Note: Starting my season-preview stuff with a series of posts on individual players and topics leading up to next week’s season-preview piece in the print edition of the Flyer.
- Larry Kuzniewski
- Lionel Hollins and his coaching staff will be challenged to makes the parts fit offensively, but they have plenty to work with.
ESPN.com made its Western Conference predictions today and, unsurprisingly, the Grizzlies didn’t grade out very well, with a consensus prediction of 13th out of 15 teams in the West.
Two of the panel (John Hollinger and David Thorpe) referenced the Grizzlies’ assist problems in their notes, and the potential of new additions Zach Randolph and Allen Iverson to only exacerbate the problem.
This is also not surprising, as passing and assists have been a constant topic of concern around this team, and for good reason: The Grizzlies were dead last in assist ratio among NBA teams last season, and it wasn’t even close.
O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay both spent a lot of time going one-on-one last season, and Randolph and Iverson both have a long track record of being high-volume shooters who create a lot of their own shots. Can you really incorporate four players like this into a functioning offense?
