M E M P H I S   G R I Z Z L I E S
Go-To Guy | Weakest Link | Burning Question | Outlook

Grizzlies at a Glance Coach: Sidney Lowe Last Year: 23-59 (Stats) Key Additions: G Gordan Giricek, F Drew Gooden, G Wes Person, C Cezary Trybansky, G Earl Watson Key Losses: G Rodney Buford, F Grant Long, G Will Solomon Projected Starters PG Jason Williams SG Wes Person SF Shane Battier PF Pau Gasol C Stromile Swift Key Subs PG Earl Watson SG Michael Dickerson PF Drew Gooden C Lorenzen Wright

By John Hollinger, CNNSI.com

It might seem unreasonable for a team that lost 59 games last year to be so optimistic about the future, but the Grizzlies have a lot of reasons for their upbeat mood. For starters, they boast a young, talented nucleus that includes two of last year's best rookies, Pau Gasol and Shane Battier. More important, the team hired Jerry West as general manager in the offseason, presumably ending the numbing organizational incompetence that had plagued the franchise since its inception.

The Grizzlies already have cured last year's biggest weaknesses by snagging some talented players to man the wing positions and solidifying their bench. They played all of last season with Grant Long posing as a small forward, which absolutely destroyed the offense. Meanwhile, Battier gamely played out of position at shooting guard.

This year, newly acquired Gordan Giricek and Wesley Person should battle with Michael Dickerson, returned from last year's hip injury, for the starting shooting guard spot. Person's shooting in particular should help, since the Grizzlies were last by a mile in 3-point shooting last year at a pathetic 30.7 percent.

The trio at shooting guard will allow Battier to move to his natural small forward spot, while the overmatched Long will no longer be around to suffocate the offense. In addition, newcomers Drew Gooden and Earl Watson should help fill in a bench that was absolutely pitiful a year ago.

Pau Gasol, F -- Gasol exceeded all expectations during his initial NBA campaign, storming to the Rookie of the Year award with an effective arsenal of shots around the basket and a surprising ability to hold his spot in the post. His ballhandling and coordination are both exceptional for a man his size, and he is young enough to get significantly better.

Gasol won't sneak up on anybody this season, so he needs to get stronger to absorb the pounding he can expect on a nightly basis. He'll be a regular on the All-Star team once he develops his jumper and bulks up some more; meanwhile, the Grizzlies need to make sure he doesn't break down physically.

Mental breakdowns -- Jason Williams and Stromile Swift are two key players on the Grizzlies roster this season, but let's just say they aren't the sharpest pair of scissors in the drawer. Swift couldn't learn the plays and his defensive lapses were uncommonly common; it's his third season now and he needs to get his head in the game.

Meanwhile, Williams has been the league's poster child for wasted talent. He possesses outstanding quickness and dribbling skills, which should make him a great penetrator, but you have a better chance of seeing Al Gore club a seal than seeing Williams get into the paint. Instead, he insists on jacking up contested 3-pointers early in the shot clock, finishing seventh in 3-point attempts despite connecting on just 29.5 percent. Essentially, he is making a conscious choice to feature the weakest part of his game.

Seeing the glass as half full, if Lowe can get those two to play intelligent basketball, their talents are significant enough to put them among the best players at their respective positions. However, it seems more likely they'll go down as two players who never came close to their potential.

Does Jerry West still have the magic touch?

The Logo's credentials speak for themselves, so far be it from me to criticize him. However, his first moves in Memphis have been, well ... interesting. Let's start with the good ones. Drafting Drew Gooden was a hard move to argue against, and while Person's contract isn't very friendly, he came essentially for free.

His other acquisitions were less impressive. He picked up the option on journeyman Eddie Gill for no apparent reason, and payed above the going market rate for Earl Watson. That gives the Grizzlies four point guards with guaranteed contracts, and none of them are even that good. He also signed Cezary Trybansky to a three-year, $4.8 million deal despite his having averaged just six points a game in Poland -- a nation that has never produced an NBA player.

A year away

Fast Facts • Only three clubs won fewer games than the Grizzlies last year, but their 23 wins still tied the franchise record. • The Grizzlies rebounded just 68 percent of opponents' missed shots last year, the lowest percentage in the league.

The Grizzlies will be an improved team this season, but in the cutthroat Western Conference, that may just mean that they'll lose by seven points instead of 12. Though they may struggle, that shouldn't overshadow the good news. The glaring deficiencies on the bench and the wings have been filled, and West brings hope that the bungling of the Vancouver era is a thing of the past. The Grizzlies are still too weak on the boards and at point guard to project as more than a 30-win team, but time is on their side.