The Leon Powe Signing: The Grizzlies are adding what is presumably the final piece to their playoff-push roster today with the expected signing of free-agent forward Leon Powe for the remainder of this season.
Powe, like new Grizzlies teammate Tony Allen, is a former member of the Boston Celtics who was scouted and drafted by the Celtics while Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace as part of that team’s front office. He’s probably best known for coming off the bench to score 21 points in 15 minutes against the Lakers in Game 2 of the 2008 NBA Finals.
Wallace wasn’t kidding when he said, recently, that the team was “all in” on the playoff race.
A lack of frontcourt depth was the team’s only immediately addressable need, and credit owner Michael Heisley for giving Wallace the latitude to address it. The same owner who had to be convinced to sign Quinton Ross to a minimum contract a couple of years ago has been more than willing to commit resources to bolster this team’s playoff chances — first bringing in free agent point guard Jason Williams, then taking on extra salary to import Shane Battier back from Houston, and now signing Powe — who was recently bought out by the Cleveland Cavaliers — to bring his team’s roster to the maximum 15. (Powe replaced Rodney Carney, whose 10-day contract with the team had come to an end and who was no longer needed given the acquisition of Battier.)
