Head down to Greenbelt Park Sunday morning for the Outdoors Inc. Cyclocross Championships and some hard-peddling two-wheel action.
Categories
Month: November 2013
- Larry Kuzniewski
- Mike Conley and the Grizzlies have a lot to prove tonight against Golden State.
I think you’re probably as tired of reading “What’s Wrong With The Grizzlies?” pieces as I am of writing them, and we’re only five games into the season. So I’m not going to write another one of those, because I’ve done it twice now.
The more irrational members of the Grizzlies’ fanbase are in full-on panic mode, and though I don’t really subscribe to that ethic, it’s easy to understand what’s motivating some of the panic. This is a team that started 12-2 last year (even though they went on to play exactly .500 through December and January after the hot start), that blew up opposing teams with defense and effort and barely scoring enough points to beat the other guys, and that made the Western Conference Finals thanks to a combination of intensity and toughness and Kendrick Perkins’ all-around awfulness.
The Grizzlies, at their current level of play, are 2-3 right now. The Warriors come into town 4-2, fresh off a loss last night in San Antonio. The wins have come over the Lakers, the Kings, the 76ers, and the Timberwolves, and the losses have come on the road against the Clippers and the aforementioned Spurs. Historically (as in, over the last two or three seasons), the Grizzlies have had the Warriors’ number, but these circumstances would appear to be a little different.
If the Grizzlies can come out tonight and play the style of defense for which they’ve become known around the league—anchored by Marc Gasol’s brilliance and Tony Allen executing his role as the Lord of Basketball Chaos—they should be able to at least slow down the scoring attack of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
Golden State’s addition of Andre Igoudala (who I wanted to trade Rudy Gay for for a long time) gives them help on the defensive end that can occasionally get hot from three himself. Andrew Bogut is healthy for the first time I can remember, and is playing very well. Somehow, the ghost of Jermaine O’Neal is also on this team, presumably because the Warriors offered more money than the Crypt Keeper. They’re a good team, a team that historically has struggled on defense whose defensive rating—93.6 points allowed per 100 possessions—is good for 2nd in the league at the moment.
It’s going to go one of two ways:
Scenario One: The Grizzlies, embarrassed by being booed off the court Wednesday and bolstered by two days of good practice and home cooking and finally snapped out of whatever torpor they’ve been in since the Raptors preseason game, come out and play their brand of defense and stop taking stupid 20-foot jumpers on offense. Mike Miller does not play 25 minutes and thus does not negatively impact the defense by being played too much. Z-Bo is so happy about Zach Jr., who was born during Wednesday’s Pelicans game, that be clobbers David Lee so badly that Lee immediately retires from basketball, scoring 40 points in the process.
Scenario Two: The Grizzlies come out and play crappy defense again. Marc Gasol wanders around the lane, not defending well and not facilitating on offense in a smart way. Mike Miller plays 30 minutes and Andre Igoudala schools him on both ends of the floor. The poor offensive play allows Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to get out in transition early and often, and the Grizzlies get run out of their own building, losing by 40 points.
Those are exaggerated, of course—Lee might wait a week before retiring—but you catch my drift. If we see “the old Grizzlies” tonight, the Griz are going to make a big step towards getting back on track sooner rather than later, and the fans who think the whole thing is doomed will probably start to calm down. If we see the team that we’ve seen in the last five games, and, importantly, if some of those lineups stay the same, playing every guy on the roster except the racing-to-the-hospital Z-Bo ten minutes or more, the Warriors are going to win, and then the Grizzlies go into a road game in Indiana Monday 2-4, probably return home to play Rudy Gay and the improved Raptors on Wednesday and either come back to 3-4 or fall to 2-5, and then…
…they head off on the dreaded November West Coast Road Trip of Death that always seems to put the Grizzlies in a hole to start every season. If the Grizzlies can’t get it together tonight—and, hoenstly, one game is a pretty quick turnaround and I’m not sure it’s reasonable to expect them to fix everything in two days’ time—it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
Strap in, folks. Tonight’s a big one.
Categories
Tigers Top CBU, 92-63
Frank Murtaugh reports on Memphis pre-season win over hometown rival CBU, Friday night.
Categories
Prayer, Praise, and Healing
The Levitt Shell will host a day of “prayer, praise, and healing” on Saturday. With lots of great music, as well.
Categories
Tigers take exhibition with CBU
In what’s become an annual preseason tune-up between Bluff City basketball teams, Memphis led the Buccaneers of CBU start to finish, cruising after halftime to a 92-63 victory. The game is the one and only formal preseason contest for the Tigers, who open the 2013-14 season next Thursday night at FedExForum against Austin Peay.
- Larry Kuzniewski
- Michael Dixon
The game offered local fans their first look at several Tiger rookies, most notably a group of five freshmen all aspiring for spots in Josh Pastner’s rotation. Austin Nichols (late of Briarcrest) started, scored nine points, and grabbed four rebounds in 16 minutes. Nick King (East High School) called to mind former swingman Will Barton, with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and three steals in 22 minutes on the floor. The Tigers’ largest player — Dominic Woodson — converted all seven of his field-goal attempts, displaying a soft touch within 10 feet of the basket. Kuran Iverson scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds, bringing Tiger coach Josh Pastner virtually out of his shoes with joy on a put-back dunk in the second half. (Iverson will sit out next week’s opener, having been suspended for violating an NCAA regulation on summer-league play.) Markel Crawford (Melrose) played 17 minutes, more than he’s likely to see once the Tigers hit the meat of their schedule.
Another new face — senior Michael Dixon, a transfer from Missouri — led Memphis with 18 points and five assists, while fellow senior guard Geron Johnson added 11. Drew Hildreth led the Buccaneers with 18 points off the bench.
The Tigers shot 52 percent from the field for the game, but made only 58 percent of their free throws (15 for 26). They outrebounded the smaller Bucs, 47-34.
Check back Monday for more reflections from tonight’s exhibition, and thoughts on the new season ahead.
Categories
Bo-Keys Behind the Scenes
Scott Bomar’s Electraphonic label has a new batch of singles out. There’s a wicked cool video to boot:
TV’s Judge Greg Mathis, of Memphis, stars in a new show tonight on BET.
From a release from the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission:
BET’s new docu-series, The Mathis Project, premieres tonight at 9 p.m. The production, an effort by BET and TV’s Judge Greg Mathis, filmed some episodes in Memphis and was assisted by the Memphis & Shelby County Film and Television Commission.
As described by BET, “Judge Mathis unites local volunteers and law enforcement to gather information that has the potential to solve the case — and get community members to do what, for some, is unthinkable: reveal what they know. Mathis’ investigative skills will bring these cases to a close by exposing the truth that witnesses, anonymous tipsters and ‘word on the street’ sources have kept hidden for years.”
The no-nonsense retired judge is well known for his NBC reality court show, Judge Mathis, which began its 15th season in September.
Earlier this year, Fox13’s Les Smith did a piece on the filming of the show. His story is here.
As Judge Mathis says, “Last year, more than 6,000 African Americans were victims of homicide. More than 2,000 of those homicides are still unsolved. We’re going to reopen some of those cold cases and go into some of our toughest neighborhoods to see what I can do to help solve them. It’s time for things to change from the ground up.”
[jump]
And here’s Mathis talking about his show:
- hthmemphis.org
This Saturday, Heal the Hood Foundation of Memphis is holding its second annual celebrity basketball game. The organization will use the event to highlight the city’s youth gun violence issue and raise funds to help combat it.
The “Hoops For A Cause Celebrity Basketball Game” will take place November 9th in Ridgeway High School’s gymnasium. It will feature the likes of rap artists Master P. and Romeo, teen actress and singer Cymphonique Miller, Atlantic Records R&B crooner and Disney star Trevor Jackson, former University of Memphis basketball players, and many more. It’s scheduled to start at 3 p.m.
Prior to the basketball game, around 400 kids between the ages of eight and 16 years old will participate in the “Let the Kids Grow Basketball Camp.” The camp will last from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Representatives from Memphis Gun Down and the Gang Reduction Assistance for Saving Society’s Youth (G.R.A.S.S.Y) program will be in attendance to speak with youth about gang and gun violence, and encourage them to keep their life on the right track.
In a report released by 24/7 Wall Street, a financial news and commentary website, Memphis was named the fifth most dangerous city in America. The information was compiled from Federal Bureau of Investigation data.
“The thing that keeps getting overlooked and doesn’t get the funding, is the violence in the city of Memphis,” said LaDell Beamon, founder of Heal the Hood. “With ‘Hoops for a Cause,’ we’re raising money to deal with the situations that constantly keep plaguing these young people. We look at that as a cancer in itself. It’s kind of like a social cancer, because that’s the reason why so many kids are killing each other, bringing guns to school, and it’s so much violence.”
Around 2:30 p.m., there will be a pre-show featuring R&B artist Iyse Gibson and rapper Lil Kaotik. This will be followed by the celebrity basketball. T-Magic the magician will also be on hand to entertain kids during the event. A half-time performance will be provided by Jackson.
Tickets for the event are $15 in advance and $25 at the door. Anyone who brings three or more canned goods will receive a $2 discount on their admission. The canned goods will be donated to the Memphis Food Bank.
Beamon said Heal the Hood will utilize funds raised from the event to launch a community hub for youth, which will offer them a variety of resources and extracurricular activities to access. The hub will be located inside of Lanier Middle School and be open to youth ages 10 to 15 years old.
Beamon thinks by providing inner-city youth with more positive outlets, the presence of gun violence will be reduced.
“Kids from the Whitehaven Community, and surrounding schools, [will] actually [be able to] come inside the school on after-school hours and take up classes anywhere from comic book design to learning audio engineering, recording, dance, martial arts, the whole nine yards,” Beamon said. “We’re recruiting for it now. The grand opening will be after Thanksgiving.”
Beamon said Heal the Hood aspires to open up a store inside of the community hub, which will sell reasonably-priced shoes and clothing. Older-aged teens will be provided employment at the store.
For more information on Heal the Hood or the “Hoops For A Cause” event, visit hthmemphis.org.
Check out my website: ahumblesoul.com
Follow me on Twitter: @Lou4President
Friend me on Facebook: Louis Goggans
Categories
Broad Avenue Fall Art Walk
Get on over to Broad Avenue Friday night for the Fall Art Walk. Seventy artists, music galore, and good food and drink.
Categories
Pot, Gays, and PBO
Bruce VanWyngarden has done some scientific research and has come up with a startling find.