- LARRY KUZNIEWSKI
- Robert Pera, from his debut appearance before local media. He returned today.
New Grizzlies controlling owner Robert Pera made his first visit to FedExForum since his post-changeover debut, meeting this morning — along with CEO Jason Levien — for a roughly 20-minute press conference with local media.
Pera and Levien wore matching Grizzlies warm-up gear, evoking visions of Ben Stiller and his sons in The Royal Tennenbaums. There was no topping that, but they did have some interesting comments on a variety of topics.
Here are some highlights, all comments from Pera unless otherwise indicated:
On his overall impressions of team:
The thing I like most about the Grizzlies is that when you look at basketball, it’s different from other sports. In baseball, you can put together a team of all-stars and the sum kind of equals the total of the parts. But in basketball, it’s a team sport and there’s a lot of chemistry. And certain players, depending on how they come together, the sum of the parts could be much greater. And that’s what I really like about Grizzlies’ basketball. With the latest trades and the way the team’s constructed, I think it has the potential to be the best Grizzlies team yet.
I really like the way the parts fit, with the traditional inside-out game. I think if they gel, hopefully it could be the best playoff run yet.
On the timing of the trades:
I think the most unfortunate thing about the trades was the timing. I really wish we could have gotten a deal [to purchase the team] closed before the beginning of the season and made all the personnel moves before the season started, to give these guys a full year to play together.
But I think if you look at the year before last, when they upset the Spurs as the 8th seed, the [main] pieces from that run are still here now and I think the supporting pieces we’ve picked up are even stronger. So, like I said, if the team comes together and gels in the second half of the season, it’s going to be really interesting.
