MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: dynasty erased :-(

[thaKEAF]

X DYNASTY SETTINGS

Skill Level: All-Star
Quarter Length: 9 Minutes
Season Length: 29 Games
Playoff Length: 1-1-1-1
Sliders: My Own
Simulation Type: Regular
Roster: Updated to the Playoffs




X Grizzlies in 2004-2005

The Grizzlies came into the 2004/2005 season with brand spankin' new jerseys and a brand new arena to play in. The FedExForum was complete, and this great arena was the brand new home of the NBA's up and coming team. The Grizzlies kept basically the same roster, but welcomed Brian Cardinal and rookies Andre Emmett and Antonio Burks. The team opened up the season on a bad note, losing to the Minnesota Timberwolves. But the team quickly pulled it together by blowing out King James and the Cavs, along with slowing down Flash and shutting down the Diesel. Two Grizzlies were invited to participate in the NBA's all-star weekend. Jason Williams was invited to the 3-point shootout and Stromile Swift to the dunk contest. Neither Grizz player walked out as the winner, but it was great to have the team represented. Pau Gasol led the Grizzlies with 19.9 points and 10.0 rebounds. Jason Williams led the Grizzlies with 7.7 assists a game. The Memphis Grizzlies finished with a 17-12 record and for the second straight year they had made the playoffs, but there was one big problem. And that problem came in the form of Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs, who had swept the Grizzlies in the opening round the year before. Since the NBA had shortened it's season to 29 games and also shortened the playoffs to single game elimination, the Grizzlies either won or went home. The fans in the SBC center cheered and yelled the whole game and the Grizzlies just couldn't keep up with the San Antonio Spurs. Manu Ginobili dropped 23 points on Memphis and Tim Duncan finished with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Mike Miller led the Grizzlies in scoring that game with 17 points, and it was clear that changes had to be made if this team wanted to make it deep in the playoffs. The final score was 92-105, and the future of the team was now in question by the entire Memphis area and players on the team.





X 2005 Player Awards

The day after Memphis was eliminated, the 2005 Player Awards were announced. Shaquille O'Neal (MIA) won the league's MVP award with 25.9ppg and 9.4rpg. Chris Webber (PHI) won the MIP award with 22.2ppg along with 7.6rpg and 5.2apg. Kevin Garnett (MIN) won the Defensive Player of the Year award averaging 11.2rpg, 2.1bpg and 2.0spg. The Rookie of the Year award went to Emeka Okafor (CHA) who averaged 13.4ppg, 11.5rpg, 1.8bpg. The Sixth Man award went to Indiana's sixth man Stephen Jackson, who averaged 8.8ppg. Don Nelson recieved the Coach of the Year award, his Dallas Mavericks team finished with the best record in the entire NBA.





X 2005 NBA Finals

The Indiana Pacers flew to Dallas for the NBA Championship game, could Reggie Miller end his career with a championship ring? The Dallas Mavericks looked way out of character, and suffered a 94-77 loss to the Indiana Pacers who were crowned the World Champions. Jermaine O'Neal recieved the MVP award, he finished with 24.0 points and 9.8 rebounds through the playoffs. Although J-O won the award, it was plain to see that all eyes were on Reggie who held up the championship as tears ran down his eyes.

[thaKEAF]

GRIZZLIES.COM
Karl Malone and Others Retire
July 2, 2005



Karl Malone, the second all time scorer in NBA history, announced his retirement today. Karl Malone sat out the 2004-2005 season after several injuries the season before. Malone says that there will be no more games for him, and that you shouldn't expect any suprise returns for the Mailman. Other retirees include Cliff Robinson, Vlade Divac, Darrell Armstrong, Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc and Dikembe Mutombo. The shock of the day was that Regge Miller who's fresh off his first NBA championship, announced that he would not retire. All of the retired players will be missed and we wish them luck with whatever they decide to do.

[thaKEAF]

GRIZZLIES.COM
Draft Order Announced
July 2, 2005

The order of the 2005 NBA Draft has been announced, and the Los Angeles Clippers will be the first team on the clock. Six picks down are the Los Angeles Lakers, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 1994. The Memphis Grizzlies have the 23rd pick overall, there has been no word on who the Grizzlies plan on taking. The NBA Draft will be on July 24th live on ESPN, make sure to tune in!



1. LA Clippers
2. Chicago
3. Cleveland (CHA)
4. Washington
5. Toronto
6. Golden State (NO)
7. LA Lakers
8. Golden State
9. Utah
10. Seattle
11. Phoenix
12. Orlando
13. Atlanta
14. New York
15. Sacramento
16. Milwuakee
17. Denver
18. Cleveland
19. Boston
20. Portland
21. New Jersey
22. Houston
23. Memphis
24. San Antonio
25. Detroit
26. Philadelphia
27. Minnesota
28. Miami
29. Indiana
30. Dallas

[thaKEAF]

GRIZZLIES.COM
Who will the Grizzlies draft?
July 9, 2005

Many people are looking foward to the 2005 NBA Draft, because the Grizzlies and their fans expect for it to change their team alot. We sat down with scouts and Jerry West, who gave us the scoop on the top three players on the Grizzlies draft board!

X SG Theophilus Thurman 6'3 228 lbs
This fro sporting guard showed off his skills and the Grizzlies liked him alot. He has very good handles and uses them to easily get to the hoop to throw one down. He's a great dunker and also has range with his jumper, the Grizzlies only negative comment was he hasn't been consistent with his three pointer.

X SF Vladamir Jovanovski 6'8 251 lbs
This rookie impressed the Grizzlies organization alot but came in second on their draft board.. This 22 year old international player has a great jumper and can hit the three ball with ease. He's also very physical on the offensive end can fight his way to the basket for the easy jam or layup. Some negative points on Jovanovski are that his defense is lacking, and his handles could be exploited in the NBA.

X C Renjie Onyango 7'1 243 lbs
This 7'1 player from Asia showed that he could protect the basket, and that he could pull down offensive rebounds. He isn't too developed on the offensive end, but the Grizzlies are still considering picking him

[thaKEAF]

GRIZZLIES.COM
Wells and Swift re-sign
July 12, 2005

Free agency began today and the Grizzlies resigned two of their four free agents. The Grizzlies re-signed fan favorite Stromile Swift to a 6.37M contract for 3 years, both sides seem to be happy with the deal. "I just can't picture myself not being with the Grizzlies, I've been here from the start", said Stromile on a Memphis Radio interview. Bonzi Wells was also re-signed to a two year deal for 7.19M, no comments from Bonzi Wells at the time of this update.



Jerry West also announced that the team had no intentions on re-signing backup PG Earl Watson. "We think that Antonio Burks is ready to take the role of backup point guard", said West when asked why Watson didn't recieve an offer. Andre Emmett wasn't re-signed because his agent was asking for too much according to the Grizzlies front office.

[thaKEAF]

GRIZZLIES.COM
NBA DRAFT 2005: Grizzlies get their men
July 24, 2005

The Memphis Grizzlies got two of the players that were in the top three of their draft board. They were extremely happy when Vladamir Jovanovski fell down to the 23rd spot, it didn't take long for the Grizzlies to turn in their selection.

In the second round the Grizzlies grabbed up 7'1 center Renjie Onyang who they believe will help solve their big man problem. We didn't get a chance to talk to the two rookies but we gurantee exclusive interviews with them soon!

Here is a recap of the first round of the 2005 NBA draft:

1. SG G. Burrell (LAC)
2. SG D. Salo (CHI)
3. SG C. Guile (CLE)
4. SF S. Janson (WAS)
5. SF U. Abraham (TOR)
6. PG O. Estes (GS)
7. SG M. Varner (LAL)
8. PF J. Chow (GS)
9. SF G. Delk (UTAH)
10. SG E. Lewis (SEA)
11. PF H. Cowell (PHO)
12. PF F. Riggs (ORL)
13. SG J. Leetch (ATL)
14. PF D. Morrison (NY)
15. C W. Chan (SAC)
16. PF L. Guerin (MIL)
17. PF S. Payne (DEN)
18. PF B. Sellers (CLE)
19. SG O. Adetoun (BOS)
20. PF M. Grayer (POR)
21. C L. Radwan (NJ)
22. PF M. Lewis (HOU)
23. SF V. Jovanovski (MEM)
24. PF P. Kruse (SA)
25. PF A. Murray (DET)
26. C J. Johansson (PHI)
27. PG A. Ernst (MIN)
28. PG J. Wright (MIA)
29. SF J. Cotter (IND)
30. PF E. Modin (DAL)

[Its_asdf]

Wow, I'm really liking what I'm seeing so far, it's very organized and easily read. This dynasty seems to be worth looking at, keep up the good work and good luck on turning the Grizzlies (one of my favourite teams) into a contender.

P.S. You shouldn't have resigned Wells man, I wanted to see Dahntay Jones log some big minutes!

[thaKEAF]

GRIZZLIES.COM
BREAKING NEWS: Grizzlies aquire Kobe Bryant from Lakers
August 14, 2005



The move that had been rumored for years has finally happened, and the Memphis Grizzlies fans couldn't be happier. Kobe Bryant who has played with the Lakers his whole career, was traded to the Grizzlies today along with point guard Chucky Atkins. The Grizzlies sent Bonzi Wells and Stromile Swift who they recently re-signed to the Lakers along with bad boy Jason Williams.

The media has been in a frenzy since the trade was announced hours ago, and alot of Laker fans are wondering why? Why would the Lakers trade their superstar? Trade the player that they traded Shaq and got rid of Phil Jackson for? In a interview on ESPN, Jerry Buss explained why the trade had to happen.

"Kobe is a great player, but you don't win championships with one great player", said Jerry Buss in the interview." He also explained that he thought the three players the Lakers got would work well with the team they already have.

This move will impact both teams alot but it will impact the Grizzlies the most, because the Grizzlies finally have the superstar they've been looking for. We would like to welcome Kobe Bryant to the Grizzlies, and we hope that he has no problem fitting in with the team.

[thaKEAF]

GRIZZLIES.COM
NBA OFFSEASON 2005
August 14, 2005

The Grizzlies trading for Kobe Bryant was the biggest move of the offseason, but it wasn't the only one. Grizzlies.com will give you a quick recap of the offseason by team, check it out!

X Atlanta Hawks

7/26/05 - The Hawks sign A. Walker for 79.47M for 6 years

8/3/05 - The Hawks sign D. Ferguson for 620K for 1 year

8/3/05 - The Hawks sign J. Dixon for 4.58M for 2 years

8/1/05 - The Hawks sign G. Trent for 12.21M for 4 years

8/1/05 - The Hawks sign E. House for 2.21M for 1 year


X Boston Celtics

7/12/05 - The Celtics sign G. Payton for 15.69M for 2 years


X Charlotte Bobcats

7/28/05 - The Bobcats sign K. Brown for 9.03M for 2 years

7/28/05 - The Bobcats sign E. Strickland for 13.26M for 3 years

7/26/05 - The Bobcats sign Q. Woods for 3.12M for 1 year

7/18/05 - The Bobcats sign G. Wallace for 6.49M for 2 years

7/18/05 - The Bobcats sign B. Knight for 1.06M for 1 year

8/3/05 - The Bobcats sign S. Padgett for 3.03M for 1 year

X Chicago Bulls

7/16/05 - The Bulls sign E. Curry for 20.22M for 4 years

7/16/05 - The Bulls sign T. Chandler for 9.02M for 2 years

8/3/05 - The Bulls sign M. Kasun for 385K for 1 year

8/3/05 - The Bulls sign E. Daniels for 385K for 1 year

8/1/05 - The Bulls sign U. Haslem for 695K for 1 year

8/1/05 - The Bulls sign R. Lopes for 720K for 1 year

X Cleveland Cavaliers

7/17/05 - The Cavaliers sign D. Diop for 752K for 1 year

7/17/05 - The Cavaliers sign Z. Ilgauskas for 24.65M for 3 years

7/17/05 - The Cavaliers sign J. McInnis for 4.36M for 1 year

X Dallas Mavericks

7/12/05 - The Mavericks sign K. Van Horn for 24.86M for 3 years

X Denver Nuggets

7/26/05 - The Nuggets sign A. Sesay for 16.46M for 7 years

7/26/05 - The Nuggets sign Y. Tabuse for 385K for 1 year

X Detroit Pistons

7/30/05 - The Pistons sign M. N'diaye for 807K for 1 year

8/13/05 - The Pistons sign R. Dupree for 14.81M for 6 years

X Golden State Warriors

7/11/05 - The Warriors sign T. Murphy for 8.91M for 2 years

7/11/05 - The Warriors sign J. Richardson for 80.84M for 7 years

X Houston Rockets

7/28/05 - The Rockets sign R. Evans for 720K for 1 year

7/15/05 - The Rockets sign M. James for 8.60M for 3 years

7/15/05 - The Rockets sign D. Wesley for 8.97M for 2 years

X Indiana

N/A

X Los Angeles Clippers

7/28/05 - The Clippers sign J. Vroman for 358K for 1 year

7/28/05 - The Clippers sign D. Young for 385K for 1 year

7/26/05 - The Clippers sign M. Haislip for 10.04M for 4 years

7/26/05 - The Clippers sign R. White for 23.48M for 6 years

7/15/05 - The Clippers sign B. Simmons for 7.44M for 3 years

8/13/05 - The Clippers sign K. Kittles for 12.14M for 2 years

X Los Angeles Lakers

7/15/05 - The Lakers sign D. George for 29.21M for 4 years

7/15/05 - The Lakers sign L. Walton for 3.22M for 1 year

8/14/05 - The Grizzlies trade S. Swift, J. Williams, B. Wells to the Lakers for K. Bryant, C. Atkins

X Memphis Grizzlies

7/10/05 - The Grizzlies sign S. Swift for 19.12M for 3 years

7/10/05 - The Grizzlies sign B. Wells for 14.37M for 2 years

8/14/05 - The Grizzlies trade S. Swift, J. Williams, B. Wells to the Lakers for K. Bryant, C. Atkins

X Miami Heat

7/28/05 - The Heat sign T. Ariza for 385K for 1 year

7/16/05 - The Heat sign E. Jones for 15.43M for 2 years

X Milwuakee Bucks

7/30/05 - The Bucks sign S. Anderson for 7.94M for 2 years

7/30/05 - The Bucks sign T. Lue for 2.73M for 1 year

7/28/05 - The Bucks sign R. Rogers for 13.56M for 2 years

7/14/05 - The Bucks sign D. Gadzuric for 727 for 1 year

X Minnesota Timberwolves

8/13/05 - The Timberwolves sign L. Sprewell for 7.45 for 1 year

8/5/05 - The Timberwolves sign L. Chalmbers for 620K for 1 year

X New Jersey Nets

8/13/05 - The Nets sign A. Carter for 870K for 1 year

X New Orleans Hornets

7/28/05 - The Hornets sign E. Watson for 2.14M for 1 year

7/10/05 - The Hornets sign L. Nailon for 4.68M for 2 years

X New York Knicks

8/27/05 - The Knicks sign J. James for 807K for 1 year

X Orlando Magic

7/10/05 - The Magic sign G. Hill for 31.92M for 3 years

X Philadelphia 76ers

7/30/05 - The 76ers sign Z. Pachulia for 695K for 1 year

7/30/05 - The 76ers sign J. Pargo for 720K for 1 year

7/13/05 - The 76ers sign S. Dalembert for 7.44M for 2 years

7/13/05 - The 76ers sign W. Green for 2.38M for 1 year

X Phoenix Suns

7/11/05 - The Suns sign J. Johnson for 18.43M for 4 years

X Portland Trailblazers

7/13/05 - The Trail Blazers sign S. Abdur-Rahim for 75.42M for 7 years

7/13/05 - The Trail Blazers sign D. Stoudamire for 8.37M for 1 year

7/13/05 - The Trail Blazers sign R. M ason Jr. for 763K for 1 year

7/13/05 - The Trail Blazers sign N. Van Exel for 6.43M for 1 year

X Sacramento Kings

7/12/05 - The Kings sign C. Mobley for 81.52M for 7 years

7/12/05 - The Kings sign B. Jackson for 40.61M for 5 years

X San Antonio Spurs

7/14/05 - The Spurs sign R. Horry for 4.11M for 1 year

7/14/05 - The Spurs sign D. Brown for 15.03M for 6 years


X Seattle SuperSonics

7/26/05 - The SuperSonics sign V. Stepania for 932K for 1 year

7/26/05 - The SuperSonics sign L. Harrington for 620K for 1 year

7/16/05 - The SuperSonics sign V. Radmanovic for 4.02M for 1 year

7/16/05 - The SuperSonics sign R. Murray for 19.97M for 4 years

7/16/05 - The SuperSonics sign R. Allen for 82.12M for 6 years

7/16/05 - The SuperSonics sign A. Daniels for 7.00M for 1 year

X Toronto Raptors

7/13/05 - The Raptors sign D. Marshall for 9.00M for 1 year

7/13/05 - The Raptors sign P. Sow for 626K for 1 year

X Utah Jazz

7/10/05 - The Jazz sign H. Eisley for 4.24M for 1 year

8/13/05 - The Jazz sign R. Bell for 9.84M for 3 years

X Washington Wizards

7/28/05 - The Wizards sign S. Blake for 695K for 1 year

7/19/05 - The Wizards sign L. Hughes for 15.29M for 2 years

8/13/05 - The Wizards sign M. Ruffin for 10.22M for 4 years

8/3/05 - The Wizards sign T. Bell for 620K for 1 year

[thaKEAF]

I'm pretty tired right now, so I'm gonna call it a night. Check back tomorrow for the rest of the offseason, season preview, and the preview and review of game one!

[-BHZMAFIA-]

I like the way everything is neat and it's about time you used Memphis because I was getting a little tired of you talking about my team like that You ripped the Lakers off by getting Kobe, good job

[thaKEAF]

It's kinda funny, you're using my team and I'm using yours.

[The X]

looking good

[thaKEAF]

GRIZZLIES.COM
Grizzlies 2005-2006 Roster
October 28, 2005


C - Lorenzen Wright


PF - Pau Gasol


SF - James Posey


SG - Mike Miller

PG - Allen Iverson


6 - Shane Battier

7 - Brian Cardinal

8 - Vladamir Jovanovski (R)

9 - Chucky Atkins

10 - Renjie Onyango (R)

11 - Antonio Burks

12 - Jake Tsakalidis

IR1 - Ryan Humphrey

[thaKEAF]

GRIZZLIES.COM
Jerry West on the upcoming NBA season
October 29, 2005



After being eliminated in the first round two years in a row by the San Antonio Spurs, Jerry West decided that it was time to make a change. Jerry West moved fan favorites Stromile Swift and Jason Williams along with Bonzi Wells to the Lakers, and exchange recieved superstar Kobe Bryant and Chucky Atkins. The sports world has been going crazy since the trade was announced, and it's strange to see the Lakers without Shaq or Kobe now. We sat down with Jerry West to ask him about the upcoming season, and how he thought Kobe's arrival would affect the team.

G.com: Nice to see you agan Mr. West, alot of things have changed since we last talked.

JW: Yes there's been some changes, but we think they are all for the good.

G.com: Let's talk about the playoffs, what did you think about how the team played the past two years?

JW: They played good, but it seemed like the postseason kinda scared them.

G.com: Is that when you decided there needed to be some changes?

JW: Yeah, I felt that we'd got as far as we could with the team we had. I felt that we needed someone who could take control of those big games, but I needed someone I could trust.

G.com: And that person was Kobe Bryant, right? (laugh)

JW: Yes, it was indeed Kobe Bryant. Last year was a bad year for him and the Lakers organization, and I thought both parties were looking for something else. I was thinking of not making the deal but then I saw they drafted a shooting guard, and I thought that was a sign that they were unhappy with Kobe.

G.com: About last year, Kobe struggled just averaging 21 points a game and his team missed the playoffs. Do you think Kobe will be able to be the superstar he's been in the past without Shaq?

JW: There's no doubt in my mind that he IS that superstar, and that he'll perform very well with the team we have now. He might have only averaged 21 points but he also averaged six rebounds and five assists a game.

G.com: What do you think about other players you aquired? Like Chucky Atkins and the two rookies?

JW: With J-Will going to LA we lost a big three point shooter, so I think Chucky will help us alot with his three point shooting. Not only will Chucky help us with three pointers but Vladamir will too, but I wouldnt expect to see him get much time. I do expect Renjie to get minutes at the backup Center, and hopefully he will perform well.

G.com: Who will be the starting point guard on opening day?

JW: Hubie has told me that he wants to try out Antonio Burks as the starter and if that doesn't work out then Chucky Atkins will get his try. We think that Antonio Burks is ready to take control of the point, but we'll have to wait to see.

G.com: Final question, what are your hopes for the season?

JW: I hope to win a championship! (laugh) We want the team to put together some chemistry, and we want them to carry that chemistry over to the playoffs. We hope that Kobe will give this team some much needed leadership and will guide them with his postseason experience.

G.com: Thanks alot, Mr. West.

JW: No problem, it was nice to be here.

[tc]

Nice start! Very organized, easy to follow and read, and nice trade. Hm...Burks over Atkins, why's that?

[thaKEAF]

I really don't like Atkins, and Burks is a fan favorite since he went to the University of Memphis.

First game will be posted soon, so make sure you check back.

[thaKEAF]

GRIZZLIES.COM
Kobe makes Memphis debut in Portland
November 2, 2005

The time is finally here, the time for the Grizzlies most anticipated season ever. The team now has superstar Kobe Bryant along with borderline all-star Pau Gasol, plus a very solid supporting cast. Many fans around the Memphis area are already claiming that their team will win the World championship, we wouldnt go that far..yet. First the Grizzlies will have to learn how to play with this superstar, and this superstar will have to learn to trust his teammates. Another thing is second year point guard Antonio Burks, who didn't play in one game last season. Is Burks ready to be a started at the NBA level? We'll see tomorrow night when the Memphis Grizzlies go up against the Portland Trail Blazers.



Kobe has been nothing but smiles since the trade, and promises that there won't be any feuds with other players here in Memphis. And that's the way it should be, because the Grizzlies should be concerned with the opponet more than what someone does in their personal lives. Players like Pau Gasol think that Kobe will fit in great with the team, and feels that his arrival takes the team to a whole different level.

Tommorrow night we get to see our Grizzlies in action, when they go up against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Trail Blazers re-signed Shareef Abdur-Raheem although he and Zach Randolph had problems with playing time. Look for this to be a even matchup and if it goes down to the last second, the Blazers better look out for Kobe. He's been known to put a few daggers in the hearts of Portland fans over the years.


X STARTING LINEUPS

Memphis Grizzlies
C - Lorenzen Wright
PF - Pau Gasol
SF - Shane Battier
SG - Kobe Bryant
PG - Antonio Burks

Portland Trail Blazers
C - Zach Randolph
PF - Shareef Abdur-Rahim
SF - Darius Miles
SG - Derek Andersen
PG - Damon Stoudamire

X KEY MATCHUP



Pau Gasol vs. Shareef Abdur-Rahim

[thaKEAF]

GRIZZLIES.COM
Bryant/Gasol lead Grizz to Victory
November 3, 2005

The Grizzlies stormed on the court and were booed instantly, but they all seemed to be in good spirits. Kobe smiled and joked around with his teammates as they all made their way to center court. Zach Randolph got the tipoff over Lorenzen Wright and the Portland Trail Blazers got the first possesion of the game, Darius Miles was handling the ball. Both teams turned the ball over on their first possesion but a Shane Battier steal led to a fastbreak one handed dunk. On the Trail Blazers next possesion we saw Kobe Bryant rip Derek Andersen, he then made his way down the court and finished with the highlight windmill jam. Damon Stoudamire dropped a three pointer in over Antonio Burks which gave Portland their first points of the game. The Trail Blazers dropped another three pointer and now lead 6-4 early in the 4th quarter. Antonio Burks dribbled a bit and then threw up a three pointer which was all net, those three points were the first of his NBA career. A Pau Gasol block got the ball into Burks hand on the fastbreak who got it to Shane Battier, Battier got it to Lorenzen Wright and he dunked the ball. Pau Gasol then dunked over Shareef Abdur-Rahim which game the Grizzlies a 13-6 lead, and topped a 9-0 run for the Memphis Grizzlies. With 2:53 left in the first quarter Darius Miles slammed one down on Pau Gasol which tied the game at 17-17. Kobe Bryant came down the court and forced his way to the basket and got the easy layup, at this point he led the Grizzlies with 7 points. Kobe and Pau Gasol headed to the bench, and at the end of the quarter the Trail Blazers were up by four points.

End of First Quarter
Memphis Grizzlies (0-0) - 21
Portland Trail Blazers (1-1) - 25

James Posey started off the first quarter for the Grizzlies by getting to the free throw line, he dropped both of them and th grizzlies were now down by two. Ruben Patterson scored on Portland's next possesion, and the Grizzlies turned it over on their next posession. James Posey stole the ball and dunked it and the lead was now cut back down to two points, the Grizzlies had no starters on the court at this point. Vladamir Jovanovski scored the first two points of his career off a Portland goaltend, the lead was still two for the Portland Trail Blazers. Chucky Atkins hit one from long range over his defender and the score was now tied 29-29 with 7:04 left in the second quarter. Nick Van Exel got two baskets in a row, but Vladamir Jovanovski hit another three and the Grizzlies were now down by one point. Kobe returned and caught the inbound pass under the goal, he then laid it up over two Trail Blazers, he had a Memphis high 9 points. Kobe then came back and crossed his way through the entire Trail Blazers team and dunked it with two hands, he hung on the rim as the Portland fans chanted "asshole". After Sebastian Telfair missed a jumper the ball ended up in Kobe's hand, he ran from the baseline, switched hands in mid-air, and jammed it down with one hand over two Blazers. Kobe was now the game's leading scorer with 13 points, the Grizzlies led by 1 with 4:13 left in the second quarter. After a Portland basket, Renjie Onyango scored the first points of his pro career with a layup in the post. Pau Gasol then checked back in and got fouled while going up for a shot, he dropped both freethrows and the Grizzlies now were by three. Antonio Burks got his way to the basket and was fouled in mid-air, but the circus shot dropped and he now had a chance for a three point play. He dropped the freethrow and the Grizzlies lead was back up to three. With 1.4 left in the 2nd quarter, the Grizzlies trailed by three points but Antonio Burks was fouled from beyond the arc. He hit all three of the freethrows and the score was now tied at 55.

Key Players At The Half
Pau Gasol (MEM) - 9 points, 5 blocks, 2 assists
Damon Stoudamire (POR) - 21 points, 2 rebounds

Halftime
Memphis Grizzlies (0-0) - 55
Portland Trail Blazers (1-1) - 55


Pau Gasol and Kobe looked great in their first game together.

After being smacked around in the opening minutes of the third quarter, the Grizzlies then got it together and now trailed by three points. Zach Randolph was then fouled and he put the lead back up to five, Kobe Bryant got the ball and jammed it down with aggression. Once again the lead was cut to three, the score was 65-62 with 6:01 left in the third quarter. Kobe then stole the ball on the next possesion and did a double clutch jam, the Grizzlies were down by one at this point. On the next possesion Antonio Burks crossed over two defenders and laid it up AND ONE! He was fouled, and he hit the freethrow for his second three point play of the game. On the next Grizz possesion, Antonio Burks went for a three but missed. Lorenzen Wright grabbed the offensive board and faked out his defender, he then slammed it down with one hand. At the end of the third quarter the Grizzlies were up by one point.


End Of Third Quarter
Memphis Grizzlies (0-0) - 79
Portland Trail Blazers (1-1) - 78

The Blazers had the ball at the start of the fourth quarter, Damon Stoudamire went for a three but had it blocked by Shane Battier. James Posey then got the ball on the fastbreak and dropped a three pointer from all the way downtown. Two possesions later Chucky Atkins threw up the ball and Pau Gasol finished the alley with a hard dunk. Chucky Atkins then found a way to get the ball to Pau Gasol who dunked the ball on two Portland defenders, he now led the Grizzlies in scoring with 18 points. Chucky Atkins once again came up big for the Memphis Grizzlies and hit a three pointer which made the score 91-78. Portland scored 2 on their next possesion, but Pau Gasol came back with a layup and he now had 20 points. Kobe and Pau both starting working well together and both had 22 at this point, there was 3:28 left in the 4th quarter. The Blazers made a late run but they made one key mistake, they left Kobe open late in the game. They doubled Antonio Burks who tossed the ball to Kobe, who dropped a three pointer with no defender in sight. On the next Grizzlies possesion, Kobe got the ball to rookie Vladamir Jovanovski who hit yet another three pointer. Antonio Burks then got the ball after a Blazer miss, he drew the defense and hit Vladamir Jovanovski with a pass. Vladamir threw up another three pointer and this one fell like the ones before did. The Grizzlies kept the Blazers down by hitting late freethrows, the Grizz celebrated the victory on their way to the locker room.


Final
Memphis Grizzlies (1-0) - 118
Portland Trail Blazers (1-2) - 106


X KEY STATS

Memphis Grizzlies
Paul Gasol - 24 points, 8 blocks, 4 rebounds, 3 assists (POTG)
Kobe Bryant - 25 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals
Lorenzen Wright - 12 points, 11 rebounds
Vladamir Jovanovski - 16 points, 2 assists
Antonio Burks - 13 points, 2 assists

Portland Trail Blazers
Damon Stoudamire - 37 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists
Zach Randolph - 19 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists
Derek Anderson - 17 points
Nick Van Exel - 14 points, 2 assists

[Its_asdf]

Nice game, your recaps are very good and very informative. It looks like that rookie you drafted might be a pretty good generated rookie there too. It's too bad Posey and Dahntay Jones are going to be playing limited roles with Kobe probably sucking up a lot of playing time. They're my favourite players on the Grizz, and if you want to score some more brownie points from me you're going to have to play 'em.

[thaKEAF]

Thanks for the comments.

Posey was in quite a bit, but didn't too much. I think he had maybe 7 points, I'll try to get the ball to him more. As for Dahntay Jones, maybe if a guard gets injured he can get some playing time.

[Mark.]

Nice start dude, I usually wait for awhile before I pass judgement on dynasties, but this one is very solid already. Presentation is very neat.

Id be interested to see what your settings are, and also you should post your team stats.

I take it your playing on ps2?

[thaKEAF]

Yeah, I'm playing on PS2. Can't believe I forgot to post my settings, gonna have to get those on here.

What do you mean by posting team stats?

[-BHZMAFIA-]

Nice start for your first game. The recap was well presented and what he means by team stats is by posting like the team rebounds, assists and etc. after each game. I suggest you post the settings on your first post and how many minutes are you playing and what level are you playing on?

[thaKEAF]

I edited the first post with my settings. Gonna play the second game tonight, updates should be coming soon.