Tag: NBA

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies hosted the Utah Jazz at FedExForum Monday night, where Memphis had been undefeated for the first five home games of the season. It was the third matchup between the Jazz and Grizzlies, with Memphis winning the first two.

Memphis entered the night having played their most exciting home game thus far with Saturday’s Wrestling Night win over the Philadelphia 76ers. Mike Conley’s shooting bounced back in a major way (32 points on 12-24 shooting, 4-8 from deep).
Larry Kuzniewski

The win against Philly was a trademark Grizzlies nail-biter, with Memphis coming back late, and winning by 6 in overtime. Unfortunately, they lost Dillon Brooks to a freak injury that will leave him sidelined 6-8 weeks with a Grade 2 MCL sprain.

The Grizzlies started Monday night’s game in a stupor, playing sloppy on defense and shooting poorly (1-9) from the field, and stumbling out of the gate. Meanwhile, the Jazz got a Thanksgiving spread’s worth of open looks from three in the opening period, but only converted on four of 12.

Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies defense stabilized, however, holding the Jazz to 36 percent FG shooting for the half, and Memphis was able to claw ahead midway through the second quarter to head into halftime with a 43-40 lead.

Mike Conley and Marc Gasol led the way in scoring for the Grizzlies in the first half, pouring in 16 points. Despite missing Dillon Brooks’ punch on both sides of the ball, the Grizzlies bench contributed 14 points in the half between Wayne Selden, Shelvin Mack, and MarShon Brooks. Surprisingly, Jaren Jackson led all Grizzlies in assists with 3 dimes in the half, and Memphis crushed the Jazz in the paint, 28-14.

Things were pretty much the same after halftime, with both teams struggling to score in a brawling defensive matchup. Both the Jazz and Grizzlies remained very much in the mud.

Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88 (2)

One notable defensive stop (that featured two new Grizzlies) happened when Donovan Mitchell drove to the hoop and Garrett Temple kept his position between Mitchell and the basket, and guided Mitchell right into a Jackson weak-side block.

Speaking of Jaren Jackson, his defensive impact was felt throughout the game, and he avoided foul trouble (earning his first personal with 5:59 left to go in the third quarter). Moreover, he notched his first NBA career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Strangely, he only played 25 minutes, though he finished with 3 fouls, and wasn’t on the court at the end of the game.
Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies tied the Jazz at 62 with about 3 minutes left in the third, but Utah pulled ahead and didn’t relinquish the lead. Memphis kept the game within striking distance until late in the fourth, and looked like they might make another late comeback, but couldn’t hit enough shots (especially from deep).

Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88 (4)

Defense was the star of the matchup tonight, with Gasol continuing to helm the Grizzlies on that end of the floor in Defensive Player of the Year fashion. Unfortunately, Rudy Gobert (15 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks) looked very much like the reigning DPOY, and held Jackson at bay. True to form, the Jazz played tremendous, and highly physical, team defense.

One area of weakness for Memphis on defense was their coverage on the perimeter. The defense gave up a lot of open looks beyond the arc, and I’m surprised the Jazz didn’t convert on more of their three-point attempts. Monday night also marked the first time this season the Grizzlies had more turnovers than their opponent, and the Jazz capitalized on those opportunities. Memphis lost on the offensive boards as well, pulling down 8 to Utah’s 13.

In his postgame press conference, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the game got away from the Grizzlies due to choppiness. He said the game was choppy in the way it was being called, and the team struggled to find a rhythm amid funky, injury-adapted rotations and offensive disorganization.

Bickerstaff also spoke about how the Grizzlies need re-establish the strong bench chemistry they had before Dillon Brooks’ injury.

Joe Ingles played exceptionally well for the Jazz, finishing with 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 7 assists. Garrett Temple’s defense on Donovan Mitchell was pretty impressive. Mitchell had 12 points on 3-14 shooting and went 0-2 from deep.

Mike Conley had another good shooting game, leading all Grizzlies with 24 points on 43.8 percent shooting from the floor, and converted on 3 of his 8 attempts from three.
Larry Kuzniewski

Gasol looked way more aggressive in this game, and has been talking about how he needs to step up his game in that regard. He banged around in the paint, took quick shots, and made assertive moves to the rim. He finished with 16 points on 7-13 shooting (missing all four of his three-point attempts), 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 2 blocks. The Grizzlies need everything they can get on the offensive end, so hopefully Gasol maintains this level of aggression.

Kyle Anderson had a horrid shooting night, failing to convert on his sole three point attempt, leaving shots short at the rim, and shooting 27.3 percent from the floor on 11 shots. Anderson had a positive impact in other areas, however, gobbling up 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and a steal. But the Grizzlies will need Anderson to pick up his shooting if they want to stay above .500.
Larry Kuzniewski

Garrett Temple’s defense was on point, but he had a cold shooting night, contributing just 6 points on 25 percent shooting, and missing all four of his attempts from deep. Shelvin Mack also failed to hit a triple.

MarShon Brooks had 10 points off the bench, shooting 4-9 and 1-2 from deep, but was often trying to manufacture a shot totally on his own when the Grizzlies offense went stagnant. The Grizzlies can’t toss the rock to Brooks and expect him to pluck buckets out of thin air against an elite defensive team like the Jazz. Memphis definitely needs him to take shots, but he needed help getting better looks in this game.
Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies return to action on Wednesday, when they travel to Milwaukee to take on the Greek Freak Bucks.

Spicy Stat of the Night:

Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88

Cursed Tweet of the Night:

Grizzlies Lose First Home Game to Utah Jazz 96 – 88 (3)

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Beyond the Arc Sports

Is It Time To Worry About Mike Conley?

What’s going on with Mike Conley? His shot is cold from midrange and from deep. While he’s shown surprising speed and burst — considering he’s only been playing full speed basketball for about a month after having not played since November 13th, 2017 — his floaters and shots close to the rim aren’t falling.

I think it’s still too early to know for sure what Conley’s new normal is, but currently he appears to be experiencing a shooting slump and hasn’t gotten his legs back. He’s consistently mentioned the importance of — and that he’s working on — his conditioning in the few weeks he’s been back on the court.

In Ten Takes after Ten Games, Chris Herrington broke down a couple things that alarmed him about Conley in Wednesday’s game against the Nuggets. There was a moment where Conley sped between two Nuggets defenders to tap a loose ball downcourt for a Garrett Temple dunk, instead of handily beating his defenders to the ball and pushing the fast break himself. Herrington also pointed out that Conley often looked a little tired, and struggled to turn the corner like he used to in the game against Denver.

Are these things indicative of new physical limitations that Conley (and the Grizzlies) will have to deal with? I don’t know yet. But consider that the Grizzlies played Wednesday night’s home game coming off of a West Coast road trip that featured the Jazz and a back-to-back ending against Golden State.

Conley played heavy minutes in each game, including both back-to-backs. He was guarding Steph Curry till late Monday night in Golden State, flew back to Memphis, and played the 9-1 Nuggets on Wednesday. Jamal Murray nearly had a 50 point game against the Celtics before his visit to Memphis. I don’t think we have to hit the panic button on Mike Conley yet. We’ll need more time, and he’ll need more time to get his legs back.

It is somewhat alarming that Conley is playing heavier minutes this year (31.5) than he did in his short stint last season (31.1). And this is happening when Conley has much better backup in terms of handling the ball and initiating the offense.

We’ve seen Wayne Selden, Kyle Anderson, and especially Shelvin Mack afford Conley the ability to play off the ball, and that’s kicked the Grizzlies offense up a notch from when Conley had to facilitate everything. If Conley’s experiencing a shooting slump and conditioning is a work in progress, I think the Grizzlies offense could vault higher than where it currently resides, in the middle of the pack.

I’m not sure what Coach Bickerstaff could’ve done to get Conley more rest on the West Coast road trip and the home game against Denver. The Jazz and Nuggets games were close, and the Grizzlies collapsed in the second halves of the Suns and Warriors games. As improved as the roster is, the Grizzlies can’t live without Conley when trying to come back or close out a game.

Conley remains the crux for the Grizzlies’ hopes for a meaningful playoff run. To me, his game looks like it’s almost back where it used to be, minus shooting and conditioning, but maybe he isn’t the player he used to be. How will it all play out?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Categories
Beyond the Arc Sports

Grizzlies Bounce Back, Defeating Suns 117-96

CREDIT: Larry Kuzniewski

Uncertainty hung in the air going into Saturday night’s home game against the Phoenix Suns. After a compelling win against a scary Utah Jazz team, the Grizzlies suffered a disappointing loss in Sacramento. The Grizzlies coughed up a halftime lead when the Kings clamped down on defense and clawed their way to victory.
Larry Kuzniewski

Worse than the loss, Marc Gasol suffered what appeared at the time to be a potentially season-altering injury when De’Aaron Fox came down on Gasol’s upper back area fighting for a rebound. The good energy from the win over Utah evaporated.

Fortunately, Gasol wasn’t seriously injured after all. “It was a pretty bad scare when it happened. Thankfully, everything is okay. No structural damage or anything too serious to worry about,” he told The Daily Memphian.

Doubts remained elsewhere, however, regarding the team’s rebounding, defense, and especially with Kyle Anderson. Anderson’s length, ball-handling, and IQ portended to him quickly fitting in with the Grizzlies, but he’s struggled to find his groove.

While Anderson didn’t make much headway acclimating himself to the team in this one, the Grizzlies were able to hold their own on the boards, gobbling up 39 to the Suns’ 35. The Grizzlies performed better on defense, as well, with Ayton being the only Phoenix player to score in the 20s, but the Suns’ offensive woes were more indicative of their youth, inexperience, and lack of Devin Booker tonight.

The matchup also featured another marquee rookie matchup between number one overall pick DeAndre Ayton and fourth overall pick Jaren Jackson. With Saturday night’s game, Jackson has faced off against every top-5 draft pick except Luka Doncic.

The Grizzlies built up a sizeable lead in the first half, creating a 25-point cushion behind 61 percent shooting, including 7-13 from deep.  The high shooting percentage may speak more towards the Suns’ defense than the Grizzlies offense. The Grizzlies are currently rated last in the league in offense, and it shows. The offense frequently falls stagnant, and fails to generate good or easy looks for anyone.

Grizzlies Bounce Back, Defeating Suns 117-96

Ayton, the lauded #1 overall pick for the Phoenix Suns, didn’t impose himself at all in the first quarter. He routinely passed out of the paint despite having the physical advantage against his defender, and finished with 2 points on just one shot.
Larry Kuzniewski

Ayton turned that around, however, in the second quarter, going 6-6 and scoring 6 straight on Jaren Jackson when Gasol sat. He would finish the game with 25 points on 12-13(!) shooting, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists.

One thing that stood out in the first half was the Grizzlies’ offense not immediately going down in flames when Conley exited the game for rest. Shelvin Mack buoyed the team nicely and dished 4 assists as backup point guard, and Wayne Selden chipped in 10 points and 2 two assists.

Gasol, Conley, and Selden all finished the half in double digits, with five other Grizzlies scoring at least 5 points. Ayton was the only Suns player to finish the first half in double-digits with 14 points, with only 3 players notching at least 5 points.

Anderson continued to struggle finding his groove with the team. After starting, he got the hook with 7:46 remaining in the first quarter after missing a couple bunny shots near the rim, and going 0-3. He finished the half with 0 points on those three shots.

The Grizzlies maintained their advantage in the second half, keeping a healthy points margin over the Suns. Their solid lead late into the game allowed Yuta Watanabe to check in, and become the second Japanese player to play in the NBA in league history. Japanese NBA Twitter definitely paid attention to the moment. My two most viral tweets, by an enormous margin, were crappy handheld phone videos of Yuta dunking in the warmup line, and spinning to the hoop, missing, but drawing the foul. Virtually all of the RTs and favs were from Japanese basketball fans.

Grizzlies Bounce Back, Defeating Suns 117-96 (2)

Grizzlies Bounce Back, Defeating Suns 117-96 (3)

Jaren Jackson had a rough game defensively. He wasn’t able to deter Ayton, got into foul trouble early, and earned the first technical of his NBA career after receiving his 5th personal foul. It’s funny that his offense has come along more quickly than his defense.

Grizzlies Bounce Back, Defeating Suns 117-96 (4)

Garrett Temple has absolutely locked down the starting shooting guard spot. His defense has been crucial, his ball handling on point, and he finished the game with 15 points on 4-6 shooting. It appears to be for the best, as Dillon Brooks gets to come off the bench with more freedom to impose his will as a dynamic playmaker. Brooks actually ended up playing about four more minutes than Temple, but that’s partially indicative of the Grizzlies comfortable lead for most of the game.
Larry Kuzniewski

The Grizzlies bench contributed nicely in this win. Wayne Selden continued to impress. He finished with 16 points on 6-8 shooting, and provided a nice punch at the two spot. Marshon Brooks played his role perfectly as instant offense off the bench, pouring in 18 points in 19 minutes. Larry Kuzniewski

Gasol didn’t look limited in his return to action. He finished with 19 points on 8-16 shooting, and hit 3-6 from deep (including a Steph-range near buzzer-beater to end the first half). Larry Kuzniewski

Mike Conley had a solid game without having to soak up super-heavy minutes. He scored 11 points and tallied 7 assists in 28 minutes. Usually when Conley leaves the game to rest, the Grizzlies offense goes down in flames. Garrett Temple and especially Shelvin Mack were able to buoy the offense when Conley exited, and to not immediately enter a tailspin without Conley is a new development.

When I asked Conley what it’s meant to be able to go to the bench and the offense stay afloat, he said Mack, Temple, and Anderson have been huge. “[It] allows me to keep fresh legs longer.” He also noted that their play will allow him to regain his conditioning with each game as he returns to pre-injury form. J.B. Bickerstaff understood the importance of being cautious with how much the Grizzlies lean on Conley, saying “I feel bad because there’s been times where it feels like we’re wearing him down, so we’ve got to do a better job of giving him some breaks.”

The Grizzlies are now 3-2 on the season, and return to action on Tuesday when they take on the Washington Wizards at FedExForum.

Epilogue: the Grizzlies blared Kid Rock’s Bawitdaba to pump up the crowd late in the fourth, and I’ve never seen less of a reaction. Let us pray that this trash song gets retired and forgotten sooner rather than later.

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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

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Memphis Gaydar News

Rainbow Grizzlies Shirts for Pride Month!

The NBA has launched a line of Pride Month-themed basketball apparel, reports Outsports.

The Memphis Grizzlies logo (and the logos of the other 29 NBA teams) is featured in rainbow colors on a black background. The shirts, which retails for about $25, are only available at Teespring, and the proceeds benefit the Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which pushes schools to treat all students with respect, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.

“Professional sports showing up for LGBT people is one of the biggest cultural developments of the last decade, and really the last five years,” GLSEN executive director Eliza Byard told Outsports. “The NBA has been showing up for LGBT youth and for GLSEN for a number of years. Having this be a league-wide initiative, knowing any LGBT fan in the country can choose to celebrate their team and themselves with one of those shirts, that’s a whole new thing.”

Last year, some teams in Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League featured rainbow-logo tees, but the NBA Pride Month line marks the first time a major sports league has featured all of its teams.

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Sports Sports Feature

Horses, ‘Birds, and Hoops

Mark this down, sports fans: On June 7th at Belmont Park in New York, Big Brown will become the 12th Triple Crown winner in horse-racing history and the first in 30 years. If you watched Saturday’s Preakness Stakes, you saw the same dominance I did. At the peak of his game was an undefeated colt having his way with a field of 13 horses and actually gaining ground over the last quarter-mile of a tour de force in Baltimore.

Any concerns about Big Brown handling the longer test that is the Belmont Stakes — a mile-and-a-half, a quarter-mile longer than the Kentucky Derby — are now the equivalent of dirt clods in the path of a horse whose greatness happens to be on display in a year of otherwise less-than-inspiring thoroughbred 3-year-olds.

The one concern Big Brown’s handlers might have is weather. With only five races to his credit, how Big Brown might handle a muddy track is a variable his fans hope doesn’t come into play.

Ten horses have won the Kentucky Derby and Preakness only to lose the Belmont since Affirmed edged Alydar in all three in 1978. Big Brown’s destiny belongs with horse racing’s ultimate pantheon. And for some perspective on how long this 30-year drought has been, consider the following:

The longest previous Triple Crown drought was 25 years, between Citation in 1948 and Secretariat in 1973.

In June 1978, Tiger Woods and Tom Brady were 2 years old, Albert Pujols wasn’t born, and LeBron James … well, his mom wasn’t even dating.

In 1978, it had only been 70 years since the Chicago Cubs won the World Series.

• Every baseball player has a mother. Many have sisters and most have wives or girlfriends. Which makes Sunday’s “Paint the Park Pink” the most heartfelt promotion in 11 years of Redbirds baseball in Memphis. Those pink jerseys may have clashed with the red hats and helmets but all for the right cause. If only 10 Mitchell Boggs strikeouts and a Joe Mather home run could beat breast cancer the way they did the Oklahoma Redhawks.

• It’s become clear that Chris Duncan is the odd man out in a three-man battle among former Memphis Redbirds for two corner outfield positions with the St. Louis Cardinals. Ryan Ludwick has clubbed a team-leading 11 home runs and forced Cardinal manager Tony LaRussa to find him a spot in the middle of the batting order. Skip Schumaker has made himself an asset with his speed, defensive skill, and role as a leadoff hitter; he delivered his third walk-off game-winning hit of the season Sunday. All of which leaves Duncan, a natural first-baseman or DH, in a position where his trade value is a larger consideration for the Cardinals than his development as a leftfielder.

How ironic it would be if Duncan ends up being packaged with Anthony Reyes in a deal to bring St. Louis a middle-infielder with pop. Less than two years ago, Duncan and Reyes were unlikely rookie heroes for a world-champion Cardinal team.

• Through Sunday, 11 NBA playoff series had been completed and the higher seed had won all 11. This remains the perennial distinction between pro basketball and the college game, where upsets are the norm come postseason. How ironic that underdog fans were left relying on the defending champion San Antonio Spurs for a “Cinderella story” in the NBA’s big dance.

When third-seeded San Antonio managed to beat second-seeded New Orleans in Game 7 Monday night, it was official: The Spurs(!) are your NBA Cinderella.

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Sports Sports Feature

Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway Cut by Heat

Former University of Memphis star Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway, probably the most dynamic basketball player to find his way from Memphis to the NBA (remember “Li’l Penny”?), has been released by the Miami Heat.

The 36-year-old Hardaway was attempting a comeback after missing the entire 2006-07 season. A two-time All-NBA player with Orlando in the mid-1990s, Hardaway was an All-America for the Memphis Tigers in 1992-93.
More info, and a look at Hardaway’s career here.

Categories
Sports Sports Feature

Pros Scout Derrick Rose at Tigers/ASU Game

From the Seattle Times: ‘On nights like this, you wonder what all of the fuss surrounding Derrick Rose is about.

“The 6-foot-3 freshman point guard, considered perhaps the best men’s college basketball player in the country, finished with five assists and four points as the Memphis Tigers strolled to an 84-63 victory against Arkansas State at FedExForum on Tuesday night.

“With a handful of NBA personnel in attendance, including Sonics general manager Sam Presti, Rose didn’t show his amazing athleticism that’s on display in a YouTube highlight clip, which is drawing raves from streetballers and NBA players.

“He didn’t dominate, instead taking a backseat to sophomore guard Willie Kemp, who led the Tigers with 22 points, and junior wing Chris Douglas-Roberts, who added 16.

“If there’s a negative to Rose’s game, it’s his mechanical jump shot and a quiet, low-key demeanor, which can be construed as nonchalance when he’s on the floor …”

Read more about Rose and his NBA prospects.

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Sports Sports Feature

NBA “Rookies to Watch” Includes One Grizzlies Player

SI.com’s Drew Packham has posted his first NBA rookie power rankings. You won’t find Grizzlies guard Mike Conley among the top 10, but a certain international import to the Grizzlies does make the cut.

The Rookie of the Year trophy may be Kevin Durant’s to lose, but there are some other fresh faces worth watching.

Check out Packham’s complete ranking at SI.com.

Categories
Sports Sports Feature

West in Finland

Editor’s note: Sportswriter Harri Mannonen of the Flyer‘s Finnish bureau sent us this account of Jerry West’s recent scouting trip to Mannonen’s homeland.

The PA announcer did his best to make it sound like something big was happening as he announced in his best NBA style: “Ladies and gentlemen, Jerry West, Mr. Clutch!”

Three thousand people had come to see the Finnish Basketball League game between Torpan Pojat of Helsinki and Espoon Honka. The crowd did not go wild when West appeared in the spotlight, but they did clap. In previous days, the Finnish media had made sure fans knew at least two things about the team president of the Memphis Grizzlies: He is on the NBA’s logo, and he was coming to town to scout Petteri Koponen.

They probably applauded him more for the latter. Koponen is the 18-year-old starting point guard for Espoon Honka.

It was 15 degrees Fahrenheit outside the Espoo Arena, and Honka started the game ice-cold. After three-and-a-half minutes they were down 0-13. At that point, Koponen had missed two shots and committed a foul.

Having an NBA celebrity on their side seems to have a negative effect on Finnish basketball teams. Last season, Torpan Pojat hired former NBA star Dennis Rodman for a game against Honka.

Off the court, Rodman lived up to his billing. The night before the game, he went clubbing and got himself a hangover. On the court, Rodman was a disappointment. Instead of rebounding fiercely, he spent most of the game launching three-pointers. Torpan Pojat lost the game by six.

As the Koponen game went on, it appeared that Honka might beat the American jinx. Late in the second quarter, they tied the game at 35, and Koponen started to show that he really does have skills. He finds the open guy, and he hits threes off the dribble. He is 6 feet 4 inches and quick — maybe even quick enough to be an NBA point guard.

The Finnish league is dominated by American players, and Koponen is one of the few homegrown stars. He averages 11.8 points, 4.3 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game.

Last summer, Koponen made his national-team debut, and so began the speculation about whether he has the talent to become the second Finnish NBA player ever. (Hanno Mottola spent two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks from 2000 to 2002.) West’s visit, as a part of his scouting trip to Europe, was the first public sign of any interest by an NBA team.

But how interested was West in Koponen?

The game was televised live by the national sports channel. Watching the pre-game interview, it seemed West did not know much about Koponen. At one point the broadcaster asked: “What are your plans about Petteri Koponen?”

“I’m sorry?” West replied.

“What are your plans about Petteri Koponen?”

“Well, I have no plans. I’m just here to watch.”

The real expert on young European players was West’s traveling companion, Rich Sheubrooks, who picks European players for the Nike Hoop Summit, the annual all-star game between Team USA and an international squad. That week, Sheubrooks had announced that Koponen was chosen to the Summit as the first Scandinavian player ever. This year’s game will be played at FedExForum on Saturday, April 7th.

As the game progressed, the NBA celebrity curse began working again. Koponen made a couple horrendous mistakes, and Honka lost 63-72.

Koponen played a full 40 minutes and finished with 18 points and four assists. His weaknesses showed, too. He committed five turnovers and had problems with shot selection.

In the post-game press conference, everyone was polite to West and vice versa. But there was an awkward moment: A Finnish reporter asked if Koponen could be called Mr. Clutch, too.

The original looked annoyed. “He still has a long way to go,” he said.