Back in October, as part of my season-preview story, I issued seven predictions about the then-upcoming Grizzlies season. With that season now (mercifully?) over, it’s only fair that I look back and see how I did:
1. The Grizzlies will finish last in average home attendance. And it may not even be close. Last season, the Grizzlies finished 29th of 30 NBA teams, outdrawing the Indiana Pacers by about 500 spectators a game. This season, with the Pacers having jettisoned more of the players who alienated a once-strong fan base, the New Orleans Hornets a legit title contender, and the former Seattle Sonics embarking on their first season as the Oklahoma City Thunder, three of last season’s other bottom-five draws should be in line for a significant bump. With the economy in trouble, things will be bad in New Jersey, Charlotte, Sacramento, Milwaukee, and Minnesota, as well. But look for the Grizzlies to be four-digits worse than anyone else this season.
Verdict: I guess I’m happy to report that I wasn’t quite right on this one. The Grizzlies were not a distant last in average home attendance. In fact, they weren’t last at all, coming in 29th again at 12,745 a game, just ahead of the Sacramento Kings at 12,571. The Grizzlies were nearly 1,500 behind the 28th place Pacers. I was dead on about the rest of the dregs: Minnesota, Charlotte, New Jersey, and Milwaukee.
