7 points in the 3rd quarter because of 12% (that's right, 12%!) shooting, 3-24 from the field in the 3rd. It didn't matter who shot it, from where they shot it, or if they were open or not, the ball was not going in the hole. Shots Mayo had been draining the previous game versus Denver were not dropping from the same spots tonight. In the meantime, the Lakers continued to roll, ending the 3rd on a 15-2 run to put them up 79-50.

The 4th quarter wasn't much better for the Grizzlies, even though much of it was played against LA's bench. Memphis only shot 33% in the 4th. Grizzlies Head Coach Mark Iavaroni commented after the game, "I don't know what our problem was. I really don't. It didn't matter who I put out on the floor. They were missing wide open shots. They missed from 3 feet. 3 feet! It was just one of those nights. I don't expect it to happen again though." Gay was the only Grizzly to reach double figures in points, with 22. Mike Conley, had he limited his turnovers, played a decent game, with 9 points, 9 assists, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists, but 6 TO's. Marc Gasol pitched in only 5 points, but added 13 rebounds, including 5 on the offensive end. Kobe and the other Gasol both had 20 points, with each shooting 9-17 from the floor. Derek Fisher showed Conley how to play the point, dropping 17 assists in the game. Memphis dropped to 0-2 on the season.

Around the League:
Jason Richardson had a career-high 57 points against the Cleveland Cavs Tuesday night. Richardson was 20-27 from the field and 11-14 from behind the arc.
Ben Gordon scored 39 points in only 26 minutes of play in the Chicago Bulls 106-95 loss to Miami tonight. Dwayne Wade also had 39 for the Heat.

[almightyx]

Grizzlies pick up first win, beat Portland
November 2, 2008
Box Scores: Memphis 109 Portland 100


Gay soars as Memphis beats Portland

Portland, OR --Continuing with the 3rd game of the 4 game road trip to start the season and coming off one of their worst losses in recent memory, Memphis finally had a chance for a win against a Blazers team that is just as young as the Grizzlies. With everyone expecting a close game, nobody told the Blazers that. Rookie Jerryd Bayless helped Portland jump out to an early lead, 31-19. Nearing the end of the 1st quarter, it looked as though Memphis was going to have a repeat of Los Angeles, as they missed 7 consecutive shots until Juan Carlos Navarro sunk a 15 footer with 30 seconds left. Bayless had 13 points on 4 of 9 shooting in the 1st. Portland also continuously drove the lane and drew fouls in the 1st, as they were 7-10 from the stripe, while Memphis was left with goose eggs.

Before the start of the second quarter, Grizzlies Head Coach Mark Iavaroni had some words for his players, "I told them it was going to be like LA all over again unless they did something about it." Apparently it worked, as Memphis started the 2nd with a 13-4 run to pull within 3. The Grizz took their first lead of the game with 2:34 left in the first half on a Rudy Gay 20 footer. Memphis's newest youngster, OJ Mayo, left the game midway through the second quarter with a deep bruise on his left calf. He did not return to play, but he will not miss any more games. Memphis outscored Portland 30-15 in the 2nd to put them up 49-46 at the half.

The second half featured a much more even game that everyone had been expecting. Memphis continued their hot shooting from the 2nd quarter, shooting 60% from the field. Portland only shot 38%, but continued to penetrate and draw fouls, placing several Grizzlies in foul trouble. Bayless continued to lead the Blazers push, scoring 10 of his 35 in the 3rd, but Gay and Navarro continuously drained shot after shot, keeping Portland at bay. Starting the 4th, Memphis continued the run they had taken into the break, eventually pushing the run to 13-0 before Portland finally made a shot. The Grizzlies were able to pull out the W, behind the hot hand of Navarro. "When OJ went down, I knew I had to step up. They kept giving me open looks and I did my best to knock them down." Navarro had a team high 27 on 10-15 shooting, including 6-8 from behind the arc. Rudy Gay threw in 22 as well. 2008 1st round pick Darrell Arthur stepped up in place of the foul-plagued Hakim Warrick, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in only 18 minutes of play. Bayless led all scorers with 35. Greg Oden added 17 and Travis Outlaw added 15 in the losing effort. After the game, Mayo was asked about his injury, "No man, I'm fine. I just got tangled up. They gave me the rest of the game off, so I'm good. I'll be back for the next one."

Around the League:
November 1, 2008
Mike Bibby had 39 points and 8 assists to lead the Hawks over Cleveland, 122-86. LeBron James had 21 in the loss.
Tim Duncan helped San Antonio beat the Clippers 102-84, by scoring 30, grabbing 19 boards, and getting 2 blocks.
Shawn Marion and Dwayne Wade combined for 73 points, 12 boards, 20 assists, 4 steals, and 4 blocks in a complete dismantling of Chicago 110-75.
The Minnesota Timberwolves signed PG Shawn Livingston to a 5 year deal worth $29.6 million.
November 2, 2008
Kobe Bryant was 13-13 from the free throw line, scoring 47 points to help lead LA past New Orleans, 101-86

[handler94]

Nice read! I'll definitely be following this dynasty! I hope Mayo's mild injury doesn't affect his play during the next few games. Good luck!

[Chabalaba]

Good to see Greg Oden playing.Wow...Marion and Wade's combined stats were sick.Keep it up

[Kurisu]

Can you pls post your boxscores. Thanks

[Cartar]

engr chris, He posted, just click on Memphis or o Portland etc in the start of the post

[almightyx]

lamrock, Chaser7, Celtica: thanks for the props! and no, the cats didn't scare me away, thankfully. the plan is for Mayo to be a big part of the offense so he should have a great chance at ROY

rah-rah: thanks. as far as teaching you how to make good articles? i don't really know how I do it. I've watched a lot of sportscenter and I listen to sports radio all the time. I actually want to get into sports radio so its kind of in my blood. when I play my games I take good notes and pay attention to the commentary to listen for runs and whatnot. that's the best advice I can give you if you want to write analytical articles such as mine. if you want fiction, you're outta luck with me.

Skillmatic: thank you Skill! I was actually referring to your dynasty. I've been secretly following it for a while, along with lamrock's and Chaser7's. I'm sorry to see it got shut down. I'll definitely be following if you write another. and as I said before, Mayo is a big part of the offense who should rack up lots of points

handler94: thanks for the compliment. unfortunately, Mayo's injury did affect him, as you'll see in the next couple games.

Chabalaba: thank you as well! glad to see you read the whole article (or at least I hope you do ) I don't plan on quitting anytime soon either, so I'm gonna keep doing my best

[Lamrock]

Shit, Bayless lit you up! Good think you got the win though. This dynasty is awesome.

[XyK]

Nice dynasty. I sorta copied your format for the dynasty for my dynasty. Good luck and hopefully DMC runs good for you!

[Skills]

Bayless went off the bomb! Nice win. And nice to know you were following my dynasty. Keep up the good work.

[almightyx]

Grizzlies pick up second win against T'Wolves
November 4, 2008
Box Scores: Memphis 110 Minnesota 103


Darrell Arthur throws it down over Shaun Livingston

Minnesapolis, MN -- Something about the first few minutes of the 1st quarter doesn't sit well with Memphis's young starters. That scenario played out to a tee earlier this evening as Memphis made only 1 shot in the first 3 minutes as Minnesota jumped out to an early 17-2 lead. The youthful Grizzlies settled in shortly thereafter, though, and slowly chipped away at the lead. With 2 minutes left in the 1st, Darrell Arthur threw home a thunderous dunk over Shaun Livingston to tie the game at 23. Both teams continued their hot shooting into the break, with Minnesota up by 1. The T'Wolves were pushed by their starting guards as Miller and Livingston combined for 14 points on 7 of 7 shooting from the floor. Memphis kept feeding the ball inside to Darrell Arthur, who stole the starting job from Hakim Warrick. Arthur finished the first with 14 points and 6 boards. Rudy Gay also pitched in 7 points.

After playing over half the 1st quarter, OJ Mayo was relegated to the bench for most of the second, as his left calf was still causing him problems and limiting his quickness. His ability wasn't needed all that much, however, as the 2nd quarter played pretty much the same as the 1st up until 3 minutes left. Memphis took off on a 12-4 run to give themselves an 8 point lead going into the half. Arthur continued his strong first half, going into the break already with a double-double, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. The Miller/Livingston combo were doing their best to keep Minnesota close, dropping in 21 on 9 for 10 shooting.

The close game continued much into the 3rd quarter until Memphis went on yet another run, this time a 15-7 run to end the 3rd, pushing their lead to 13. The 3rd quarter also became the Rudy Gay show, as he scored 14 of his team-high 27 points in the 3rd frame. Al Jefferson also came alive for the Timberwolves, as he went into the 4th with 24 points but also 2 rebounds. Speaking of rebounds, if you had to pick out one reason as to why the T'Wolves lost, it would be the rebounds. At the end of the 3rd, Memphis held a glaring 35-19 lead on the boards. The 4th continued the same as the rest of the game, although with time waning, it seemed as though Memphis was trying to give the T'Wolves the game. Minnesota kept intentional fouling to stop the clock, and it almost worked, as Marko Jaric and Hakim Warrick kept missing free throws. Luckily for the Grizzlies though, Minnesota couldn't seem to hit a 3 pointer either, as they finished 3-14 from behind the arc. Grizzlies Head Coach Mark Iavaroni commented after the game, "Our guys played a good game. I was really proud of the fact they were able to hold the lead in crunch time. If we can keep this up though, we can do some great things. This is just a small step, but at least its in the right direction. As far as OJ is concerned, his injury might be a bit worse than we thought, but he was still able to play some. He may not have scored 39 points (laughs), but he was able to help. We'll just have to see about tomorrow for him though." Memphis travels home for the first time this season, hosting the Atlanta Hawks.

Around the League:
November 3, 2008
LeBron James willed his team to victory, hitting the game winning free throws with 1.2 seconds left, beating Miami 100-99. James finished with 42 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Richard Hamilton was 2 rebounds shy of a triple-double in a blowout of Atlanta, 101-70. Rip had 38 points, 8 boards, and 10 assists in the win.

[Chabalaba]

Are you gonna start Arthur over Warrick?

[almightyx]

lamrock, skillmatic: Bayless did light me up, but at least we still got the win. I'm using Kris's latest AIACT patch, but even with his great work, PG domination still happens. If only EA would fix their damn game!

XyK: Thank you. As far as using my format, feel free, just try not to copy anything word for word or blatently rip me off. then we'll have problems. As far as your DMC nickname, I loved it, but then I wondered what the D was for. M for Mayo, C for Conley, but D? Darrell Arthur maybe? Just point me in the right direction, please.

Chabalaba: I am starting Arthur over Warrick now. Arthur's stepped up for me recently so I couldn't resist starting him. I meant to mention it in the last article but I forgot.

[almightyx]

Hawks play spoiler in Grizzlies first home game
November 5, 2008
Box Scores: Memphis 83 Atlanta 95


Rudy Gay throws one down against the Hawks.

Memphis, TN -- Playing their second game in as many days, Memphis finally got to come home. Unfortunately for them, fatigue played a huge factor as they came up short again, this time falling to Atlanta 95-83. For a change, the Grizzlies youngsters decided to show up to play on time, not letting Atlanta jump out to a huge early lead. Rudy Gay did spur on 8-0 run nearing the end of the 1st to tie the game at 19. The 1st played pretty ho-hum, considering the 2 high-octane, high-speed offenses on the court.

The 2nd quarter played better for the Grizz, but they still couldn't gain any ground on the Hawks. Memphis shot 60% after shooting only 37% in the 1st, but they had no answer for Mike Bibby, allowing him to drop 15 of his game-high 30 in the second. Juan Carlos Navarro was doing everything he could to keep up, scoring 11 of his 13 points in the 2nd. Navarro played most of his minutes at the point in place of the foul-plagued Mike Conley. Navarro spoke after the game, "Its rough guarding Mike. He's a veteran point guard and he's really quick. If he wants to score, he's going to. He gave our Mike fits tonight, as I'm sure you guys could tell." Even with Bibby's effort, the game remained tied going into the break, 46-46.

Coming out of the half, fatigue left its mark on the young Memphis squad. Atlanta used an 8-0 run to jump out quickly, and they never looked back. Bibby and Joe Johnson combined for 20 of the Hawks' 24 points in the 3rd. Rudy Gay did his best to shoot Memphis back into the game, but his shots weren't falling. Gay finished 9-23 from the floor, including 0-3 from behind the arc, but still finished with 19 points. OJ Mayo, still limited by his injury, couldn't provide much help either, as he struggled to keep up as Atlanta picked up the pace in the 3rd. Atlanta finshed the quarter shooting 47% from the floor and took a 9 point lead into the final quarter.

The Grizzlies continued their poor shooting into the 4th and were never able to pull themselves back into it. Memphis finished the evening shooting 41%, but only 2 for 13 from 3 point land. With Memphis shooting so poorly, the Atlanta bench played the majority of the 4th, keeping the Grizzlies at bay. Atlanta outscored Memphis 25-22 in the 4th, winning the game by 12, 95-83. Navarro was second on the team with 13 points. Getting his second start of the season, rookie Darrell Arthur added 10 points and 8 rebounds. Mayo, after playing 17 minutes against Minnesota, continued to struggle, playing only 17 minutes and providing 3 points on 1-7 shooting. After the game, Mayo spoke about his struggles. "Its bothering me more than it should. We get a day off tomorrow though so hopefully I'll be ready to go. I'm just gonna sit around and put some ice on it, give it a rest. I don't want anybody thinkin' that 39 was a fluke. I'll be back with a vengeance, believe me." Memphis continues their season in 2 nights, hosting the New Jersey Nets.

Around the League:
November 5, 2008
Ben Gordon and Dirk Nowitzki both put on great offensive performances in an overtime thriller in Dallas tonight. Nowitzki scored 40 points and Gordon, trying not to be outdone, dropped 39 along with 10 assists. Dirk's Mavs won the game, 116-109.

[dansensei]

nice read, almightyx
too bad you can't win your first home game. can you add to your recaps the upcoming games of your team? just a suggestion..
anyways, keep it up. i'll definitely follow this one...

[Chaser7]

Ugh what was wrong with Mayo in this game? He didn't do anything... I like the realistic scores here btw..