Well the Memphis Grizzlies continue with their efforts to reach out to their fan base and make them feel like part of the organization.  This afternoon they held the 1st Annual Blue-White scrimmage at lunch time on the main floor of the FedExForum.  It was a nice little atmosphere and I hope they continue with this because it was a great success.

                  

Player Observations:

I won't bother talking much about Pau Gasol and Mike Miller because they were healthy and in shape and have enough of a history with our team that there was not much to see this afternoon.  I expect them both to improve or maintain the career years they had last season.



Damon Stoudamire: Mighty Mouse actually looked to be moving much better than last season but his lateral movement on defense is still a problem.  However, on offense he looked like the old Damon.  His jumper was wet and his knowledge was supreme.  His experience was big in going and getting the ball and pushing the pace for the White team.



Mike Conley Jr.: I am going on record.  He is going to beat out Kevin Durant and Al Horford for rookie of the year honors.  He simply has an aged understanding of how to run an offense.  Once he gets that rookie crap out of his ears and demands the ball so he can push the pace and dictate the offense he will star.  I figure Coach Iavaroni will have him squared away by December.  He can get in the lane at will but is still better passing than finishing at this point.  His ambidexterity will help him in finishing and an offseason in the weight room will do wonders for him.  He is going to be a impact PG as a rookie.



Rudy Gay: I am sorry to report...same old Rudy.  His handles don't look any better from last year and he seems determined to master the fade away jumper.  This is a big year for this kid because with a new front office, they are not as married to him as Jerry West and he has the most value on the team.  I just see him better suited to playing power forward because of his lack of handles.  I hope I am wrong but I just didn't see the improvement I was looking for except in his physique.

Hakim Warrick: It seems Hak went to work on defense and interior rebounding as he looked a lot stronger in the post defensively.  However, he was facing Stromile Swift.  I think it is going to come down to Rudy vs. Hakim in getting us some high powered help at shooting guard and I would not be shocked to see Hakim win the battle.  I was impressed because I already know what he can do offensively and if he shows any improvement in his face up game then...

 

Darko Milicic: Huge.  He is a big man.  However, he does have one of my big man pet peeves: He doesn't dunk everything around the goal.  I always like guys who try to rip the goal down when they can.  You get more foul calls that way.  He does have better post moves than I thought and is going to be hard to push out of the post by the opposition.

 

Juan Carlos Navarro: Our Spanish fans warned us he was not a point guard and he is not.  However, he is probably second to Damon among our guards in understanding the nuances of offense and getting space for your team to get shots.  His dribble can't with stand intense NBA pressure though.  I need to see much more to make a definite determination though.

 

Casey Jacobsen: He will rival Mike Miller for best shooter.  I think he is going to earn playing time simply for his ability to stretch defenses.  He is bigger than I remembered and a willing defender.  It will be interesting to see how the rotation shakes out.

 

Stromile Swift: I sure hope he takes to flier on that free agency thing next summer.  Does not get it. Will not get it.  You can call him Mr. DNP-CD barring injuries.

 

Brian Cardinal:  The Custodian seems to be back and one thing I do know is that coaches love his smarts and hustle.  If healthy, he will be in the rotation.  He didn't shoot much but I am guessing he can still shoot well from deep.

 

Andre Brown:  I don't think he is as good as AJ from last year but I don't think he will see much active time either.  Live body and active but I don't think he is another Kinsey.

 

Terrance Kinsey:  Looked good to me.  Seems to be getting more range on his jumper and more confidence in demanding the ball.  His combination of offensive and defensive aggression is going to be hard to keep on the bench.  If Rudy is going to shoot jumpers all day than TK offers something that neither Gay or Miller brings to the table.  If TK gets a consistent 3 point shot than he is going to get 25+ minutes.

Kyle Lowry: We miss you kid. Get well soon!

All in all I think it was a good half speed scrimmage.  It was a good idea.  Look for the Western Conference slop offseason review later tonight!

MemphisX