The Grizzlies Will Never Win A Playoff Game Unless

[-BHZMAFIA-]

Well, I've gave up on the Grizzlies until they get an actual superstar. I thought Pau had changed his ways this season and when it came to the playoffs, he went back to his same old ways. The Grizzlies MUST get somebody that will hit big shots for them. Look at what Dirk did at the end of the 4th quarter in tonight's game. He wasn't expecting all that to go down, but he still made the shot because he is a big time player.

Veteran leadership did help the Grizzlies this year, but they still need a superstar and Gasol isn't it. I don't care if they have to trade him to get that player because if he won't perform in the playoffs then he is just any average player that just gets more touches. Damon Stoudamire was the Grizzlies big shot maker and when he went down they lost all that. If they had Stoudamire the entire season, we would've won ALOT more games because of his crunch time play.

Another problem with the Grizzlies is their coaching. Mike Fratello needs to be fired and they should make Eric Musselman the head coach. There have been alot of moves that Fratello has made during games that made me actually think he is mentally retarded. So since more than likely the Grizzlies season is over with, the key things Memphis has to do this off-season and for them to win a playoff game or even more, a series they have to:

1. Fire Fratello and make Musselman head coach
2. Keep Stoudamire and Atkins
3. Use EJ, Miller and maybe Dahntay to grab a true star player, I'll even take Iverson if the Sixers end up getting rid of him. If we can't get anything with them, then I would like for them to trade Pau and maybe they can get someone even better.

And the reason why I have given up on Pau is because I just don't think he is worth being considered the best player on the team anymore. I can't see him leading a team to another series or Western Conference Finals. During the season, I would've said that, but now that the season is almost over, I have came to the conclusion that Pau can be no longer considered a star in my personal opinion and thats coming from the biggest biase Grizz fan in the history of their Memphis franchise

[Fitzy]

yeah i agree with that,
the Grizzlies are one of the teams without a dominant superstar, someone to work around Pau and maybe Battier or Miller and they will need one if they want to become a true finals contender

[Axel]

I was hoping you would say "rebound the basketball" after reading the thread title, but apparently not.

Amazingly the Mavs missed the second of two FTs TWICE in the last couple of minutes, both times the Grizzlies allowed them to get the offensive board, the second of which allowed Dirk to get off the game tying 3pt shot. It was a pathetic effort.

[-BHZMAFIA-]

I was hoping you would say "rebound the basketball" after reading the thread title, but apparently not.

Amazingly the Mavs missed the second of two FTs TWICE in the last couple of minutes, both times the Grizzlies allowed them to get the offensive board, the second of which allowed Dirk to get off the game tying 3pt shot. It was a pathetic effort.

Well rebounding is another thing, its something that they can do as a team effort and that won't really take any trading to get that done. They just have to be tough when the ball comes off the rim and grab the board. Wright played well tonight and I think he has played well the entire 2nd half of the season. The superstar thing is whats really getting to me though because we lose too many close games thats why I'm getting on Pau so much. Another thing he did wrong was he let DIrk get the ball back when he should've dived on the floor. If its your only time that you have an actual chance of winning your first playoff, would you walk to the damn ball or dive on the floor and do whatever you can to get that ball? I was so mad when I saw the way he let Dirk (a non hustling player) outhustle him for the ball.

[Axel]

Well, I don't think Pau gets much all-star accolade outside of Grizzlies fans, and its probably deserved.

[Buckley]

I agree with what mafia said.

now fratello can rejoin marv and go back to TNT

EDIT: Forget about grabbing AI

[Ruff Ryder]

How about Stephon Marbury??? You could go Gasol+Eddie Jones+Miller+1st round pick for Marbury+Curry+Q-Rich! I dont know about contracts though, but whatever.

[[L3]1101]

How about Stephon Marbury??? You could go Gasol+Eddie Jones+Miller+1st round pick for Marbury+Curry+Q-Rich! I dont know about contracts though, but whatever.

No i think Memphis needs to keep Gasol. Besides, isn't EJ's contract expiring at the end of the season? Either way, Marbury and Curry and Q Rich are all under-achieving players that have attitude problems.

The Griz can pull off an Iverson trade, they have enough talent and players to get AI. I really don't know what the Griz need to improve since i havne't watched enough games, but the do need some size and GET RID OF FRATELLO, oh how i hate him, i hate his wig and his face. Fratello is just not a good coach.....

[Matt]

K-Mart

Yes, Grizz need a leader....a guy that will put his hand up and take the the big shots w/o fear. Not a guy that disappears on you (Peja)

[Colin]

Hold on, does this mean you considered Gasol to be a superstar throughout this season?




hahahahaha

Baron Davis is more of a superstar than Gasol.

[J@3]

3. Use EJ, Miller and maybe Dahntay to grab a true star player, I'll even take Iverson if the Sixers end up getting rid of him. If we can't get anything with them, then I would like for them to trade Pau and maybe they can get someone even better.

"I'll even take Iverson" oh yes, please take one of the best guards in the league. We don't want him anymore, throw us your best bench guy, an ageing Eddie Jones and MAYBE if we're really lucky, some bench SG who threw down a nice putback dunk once.

I don't know why you're giving up on Pau so quickly, how many play-off appearances has he actually made?

[Riot]

I don't know why you're giving up on Pau so quickly, how many play-off appearances has he actually made?

10 Playoff Games: 35mpg, 20ppg (50%), 6.4rpg, 1.7bpg

He hasn't been bad, but he doesn't take over or dominate a game. You can't win in the playoffs without that.

Grizzlies need Troy Hudson.

[Dean]

Or Robert Horry

[Laxation]

Iverson + Pau - thatd be an interesting combination... Jae makes a good point though... I doubt Philly will give up Iverson for crap

[Fitzy]

iverson and pau would be good but i doubt iverson would go to the grizzlies

[Andrew]

No question that the Grizzlies need Gasol to step up in crunch time/take it to another level/whichever appropriate cliche you want to use, but in all fairness they could have won that game if not for some late game heroics by Dirk. I know it's a "what if" scenario and those are often too easily used to suggest practically anything can happen, but if Dirk hadn't recovered the ball and hit that three out of the scramble, the Grizz would only be down 2-1 right now.

[-BHZMAFIA-]

The Sixers would take 3 solid players (it doesn't have to be those 3, but the Grizzlies can put in a combination of players for AI without including Pau and maybe even Battier). IMO, I think the 76ers are trying to rebuild in the first place so I don't think they would mind taking a contract from EJ that will expire after next season along with a solid 6th man that could potentially be a starter on their team with Iggy and some other young player or 1st round pick. And I didn't consider Pau a superstar during the season, he was an all-star though, there's a difference. And like Riot said, he hasn't been just terrible in the playoffs, but he can't step up against other star players on the other team. Two years ago, it was Duncan, last year it was Stoudemire and this year its Dirk. That's why the team needs a true leader and maybe with that leader, it will give Pau more confidence in the playoffs to play even better when he is playing beside a bonafide star. I know if the Grizzlies did put AI on the team, while Fratello is still the coach then things would still be bad because Fratello wants TOO much control. I just hope they give Musselman the job.

[J@3]

Good luck trying to get anyone who can step up against Amare, Dirk and Duncan in the play-offs.

The Sixers would take 3 solid players

What makes you think this?

[-BHZMAFIA-]

Good luck trying to get anyone who can step up against Amare, Dirk and Duncan in the play-offs.

The Sixers would take 3 solid players

What makes you think this?

If Pau was the all-star he was all season long, like the one that would get 30, 10, 7 at times and most of the time end up with 25, 10 and 5 then he would be that person. He doesn't have to exactly stop those players, but he can come close to matching the type of numbers they put up if he didn't act scared during the playoffs. And why do I think the Sixers would take 3 solid players? Because I had already said it in my previous post "so I don't think they would mind taking a contract from EJ that will expire after next season along with a solid 6th man that could potentially be a starter on their team with Iggy and some other young player or 1st round pick." They see right now that things aren't going good and they haven't been really going good since after 2001.

[J@3]

If Pau was the all-star he was all season long, like the one that would get 30, 10, 7 at times and most of the time end up with 25, 10 and 5 then he would be that person. He doesn't have to exactly stop those players, but he can come close to matching the type of numbers they put up if he didn't act scared during the playoffs.

He's not the only one, virtually every big name player is underperforming to some extent in these play-offs. I don't see why trading him would be the answer... although ironically trading for The Answer would probably see the Griz at least into the 2nd round next season.

As far as Philadelphia rebuilding goes... I'm not really sold on it. They missed the play-offs by 2 games, Iverson and Webber missed a combined 17 games... the problem isn't really their main guys, they just have absolutely no depth whatsoever. Pick up a decent rookie + someone with the MLE, keep either Iverson or Webber healthy and they're back in the play-offs. I've heard the Iverson for trade rumour but I still think they'd be retarded to do it.

[-BHZMAFIA-]

Well you right and there were trade rumors going around last off-season too. But just look at the way Hinrich and Gordon stepped up against Wade in Game 4 today. Both players aren't exactly all-stars, could be though, but they were able to out play the Heat backcourt when they really needed it done. I'm not trying to say that they should trade Pau for just some picks and like an underrated guard that can possibly get 20ppg for us, but if they HAVE to get rid of Pau to get that player that can be a big-time performer and leader that is not that old, then why not? That would be the only way I would agree with giving Pau away and I know its much easier to say it than it is to be done.

But, more and more that I think about it, I think most of the blame would go to Fratello because he leaves certain players in the game at times when you have players that are hot on the bench. He just does very idiotic moves during game situations and his coaching style is so boring. And you are right about Pau not being the only one that didn't perform, Mike Miller, who I was surprised that didn't hardly do crap in the series after thinking he would be the main guy to help make big shots for Memphis. Eddie Jones did show leadership and Bobby Jackson came through at times as well and thats the main reason why Memphis brought them players in, but if Pau can't feed off the leadership they bring or the team at that, then whats the point of having it? The players have to stop being so stunned about the things that are going on in the game because everyone on the team has been in a playoff series except for the people that rarely play.

[Riot]

Good luck trying to get anyone who can step up against Amare, Dirk and Duncan in the play-offs.

Timberwolves have one.

[air gordon]

may as well move the team to the Eastern conference

[Colin]

Good luck trying to get anyone who can step up against Amare, Dirk and Duncan in the play-offs.

Timberwolves have one.

But see...you have to be in the playoffs.

[Riot]

Good luck trying to get anyone who can step up against Amare, Dirk and Duncan in the play-offs.

Timberwolves have one.

But see...you have to be in the playoffs.

Oh damn.