Here are the Pope's key objectives for the Grizz this offseason, ranked in order of priority:
1. Draft Pick - The Grizz will have the 4th most balls in the lottery, behind Miami (15 wins), Seattle (20 wins), and Minnesota (22 wins). The worst pick the Grizzlies could get would be the #7 pick, based on how the lottery works (click here for those details). Obviously the Grizzlies must hit a home run with this pick. They need impact players everywhere, but particularly on the interior. Here are the top 5 prospects that the Pope would recommend for the Grizzlies, regardless of draft spot obtained:
1. Michael Beasley - Tough, athletic, muscular, productive on both ends of the floor, and left handed. Look for him to improve (he is 19) and become a cross between Carmelo Anthony and Carlos Boozer.
2. Derrick Rose - As a Memphis fan, I love this kid. Strong, tall, athletic, and a potential top 5 point guard in the league. I think we lose considerable value if we take him overall at #1, because we have so many point guards already and would have to make under market value trades to fix our depth chart.
3. Anthony Randolph, LSU - The first surprise of the of the Pope's rankings. This kid plays defense. Athletic, tall, and very young, this guy can block shots and rebound. Close call with OJ Mayo, but more upside and particulary defensive upside.
4. OJ Mayo, USC - Would be a decent wing combination with Rudy Gay. Can slash and shoot a little bit, although college year was just solid not great. More upside though with size and shooting ability than all below him in my rankings.
5. Brook Lopez, Stanford - Dont think this guy can be an All Star, but can be a productive and solid center for 10 years in the league. And no, its not a 2 for 1 deal where you get his twin brother also.
If we could get one of the top 2, I would be extremely excited. If we get Rudolph, I would be happy. If we get Mayo, I would be unsure. If we get Lopez, I would mostly satisfied. No matter who the Grizz draft, they better not miss.
2. Defense - The Grizzlies avereaged 107 points given up per game. On offense, they averaged 101 points. Certainly the offensive numbers are skewed based on how many points we gave up, and the high number of blowout games in which the Grizz played. But in reality the Grizz are much closer on the offensive end to success than they are defensively. Realistically, the Grizz are going to have to hold their opponents to 10 points less per game to make any type of noise in the Western Conference. Doing that will be near impossible, but knocking down that average at least 5 points or more should be the top priority besides the draft pick this offseason. How? We need to stress defense in player development, and obtain a couple of veterans that are defensive specialists. Not easy to find, but some suggestions are below.
3. Salary Cap - Who was that player we traded Pau Gasol for? We dont know yet. Depends on how we spend the cap room we now how due to Pau's departure. Here is a good analysis of the free agents this summer. There are only two teams this summer - the Grizzlies and the 76ers - that could handle a top tier free agent under the cap. Thats good for us. However, to get a top free agent to come to Memphis, we are going to have to pay above market value. Whomever we sign will be one of the defining decisions of this team. I listed it as #3 because supposedly there is a decent 2009 free agent crop, and this priority may not be addressed until next summer. My breakdown of notable 2008 Free Agents:
Would be Awesome, but Very Unlikey (all of these guys have contracts for 1 more year, but have an Early Termination Option for this summer; yet they are likely to remain in their current contract until becoming unrestricted free agents in 2009):
Allen Iverson
Jermaine O'Neal
Ron Artest
Elton Brand
Gilbert Arenas
Instant Offense but no Defense:
Antawn Jamison
Probably Cheap Veterans that Play Interior Defense:
PJ Brown
Dikembe Mutumbo
Eduardo Najera
Kurt Thomas
Pope's Recommendation: Najera & Kurt Thomas, and wait for 2009 for a big name
If the Grizz could persuade Elton Brand out of his contact, I would be in favor of paying him max $$, but its unlikely. Will be interesting to see what the Grizz do.
4. Point Guard Situation - This situation is currently
muddled and in need of repair, as the Grizz have 3 point guards (Mike Conley, Kyle Lowery, and Javaris Crittenton). If the Grizz get the #2 pick and somehow get Derrick Rose, then things turn really muddy. The only downside to taking an amazing talent like Derrick Rose is that we will be forced to trade Mike Conley at likely below market value. That will be a tough decision. But even if the Grizz dont get Derrick Rose, something needs to happen at this position. It sounds like Conley is the man, and Lowry and Crittendon will battle it out this summer for the backup spot. The third guy will be traded, waived, or benched, depending.
5. Mike Miller - He has been a solid SG, leader, and team player for this team for some time. He plays hard and gives 100% all the time, earning him a lot of fans in Memphis. But I think its time we get some value via trade for this aging star. Watching Mike Miller this year, I saw a 28 year old that moved around like he was 35. I love Mike, but think its time to get some value out of him before his slide downward occurs and we get nothing in return but an oft-injured veteran. Mike is not an oft-injured player yet, but Im predicting that he will act like your friends American SUV - its really cool for the first 5 years, but then two transmission overhauls, new tires, and new brakes are going to be your costs in year 6. Sell before that.
The Grizz need a major overhaul to not only compete next year, but also to keep fans remotely interested. Apathy is the worst disease that your fans can have, and that is certainly becoming the case in Memphis.
The Pope's Suggested Dream Answer: Draft Michael Beasley, sign Kurt Thomas and/or Najera, trade Kyle Lowery for a veteran defender, and then wait for a 2009 free agent like Elton Brand (who has an option to terminate in 2008 also) with even more $$ available under the cap room.
No comments:
Post a Comment