Tag: Chandler Parsons

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Beyond the Arc Sports

The Chandler Parsons Error Comes To An End

CREDIT: Joe Murphy (NBAE/Getty Images)

Joe Murphy (NBAE/Getty Images)

Chandler Parsons

In their 18 years of existence in Memphis, the Memphis Grizzlies have had their fair share of eras. There was the “Young and Hungry” era that kicked off their first years in town, with players like Pau Gasol, Shane Battier, Jason Williams, and Stromile Swift. There was the “Three Year Plan” era that consisted of a rebuilding unit focused around Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick, Kyle Lowry, and Mike Conley. Then there was, of course, the “Grit ‘n Grind” era that included the Mt. Grizzmore of Grizzlies lore: Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, and Tony Allen.

There was also an era that started in the summer of 2016 that included the hiring of David Fizdale as head coach, drafting Wade Baldwin, and acquiring Deyonta Davis, Rade Zagorac, Troy Daniels, and James Ennis. This era was also headlined by the signing of Chandler Parsons, who will probably go down as the worst signing in franchise history.

Now it’s over. The Grizzlies have traded Parsons and his $94 million contract to the Atlanta Hawks for Miles Plumlee and Solomon Hill.

Parsons wasn’t to blame for all of the things that have happened to the team since his acquisition, but it would be hard to believe otherwise, based on fan and media opinion. Whether it be memes, jokes about how he never plays, or cheap shots taken at the condition of his knees, Parsons has been the butt of many jokes and the scapegoat for most of the Grizzlies’ perceived shortcomings. No money to sign someone? Blame it on Chandler Parsons. Zach Randolph is coming off the bench? Parsons’ fault. No good wings? Yep. Chandler Parsons.

Parsons was supposed to be the bridge from the Core Four into a new Big Three era consisting of Conley, Gasol, and Parsons.

It didn’t happen.

A healthy Chandler Parsons would have been just what the franchise needed. A tall, play-making wing who could shoot from three and had decent enough defense to hold his own. But yeah, that never happened. Parsons was damaged goods when the team signed him, and his efforts to rehab and get back into form from his knee injuries, although admirable, were cringe-worthy.

I was never among the crowd that took pleasure in Parsons suffering what amounted to a career-ending injury while trying to salvage a career. But Parsons didn’t do much to help his own case, either. He wasn’t conscious of how certain things came off to the fan-base.
Showcasing his playboy lifestyle and the spoils of his riches while the fans weren’t getting any payoff on the court was a bad look. It’s not his fault that he had Chick-O-Sticks for knees, but he did a horrible job of understanding or empathizing with the fan base. “Chancun,” anyone? Michael Donahue

Chandler Parsons and Joakim Noah hanging at Gibson’s Donuts.

Some things said about Parsons were either overblown or false. Many fans assumed that because they were disgruntled with Parsons, the players in the locker room had issues with him as well. Although they wanted him to be able to produce, I’ve been told by a number of sources that Chandler was among the locker room favorites, and seen as a professional by his teammates.

In any event, finding a taker for Parsons — and his knees and his contract — is a great thing, especially considering that the Grizzlies didn’t have to send out any additional assets or take on a contract that extends beyond this season. It blows away a cloud of incompetency that still hovered over the franchise from the previous regime and gives the current front office a fair shake and a clean slate.

It’s the end of an era and the end of an error.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

Larry Kuzniewski

Everybody poops. Just ask my 8-month-old daughter. Or the Grizzlies when they shat the bed in a 111-83 loss at the Pacers to start the season. It’s a part of life. Poop is smelly and gross, but it can also be funny and heartwarming. Need proof?

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117

As far as Grizzlies gamebreak entertainment goes, this one is immediately in my top ten. The premise is perfect for Conley and Gasol, both fathers with young children. The video says so much about them, even though the two men barely utter a word. You see them as humans and fathers. You see their personalities. You see how they’re able to have a conversation without words.

Conley and Gasol scored 11 and 13 points, respectively, with heavy minutes in the season-opening blowout loss against the Indianapolis Pacers. The Grizzlies’ overall team offense looked flat and dysfunctional. Nobody could break down the Pacers’ defense. Grizzlies fans were quick to hit the panic button on Twitter, with some calling Gasol washed up.

That foul mood changed Friday night, when Conley and Gasol revived their high-level two-man play, proving they can still be the engine of a successful team. Conley sped all over the court, breaking down defenders off the dribble, swishing two threes, and setting up his teammates with 11 assists. Gasol didn’t appear to be limited by the back spasms he experienced earlier that morning, running the floor normally and whipping crisp passes to his teammates to the tune of 5 assists.
Larry Kuzniewski

Although they didn’t lead the way in scoring, Conley and Gasol’s two-man game set the table for the rest of the team. The Grizzlies would hope to see this pattern repeated throughout the regular season, as Conley and Gasol are aging veterans with lots of mileage, and they should conserve their energy and health as much as they’re able before the Grizzlies are (hopefully) wrestling for playoff seeding.
Larry Kuzniewski


In his first regular season game with the Grizzlies at FedExForum, Garrett Temple quickly caught fire, and that blaze raged for the rest of the night. He lit up the Grindhouse with 30 points on 10-11 shooting, and was nearly flawless from deep, hitting 5-6. He also defended and handled the ball well.

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117 (2)

Was he 100 percent happy with his performance? In the locker room after the game, Temple said “I was actually real upset at myself for giving up that three to Taurean Prince — the first three he got.” When asked about Temple in his postgame presser, Coach J.B. Bickerstaff was quick to laud his defense, saying that there will be some nights where Temple won’t hit as many shots, but he’ll lock down the opponent’s best player.

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117 (3)


Larry Kuzniewski

How did the Grizzlies’ top draft pick do in his first home game of his first NBA season? Let’s just say he’s doing a pretty good job at endearing himself to the fanbase.

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117 (4)

Triple-J poured in 24 points off the bench, shooting 8-12 and going 2-4 from deep. His length and quickness transformed the defense. His shooting and defensive impact come as no surprise. What does surprise me, however, is how good he looks in the post and attacking the paint. Consistently, he was able to use his size, strength, and athleticism to work his way into the paint and finished over defenders like 7’1″ Alex Len. His touch around the rim has been impressive.

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117 (5)

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117 (7)

Chandler Parsons got the start over Kyle Anderson, but played fewer minutes than Anderson. Parsons shot 3-6 from deep and contributed 11 points in the game. One sequence stood out to me in particular: Conley beep-beeped through the defense and jumped beneath the rim, and slung a pass to Gasol at the top of the arc. Gasol immediately swung the ball to a wide-open Parsons for a made triple. It was a rare glimpse at the power of what the three highest-paid Grizzlies can do to a defense when they’re healthy and in sync.

I wrote about this in-depth for the Flyer‘s cover story this week, but the Grizzlies basically haven’t seen and don’t know the capabilities of a healthy version of this team. I’m betting that those unknowns play out as unexpected positives. Did you know that the Grizzlies set a franchise record last night by scoring 77 points in the first half?

Larry Kuzniewski

The one down note from the home-opening win was JaMychal Green’s injury. He broke his jaw colliding with a player’s elbow while contesting a fast break dunk attempt. He hit the ground, pounded the court with his hand, hopped up, and ran straight to the locker room. He underwent a “surgical stabilization procedure” this morning.

J.B. Bickerstaff said the injury shows how selfless Green is — that he was the only one contesting a difficult play. And how tough do you have to be to leap up off the floor and jog to the locker room with a broken jaw?

Dillon Brooks saw limited minutes, logging just two in the first half, but got more run in the second. Even though he was (conspicuously, for Grizzlies fans) on the bench for most of the first half, Brooks was highly engaged, celebrating when Shelvin Mack hit a buzzer-beating floater, and jumping up and cheering harder than anyone else when Jackson slammed home a lob.

Andrew Harrison didn’t play at all in the home opener. And unlike Brooks, he seems disengaged, seclusive, and dissatisfied sitting on the bench. I don’t know how much to read into that, though, since their personalities are so different and perhaps that’s just how Harrison is in general. In any case, people forget how good Andrew Harrison was at the end of last season, and he’s by far the best defender among Grizzlies point guards. I hope Memphis manages to work him into the rotation again, because he brings a lot to the table when he’s playing well.

The Grizzlies de-escalated an anxious fanbase on Friday. They’ll look to build some momentum when they take on one of the West’s scariest teams, the Utah Jazz, on Monday on the road.

Burn of the night:

Grizzlies Maul Hawks 131 – 117 (6)

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Cover Feature News

Out of the Blue

CREDIT: Joe Murphy/NBAE

The Memphis Grizzlies will catch you, the NBA — and maybe even themselves — off guard in 2018-19. If the team can stay healthy, Marc Gasol and Mike Conley will enjoy a supporting cast that’s the best fit for their talents they’ve ever had — and one that’s ideal for the pace-and-space era.

You heard it here first: Assuming the Grizzlies avoid the kinds of extraordinary injury issues that plagued the past two seasons, they will make the playoffs. If the Grizzlies are healthy in the playoffs, this season’s iteration of the team will be well-suited to upset any of the NBA’s current elite, so yes … they could win it all.

Joe Murphy/NBAE

Mike Conely and Marc Gasol

Memphis hasn’t seen Marc Gasol and Mike Conley play a meaningful stretch of games since Tony Allen and Zach Randolph’s departure fundamentally reshaped the landscape of the court by adding spacing and broadening lanes to the rim. Conley was playing the best offensive basketball of his career in the season before last year’s injury-wash. Marc Gasol started shooting threes just two seasons ago, and the Grizzlies have not been able to utilize this aspect of his game while paired with Conley at his best for any length of time.  

In his 2017-18 League Pass Watchability rankings, analyst Zach Lowe said, “Gasol and Conley work the most subtly gorgeous two-man game in the league — a bob-and-weave, give-and-go symphony only possible when two genius players compile a half-decade of shared knowledge.” Lowe came to this assessment when Conley and Gasol played on a team that routinely offered the league’s worst spacing. This unparallelled two-man game will fuel many wins if it’s operating on a team that can space the floor, knock down open threes, and widen driving lanes to the rim.

The return of the Conley/Gasol two-man game, and the fate of the “win now” Grizzlies, mainly rests in Conley’s hands. His value can’t be overstated for Memphis: He’s an elite NBA point guard who can carry the team with his scoring and facilitate the offense as a floor general. The Grizzlies have no replacement for what Conley brings to the team, and they will not contend if he can’t play or if he’s seriously limited. Speaking of which, there’s a frightening stat that shows guards under a certain height experience a tremendous statistical drop off after a certain age, and Conley is a candidate to fit that pattern.

On his fantastic Patreon page, writer Matt Hrdlicka calculated a list of guards 6’3″ or under, age 29 or older, who were as good as Conley was in 2016-17. The list is only five people long, including Conley, and features Chris Paul, 2016-17 Kyle Lowry, and Chauncey Billups and Steve Nash. The majority of smaller guards not on this list experienced drop-offs in explosiveness and quickness, two things Conley will need in order to get to the rim, set up his teammates, and play at a level where it’s still reasonable for the Grizzlies to win.

Conley’s time in the league and the energy he’s had to expend for the Grizzlies to win stands out on Hrdlicka’s list, so the odds — and time — wouldn’t appear to be on Conley’s side. Which is to say, it may be now or never for these Grizzlies. The hope is that a healthier team, and new ball-handling and play-making personnel, will alleviate Conley’s burden and prolong his ability to play in the league. Speaking of new guys …

Joe Murphy/NBAE

Kyle Anderson

Kyle Anderson may end up being the biggest Grizzlies non-draft acquisition since Zach Randolph. Like Randolph, he’s contractually locked in to spend his prime years with Memphis. Anderson likely won’t have the same cultural impact as ZBo — nor the potent, ride-that-horse type of scoring, but he will be able to defend multiple positions against the best teams in the NBA, take over some ball-handling and facilitation responsibilities, and stick around for a while.

Anderson probably won’t be awarded accolades like Tony Allen got as the league’s best one-on-one defender, but he will be a better and more versatile overall team defender. It’s a role that’s better suited for combatting the pace-and-space Curry-Thompson-Durants and CP3-Harden team-ball that now dominates the league instead.

Plus, unlike Allen, who was often a liability on offense, Anderson can keep the offense running. Also, with Anderson potentially in the starting lineup, Conley won’t have to hit the gas as often, and can play off the ball. I can’t wait to see how Anderson looks in an expanded role.

Joe Murphy/NBAE

Chandler Parsons

Another development this season that may take many by surprise is Chandler Parsons. Ever since the ill-considered #Chancun Instagram, we’ve grown accustomed to Parsons maintaining a relatively clean PR presence. He’s now sharing Instagram videos of innovative workouts and gym shootarounds. But he kicked things up a notch this year by writing a “letter to Memphis” in the Players’ Tribune. Chandler basically tried to bury the hatchet with frustrated Grizzlies fans and detailed the impressive efforts he’s made to rehab his body. He says he woke up early and spent most of his days rehabbing and fortifying his body with a litany of exercises. He flew to Germany so doctors could inject his knees with enormous needles, using the same treatment that revived Eric Gordon’s career. Parsons certainly makes the case that this year will be different, and if training camp and preseason have been any indication, he might be telling the truth. He’s running the court well, knocking down threes, and even played both nights in a pre-season back-to-back.

Parsons wants to prove that he still has it, and he appears to be on track to becoming a reliable wing that can provide scoring and playmaking off the bench. If his health and ability return to near what the Grizzlies signed him to be, the Grizzlies could start either Parsons or Anderson, depending on the defense and shooting necessitated by the opponent. So, Kyle Anderson may be the biggest acquisition since Zbo … unless it’s year-three Chandler Parsons pulling an Eric Gordon. If that’s the case, look for Conley and Gasol’s efficiency and production to spike in ways not unlike the success seen by other stars around the league who are teaming up in threes and fours.

The Grizzlies also appear to be on the verge of starting their best shooting guard since Courtney Lee. Garrett Temple, the likely starter, is a reliable veteran and a classic 3-and-D player. He will also help the Grizzlies reclaim their strong defensive identity.

Don’t sleep on Wayne Selden, though. He’s another player that could catch people off guard this season. Analysts pinned him for a potential big breakout season at the beginning of last year, but he was sidelined due to the same quad-injury that plagued Kawhi Leonard. Selden’s sample size from when he was healthy with the Grizzlies is tiny, but he shot very well from three and packed a lot of athleticism and rim-attacking ability into the two spot. It’s another small sample size, but Selden thrived when he was given the opportunity in a preseason game against the Pacers, scoring 16 points and dishing nine assists in 27 minutes of play. Selden could provide more of a scoring punch in the starting lineup, or serve as a backup point guard behind Conley.

Having options for backup point guard is another overlooked development that will make this team more successful than most have predicted this season. The Marc & Mike Grizzlies have frequently suffered from not having a backup primary ball-handler that can facilitate the offense. By adding a veteran backup point guard like Shelvin Mack, and ball-handlers like Kyle Anderson, Conley won’t have to shoulder the floor general burden alone.

JaMychal Green is another player who could surprise people with his effort and production this season. It’ll be a contract year for the power forward, and he should see better looks more often from deep with the makeup and health of this year’s roster. Green’s steady ability to defend the four and space the floor gives rookie Jaren Jackson Jr. plenty of time to adapt to the NBA, which is nice, because overextended young big men tend to get injured.

Joe Murphy/NBAE

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Speaking of Jaren Jackson Jr., I think it’s possible he may go down as the best player to ever wear a Grizzlies uniform. His youth, size, quickness, ability to guard the perimeter, block rate, 3-point percentage, and FT percentage made Jackson’s ceiling — and unicorn potential — stand out in the recent draft class. The Commercial Appeal‘s Peter Edmiston, one of my favorite number-crunching analysts covering the Grizzlies, had Luka Doncic and Jaren Jackson Jr. on a tier far above everyone else, and I think he’ll end up being right in his assessment.

Jackson can defend the perimeter, protect the rim, space the floor, hit threes, and sink free throws. Many big men aren’t able to remain on the court late in games due to poor free throw shooting and difficulty guarding the perimeter. Jackson will have no such issues. But Grizzlies fans will need to be patient with Jackson, as foul problems should be expected for a 19-year-old rookie big man. If Jackson had one serious knock on his NBA potential going into the draft, it was his ability to score in the paint and the post, but that aspect of his game has steadily improved with each game he’s played. Don’t forget to thank the tanking gods for Triple-J.

One of the most difficult reads an NBA team’s front office and head coach have to make is whether their team should try to win now or rebuild for the future. How much of your future are you willing to compromise to try to win at this moment? Should the rotation lean on its stars and veterans if mid-level playoff success is not a forgone conclusion? How do you walk the line between winning games and developing players further down the bench so your team becomes deeper and ultimately better equipped to compete in the playoffs?

The call was easy to make last season. With Conley going down early, Parsons not healthy for most of the season, and Gasol being the only star besides Tyreke Evans on a team with no consistency or identity, it was clear that the season was a wash.

To anti-tankers: I say Jaren Jackson Jr. is better than losing in the first round of the playoffs and getting some broke-ass project like Michael Porter Jr.

Injuries have kept the Grizzlies from finding and refining their next identity. Memphis has been wandering in the wilderness, to an extent, ever since Grit ‘n Grind reached the true end of its road in a four-game sweep by the Spurs in the 2013 Western Conference Finals.

The Grizzlies finally moved on from that anachronistic blueprint in 2017, when they shipped off ZBo and TA, but the team had barely scratched the surface of its new identity last year (beating the Warriors and Rockets in the first couple weeks of the season) before Conley went down.

The Grizzlies were lauded for having some of the best locker-room chemistry in the league before falling on hard times. And in that nadir season, what was the worst thing that happened? Marc Gasol got fussy? That pales in comparison to the days of punching teammates in the face over gambling debts while on the team plane, or the well-documented feuds that have plagued other teams in the league. Another bonus from last year’s disastrous tank-a-thon season was Dillon Brooks, who grew into a solid rotation player and gives the team yet another weapon.

The Grizzlies have a mature locker room that isn’t driven by ego, and additions such as Garrett Temple and Anderson can only fortify the status quo. The Grizzlies team chemistry up and down the roster should prove to be an advantage as new players gel and find their roles.

On the Grizzlies’ Media Day, Conley said he and Gasol had signed their recent contracts with the intention of retiring as Grizzlies. When pressed about his plans in the year before his player option, Gasol was less forthcoming, saying that it was hard for him to make guarantees when he didn’t know what the future would look like.

It would’ve been nice if he’d given a more comforting response, but I think Gasol appreciates better than most how much the unknown governs the game — and players’ careers. The Grizzlies could get bitten by the injury bug again, and Gasol might find himself wanting to join another team to contend for a title while he still has gas left in the tank.

In a worst-case scenario, this could be Conley and Gasol’s last season playing together in Memphis. But it could also be a beginning that brings a return of high-level playoff action to FedExForum. I think most of the litany of unknowns going into the season will reveal themselves as unexpected positives. And I believe that you should be more excited for NBA basketball in Memphis than ever before.

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Watanabe, Conley, Gasol, Jackson Speak Out at Grizzlies Media Day

Memphis inched closer to the return of Grizzlies basketball with media day on Monday. There were a couple of themes that ran throughout, including youth meshing with veteran leadership in the locker room, and the international media’s infatuation with Japanese basketball star and two-way signee Yuta Watanabe. Here are some major takeaways (both basketball-related and not) from some key players.

Dillon Brooks seemed relaxed and focused. He cracked a couple good jokes while saying everything you’d want to hear from a dynamic young guard looking to take the next step as a player.

Watanabe, Conley, Gasol, Jackson Speak Out at Grizzlies Media Day (4)

Asked about Marc and Mike getting older, Dillon Brooks said the Grizzlies have a lot of youth. “It’s like when grandma and grandpa get a new grandbaby: it gives them new life.” Despite literally calling them grandparents, Brooks expressed gratitude for Conley and Gasol. From Gasol getting drafted by the Lakers and traded to Memphis, and how he’s changed his bod, to Mike Conley getting drafted 4th overall and experiencing a slow start to his career (where often he’d only play in home games), Dillon said they’ve been like mentors, sharing the wisdom they’ve gained from their adversities.

Jaren Jackson Jr. opened his inaugural media day appearance by saying he’s excited for the new Young Thug album, and that casual ebullience characterized much of his interview and presence. When asked about his first post-contract luxury purchase, Jaren answered without hesitation: “Scorpion,” by Drake. He followed that up by saying he’s actually going to take it easy on luxury purchases.
Matt Preston

One thing that frequently bothers me in the NBA world is the lack of representation for Memphis in the league’s TV promos, League Pass commercials, etc. I know Memphis is a small market, but the Grizzlies just drafted a theoretical unicorn with the fourth pick, and he had an amazing Summer League outing. So why is Jaren Jackson conspicuously absent from promos that tease the incoming rookie class? When I asked Jaren about this, he was at a loss for words, and said he doesn’t pay much attention to sports on TV, lauding Netflix instead.

Watanabe, Conley, Gasol, Jackson Speak Out at Grizzlies Media Day (3)

I asked Jackson what he’s currently into on Netflix, and that kick started a lengthy aside about Ozark, and trying to remember a particular episode with another reporter. In some small way, I feel partly responsible for 40 percent of JJJ’s appearance being Ozark-related, but it was a fun glimpse into Jackson’s easygoing and easy-to-talk-to personality. But don’t let Jackson’s amiable spirit mislead you.

Leading up to training camp, Jackson says he’s focused on conditioning, improving his shot, and being aggressive and explosive. While he amicably interrupted a couple other player interviews to bust chops or crack a joke, you get the sense that he’s an open, positive, and constructive communicator, and the Grizzlies hope to see that translate into being a vocal leader and defender on the court. For what it’s worth, Conley said Jackson’s already a pretty good leader in his appearance. Speaking of…

Matt Preston

Conley appeared to be in good spirits, and there’s plenty of positive buzz about his health. Responding to questions about the Grizzlies’ dismal year last season, Conley said “last year was an anomaly,” remarking on the all the consecutive playoff appearances in years prior. Conley also talked about helping younger players in the locker room, giving them advice on staying out of trouble, and the importance of nutrition and adequate sleep

Gasol spent a decent amount of his time fielding questions about saving lives and helping refugees stranded in the Mediterranean Sea. He said his love for his young daughter motivated him to get involved with helping refugee children in the off-season, and truly seems to have experienced something that was bigger than basketball and bigger than himself. Gasol said he wants to sit down with someone in the media and have a longer conversation about the issue.
Matt Preston

Gasol also mentioned he’s heard the criticism that he’s too harsh on his teammates when they make mistakes, and plans to adjust his leadership to be more supportive in that regard. Just don’t ask him to be even slightly okay with lapses on defense.

Matt Preston

Kyle Anderson said he’s ready to take on more pressure and responsibility in Memphis, and showed the old grit-n-grind Grizzlies a lot of love and respect (having played against Memphis as a San Antonio Spur). He believes that playing with Pau taught him how to move off the ball, and prepared him to play with Marc. Maybe they’ll have quick chemistry?

Matt Preston

On an unsurprising note, Garrett Temple confirmed that he found out about his move to Memphis from NBA writer Adrian Wojnarowski, with his agent calling to confirm minutes afterward. Temple said he’s excited to join a team that wants to win now, and expects the Grizzlies to make the playoffs. Temple came across every bit the well-composed veteran, which is interesting, because his locker borders Jackson’s. “Most of the time he’s smiling and laughing and telling us about rappers he likes,” Temple said of Jackson.

Matt Preston

Monday was JB Bickerstaff’s first Grizzlies media day as head coach, and he was dialed-in heading into his first training camp. He pushed back harder than anyone at notions of Gasol and Conley beginning their decline. It’ll be interesting to see how this team looks out of the gate and into the mid-season, especially if the Grizzlies manage to avoid the Injury Vortex.

Watanabe, Conley, Gasol, Jackson Speak Out at Grizzlies Media Day (2)

And finally, the one, the only, Yuta Watanabe. His presence was felt long before he even entered the room. It felt like half the media present at media day were reporters from Japan, solely there because of the 6’9″ international sensation. His name bled into almost every player interview, as the international reporters asked everyone on the team about their thoughts on Watanabe.
Watanabe went out of his way to thank his family and friends for their support. One of his favorite players to watch growing up was Shaq, he said, and while he hasn’t had any BBQ in Memphis, he has been to Sekisui.

Watanabe, Conley, Gasol, Jackson Speak Out at Grizzlies Media Day

Categories
Letter From The Editor Opinion

Amazon Prime-time

There’s been a lot of discussion lately about luring Amazon to build its second company headquarters, to be called Amazon HQ2, in Memphis. In early October, the city council voted to offer the mammoth online retail giant $60 million in cash incentives to move to the Bluff City.

“Amazon, here we come,” said council chairman Berlin Boyd, after the vote. To which I say, slow your roll, Berlin.

To put the council’s offer in perspective, consider that last summer, the Grizzlies paid $94 million to sign Chandler Parsons to a four-year deal.

To put the offer in even more stark perspective, consider that Amazon is worth more than $500 billion (with a “b”), and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ personal worth is around $87 billion. Offering Amazon $60 million to come to Memphis is like offering to buy Chandler Parsons dinner at Folk’s Folly in order to get him to accept a trade to the Brooklyn Nets.

Pardon me if I don’t have much optimism about this deal.

Many cities around the country are eager to become home to Amazon’s HQ2, and why not? The company says it plans to spend $5 billion to build its new facility, which would theoretically create 50,000 new jobs, including 2,500 positions that would pay at least $60,000 a year. That’s a big game changer for any city. For Memphis, it would be transformative.

According to city leaders, there could be other incentives from Shelby County, the state of Tennessee, and the Economic Development Growth Engine (EDGE) in the package, but few details have emerged.

But let’s take a look at Memphis’ competition. Dallas is offering a $15-billion bullet-train-based headquarters. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is putting together an incentive package worth $7 billion, including up to $10,000 for each job created. Philadelphia is offering three sites with 28 million square feet of development space in an area already served by transit, retail, and residential spaces. Chicago, Phoenix, and other major cities are also readying pitches for the October 19th deadline. And Stonecrest, Georgia, is offering to rename itself Amazon, which is certainly going the extra mile.

Amazon has set forth several “key preferences” for its proposed new second home: Suitable buildings and sites are of “paramount importance.” Other preferences cited include a “stable and business-friendly environment and tax structure,” incentives from local and state governments, and finally, there’s this: “A highly educated labor pool is critical and a strong university system is required.”

Oops.

No offense to our fine local colleges and universities, but it would be difficult to make the case that Memphis has a highly educated labor force. In a 2017 WalletHub ranking of the country’s 150 “best-educated cities,” Memphis comes in at 114, just behind Montgomery, Alabama. Only 39 percent of Memphians have a college degree.

Don’t get me wrong. I truly hope the city pulls off a Memphis miracle and lands the Amazon deal, but we’d be foolish to count on it.

If, as seems likely, we don’t get it, we should look at the experience as a learning opportunity, a wake-up call to face the conjoined issues of poverty and a subpar education system that are holding so many of our citizens — and our city — back.

This will no doubt be called a case of comparing apples to oranges, but what if we came up with a Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes (PILOT) Program to motivate local businesses and corporations to raise their minimum salary to $15 an hour? Or how about using some of those “cash incentives” to pay top-of-the-market teacher salaries in order to lure better educators to the city? Or, since car-centric cities are falling behind the curve, how about coming up with ways to combine county, state, and EDGE money to invest in a modern, high-tech transportation system.

Memphis has a lot going for it and I’m optimistic about the city’s future, but if we don’t land the big one, maybe we could seriously begin to think outside the traditional box and create our own transformative change.

Or maybe we could just get the Grizzlies to sign us to a four-year deal.

Categories
Opinion The Last Word

Down to Grizzness!

Growl towels up if you’re ready for Grizzness. I’m ready to shiver and complain in the hand-wand line and get startled by some pyrotechnics. It’s been too long. Make room in the cupboard for some new souvenir cups because the NBA regular season is here. Finally.

I’ve upped my dosage of sports takes in anticipation of the firehose of of basketball news and analysis I’ll be consuming. Podcasts. Websites. Vines. Periscopes. Whatever. Give me all of it. I welcome our new digital overlords at Grind City Media. Some media members have groused about access and message control, which is very noble of them. Here’s the thing though: Consumers don’t care where the content comes from, as long as it’s hot. The Grizzlies recognize that, and the fans will eat it up. Adrian Wojnarowski is the most connected and trusted basketball writer in the country, and he works for your grandma’s email service provider. The Salt Lake Tribune‘s Jazz reporter broke a story about the Grizzlies’ roster over the weekend. Don’t hate the player, hate the game. And pass the content.

Anyway, the Core Four is back. They may or may not be “better than ever,” but at least they aren’t all sporting the dreaded “suits and boots” uniforms on the bench. Marc Gasol logged the third-highest number of minutes last season but only appeared in 52 games — four more than Mike Conley. By March, I was convinced the roster existed for the purpose of stumping sports trivia players. Matt Barnes — yeah, that Matt Barnes — played more than anybody, and I forgot he was even on the team. Remember Bryce Cotton? I don’t, but Basketball Reference says he played six minutes for the Grizzlies last season. Former Tiger Elliot Williams scored eight points. Jordan Farmar was the starting point guard in the playoffs. Much ink has been spilled over the unprecedented number of players who dressed out in the home locker room at 191 Beale. I’m proud of all of them, but let’s just say those games won’t be airing on Hardwood Classics anytime soon.

Offseason additions to the team appear to be solid NBA-caliber players. One of them, allegedly, is capable of scoring three-point baskets with a frequency to which Grizzlies fans are unaccustomed. I’m optimistic even if it means I have to reprogram my allegiances after years of hating Chandler Parsons. At least the reasons are purely basketball-related, because he routinely torched the Grizzlies and made me resent the fact that they never had an answer for him. (Again, don’t hate the player.) I’m not proud of some of the things I’ve said about him, such as the time I called him “ole lululemon tights looking faceass.” Or the time I tweeted that he “looks like a guy who spends at least 15 minutes a day practicing sexy faces and flexing in front of a mirror.” But I’m ready to take it all back. Hopefully, he can get and stay healthy and hit some of the same shots that made me hate his guts. Also, I acknowledge that compression apparel improves circulation, and I can’t fault a man for knowing he looks good. If you can’t beat ’em, sign ’em.

Not only are there new free agents, there are rookies too! Including the coach, who might actually be an upgrade over the previous coach. Look, Joerger did a fine job, and he’s a good coach. He had a couple of inexplicable pet players, but it isn’t as though he had a ton of stars to hitch to that wagon last season. Like everyone else, I was surprised when he was fired, but if he doesn’t want to be here, well, bye. Memphis ain’t for everybody.

From the interviews I’ve seen and read, David Fizdale appears to have measured the pulse of the team and the city pretty quickly. A place like Memphis, with all its nuances, is a good fit for the wokest coach in the NBA. Supposedly, he develops players, so maybe we’ll get to see some young dudes used for purposes other than trade bait. If he can implement his harebrained ideas, we’ll be in for some fun, weird basketball, just how we like it. Marc Gasol shooting threes? Well, okay. Tony Allen, backup point guard? Ya crazy for this one, Fizz.

I love the clean-slate, first-day-of-school vibe of a new season. It really feels like this is the year. It’s become so much more reliable over the past few years, and I just have a hunch Grizzlies fans are going to enjoy 48 consistent minutes every night of working wifi in FedExForum.

Oh, did you think I was talking about something else?

Jen Clarke has a few ideas. Read them at jensized.com