Well preseason game #4 is in the books for the Memphis Grizzlies and it was a lackluster effort to say the least. This game was hurt by some very spotty officiating but it didn't seem to hurt the Pacers ability to execute on both ends of the court.  This game continued a disturbing trend of poor defense, poor rebounding and poor intensity.  For me this is not a good sign of a young team, coming off a poor season with a new coaching staff and plenty of playing time available.  Since this game was available on DirectTV, I decided to concentrate on evaluating the individual players instead of the team as an entire unit.  Here is my breakdown of the performance of the players:

Pau Gasol - Playing time was limited by a mild ankle sprain.  Gasol continues to be the only player I have no concern about what he will do once the Spurs show up in Memphis.  He is solid and consistent.  No need to worry about Pau.

Mike Miller - I think Mike is still struggling to identify his role with this team and is really hurt by our sub par roster.  Ideally he would be a spot up small forward with very little responsibility toward ball handling.  However, as our shooting guard, he finds himself trying to create to much with the ball in his hands and the results are not pretty.  Miller continues playing poor defense but giving better than average effort on the boards.

Rudy Gay - Another good statistical game. Also shows proof that box scores can lie.  Rudy Gay is simply not a shot creating SF at this point.  Gay should never be isolated away from the basket with the ball in his hands.  Another concern is that Gay simply makes horrible basketball decisions that go far beyond shot selection.  He struggles in identifying attack angles off the dribble and in the post.  He gets off balance so much because he just attacks defenders poorly.  He drives into help defenders and his decisions are to slow.  I am trying to be patient about Gay but I am not impressed and I think it is mainly due to the fact that he is being misused.  Put him at PF, tell him to cut to the basket and shoot spot up jumpers. Rebound, rebound, rebound.  His best bet is to recast himself as Matrix II.

Hakim Warrick - First, let me say, I am not a fan of Warrick.  His game is just to limited to be anything but a bit player on a loaded team.  Put him on San Antonio or Boston and he would look real, real good in spurts.  For the Grizzlies, he is horrible in almost all aspects. Ball stopper, poor defender, poor rebounder, and not a shot blocker.  He is just a scorer and in the NBA he is an average and limited scorer at best.

Kyle Lowry - Still perhaps my favorite Grizz to watch but if you really watch him, you would concede he is not a starting point guard.  He simply lacks the vision to effectively get his teammates involved.  Even on the break, he pushes the ball with tunnel vision.  He can get his win or run simple play sets but he lacks that special quality to command a game on offense.  On defense is another story.  Simply can't be isolated. He is so tenacious that he out wills lesser guards.  Ideally he should come off the bench and maybe finish games with his ability to get in the lane and draws fouls. One thing that was disappointing was to see him running the three man weave at the top of the key to start the game. WTF is that?

Juan Carlos Navarro - He is the ultimate 6th man.  I mean he was bred for that role. 20-30 minutes a night depending on his temperature.  A cold blooded shooter that can keep defenders honest with his floater.  If Memphis can ever pick up the pace and allow him to get lost in the chaos, he is going to have some big eruptions such as 15 point quarters.

Micheal Conley - I must admit, I was worried for a second  Conley finally got enough minutes to show his worth.  He simply understands offense in half court and transition.  If I were Iavaroni, he would be the starter from day 1.  I know he will have some terrible games but such is life with a rookie. If they hand over the team to him now, he has a chance to be ROY.

Darko Milicic - He is big.  He can really defend bigs in the post but struggles to truly understand team defensive concepts.  Still gets to caught up in his one on one matchup.  Seems a little out of shape.  He is what he is right now.  Needs to bring more controlled energy if he wants more minutes.

Stromile Swift - Probably wasn't going to play if Pau was healthy but still continues to be an average NBA big man.  He is OK for the price but he is also losing some of that freakish athleticism.

Tarence Kinsey - He reminds me so much of a young Bruce Bowen with handles.  He is rail thin and gets knocked around like a rag doll but is just so tenacious that he makes plays on both ends of the court.  Shot is still not pure but can help in so many ways he should be played over Casey.

Casey Jacobsen - Great 3 point shooter but does absolutely nothing else of value and is a severe liability on defense.

Brian Cardinal - Tried to post up Jermaine O'Neal. It was ugly, like his game.  He is still a hustler but has lost a little athletically and for him that is horrid. Competes and might give Hakim a run for his money for minutes due to his defense and ability to create space for Pau.

Andre Brown - Should really concentrate in carving out a niche as an enforcer type.  Has very little skill and bunches of athleticism.  Should call Darvin Ham for advice.

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Overall this was a disappointing display from a team perspective. I didn't like the effort or execution.  Too many times seeing our players getting out muscled in the post (as usual).  Too many bad basketball plays.  Seems like very little cohesion on the offensive end and very little talent on the defensive end.