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The Cleo Goes To...

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 18:57:00 GMT

Kudos to the Memphis Grizzlies television commercials. These are their best TV spots since early in their Memphis tenure. They usually do a great job with humor. And guys, "Dunkyland" wasn't funny.

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Heisley vs. Vernon

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 23:36:00 GMT

Chris Vernon had an interview today with Memphis Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley that has been getting national attention from bloggers and people who are bemused by Heisley's inept performance. I actually witnessed the initial conversation between Chris Vernon and Michael Heisley Thursday before Heisley was shooed to the back with Vernon because some big mouth jerk without media credentials kept injecting (when he just wanted to ask Heisley why the hell was he on the tenth season poster) in the conversation.

As Heisley's foot-in-mouth affliction continues, I really think someone close to Heisley like Jerry West, Dick Versace, or John Thompson needs to tell Heisley stay away from the media. Michael Heisley can convince people to oppose giving food to feed starving poor people. Michael Heisley can take a reasonable proposal (incentives for performance) and make it sound like a horrible idea. If Heisley gets the performance incentives on the rookie contracts for Henry and Vasquez, more NBA teams will probably do the same thing for rookies next year if the Collective Bargaining Agreement includes first round slots and salary ranges of 80-120%. I did not hear the entire interview, but Heisley got defensive and emotional as he always does, and again loses the public relations battle. Considering Heisley is an opportunist in business, why not create a narrative that makes Arm Tellem the bad guy who refuses to negotiate in good faith? Heisley comes off as arrogant and unrealistic when he is talking to someone he perceives as attacking him.

Can someone please give Heisley an intervention? Michael Heisley is addicted to cameras, microphones, and the sound of his name. If Heisley really wants attention, why can't he just divorce his wife and date hot women too young for him like Jerry Buss and Donald Sterling?

The Memphis Mr. McMahon

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 17:48:00 GMT

When I was younger, I was a huge fan of wrestling. Of course I watched Jerry Jarrett and Jerry Lawler’s Memphis promotion. I also loved the WWF as most children of the 80s. In the 1980s, Vince McMahon was the commentator for the matches, and being the ignorant little kid I was, I had no idea he actually owned the promotion! (Imagine my shock upon finding out Jerry Lawler was the owner in Memphis. I thought he won all of those matches because of fireballs and chains.) Vince McMahon really longed to be a wrestler, despite being filthy rich promoting wrestling. McMahon worked out (and juiced up) furiously like a bodybuilder while really envying his wrestlers. At some point, McMahon was convinced he could be a character on his promotion, and became “Mr. McMahon,” the evil owner of the WWF(E) who would do anything to manipulate the matches and destroy the lives of his enemies.

Why should anyone who cares about the Memphis Grizzlies care about Mr. McMahon? Because trying to be Mr. McMahon is what is wrong with Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley. The Grizzlies organization is doing a great thing promoting the upcoming tenth season in Memphis. Now is a time to reflect on the history of the organization. Many in Memphis did not expect the team to last in Memphis for ten seasons. The Grizzlies may have a contentious legacy in the nine years the franchise has been in Memphis, but this is our team and we should not shame away from the first decade. I was impressed with the poster celebrating the players and personnel that created the memories of the first nine seasons with one glaring exception: Why the hell is Michael Heisley on there? I know Heisley is the owner and has invested millions of dollars into the franchise. Heisley is the person most responsible for everything the organization does. Yet Heisley is not a personality that benefits the fan base of the Memphis Grizzlies with personal appearances. In fact, when Michael Heisley speaks, he always finds a way to put his foot in his mouth. Heisley may be a savvy businessman, but he is not a good public relations representative.

Part of the reason the Grizzlies are not as successful as they could be in this market is resentment with Michael Heisley. Whether it is the business community (who may be unfairly influenced by the minority owners), the fans, or the local media, Heisley is not seen positively. The unfortunately thing is that Michael Heisley is the kind of person who says he wants people to like him, but if he knows he’s rubbing people the wrong way, he gives them even more of himself to let the people know he’s there. Whether Heisley has a need for attention or a demented sense of vengeance, he continually makes himself the news story, taking attention away from his organization which is always in need of good publicity. Having Michael Heisley on the front of the poster is a distraction. Instead of taking the time to relish the good memories, Heisley is the most prominent image seen.

Why is Michael Heisley on the poster? Did he order that he be included thinking he would receive hero worship? Was some brown-noser in the organization adamant about including Michael Heisley in the poster because he is significant to the team’s history in Memphis? (Well so are Don Poier, Sean Tuohy, Eric Hasseltine, Pete Pranica, Andy Dolich, Gene Bartow, Dick Versace, and Billy Knight. Why aren't they on the poster?) Cherishing is hard to do when you are disgusted.

I do not disagree with many of the moves Michael Heisley makes, and he is unfairly labelled a bad owner. Any owner in Memphis has to be fiscally responsible. Sometimes the Grizzlies are actually innovative. Michael Heisley is a shrewd man who does not understand the art of tactfully explaining the things he does. To make matters worse, he is overly emotional and now has decided micro-manage the organizations moves. Michael Heisley has emasculated General Manager Chris Wallace and Heisley takes credit for the team's toughest moves, as if he’s a dad keeping the heat off of his son. If Chris Wallace took all of the heat for controversial decisions he would be respected and possibly feared. What agent is going to accept Chris Wallace’s word if they know he does not have the authority of other general managers? Heisley owns the team; why not take the title of General Manager like Jerry Jones with the Dallas Cowboys and give Chris Wallace the title of assistant to the GM? What is the point of having a puppet in the front office?

If Heisley really wanted to be loved, he’d be silent and become a legend instead of a personality. I am certain all owners dip their beak into their team’s activities. The best ones do it in such a way no one knows they do it. If Heisley only appeared during big events and read a speech writed by the team’s public relations people and stayed out of the limelight, he would be loved with a successful team. Being front and center of the poster commemorating the Grizzlies tenth season in Memphis will not be earn the affections of the people that could buy tickets and only serves as a reminder that we see Michael Heisley in the spotlight too much.

The Audacity of Earning

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:43:00 GMT

When I took Negotiation in college I gained something of a reputation for being a hardened negotiator. The class had major projects where several sets of teams would negotiate against each other to work out a simulated contract. I was the lead for my team, and the team we negotiated against (which included NFL All-Pro Deangelo Williams - name drop!) was so determined not to lose to me, that they refused to accept a deal from my team. We were the only teams who did not reach an agreement. When the deal we proposed was compared to all of the accepted agreements of the other teams, my team offered the most financially beneficial contract. My reputation made the other team assume they would lose with any deal from my team. Despite my reputation, what I realized is that the best contract is a contract that is beneficial to both sides of an agreement.

I reflect on that experience looking at the story about the negotiation between the Memphis Grizzlies and Xavier Henry. The Grizzlies are in the right in this situation, but unfortunately, the club’s reputation and prior practices are making the organization appear cheap and unreasonable. If a franchise like the San Antonio Spurs offered their first round draft picks the guaranteed amount based on draft slot and made the rest of the allowed 20% premium obtainable through reasonable benchmarks, the agent and the player would look like the villains in the situation. Since the manic-depressive Memphis Grizzlies are drawing a line in the sand on this truly minor issue, the local fans and the national media is flustered by the latest sign of how the Grizzlies are trying to be save another dollar. The Grizzlies will be extremely close to the luxury tax threshold in the 2010-11 season and asking for financial flexibility with the newest guaranteed contracts is reasonable.

Arm Tellem is the bad guy right now. Tellem is longing for the days of the Grizzlies organization being run by good friend Jerry West who rubber stamped big contracts for Tellem clients Pau Gasol and Mike Miller. In fact, the legend around town is that the Grizzlies were adamant about not giving Pau Gasol a maximum contract, and as soon as Gasol fired his agent and hired the Logo’s buddy, the Grizzlies quickly justified giving Gasol a 6 year, $86 million deal. Tellem’s public relations campaign over a minimum of $600,000 (with Tellem’s agent fee being $18,000) is an absolute joke. If reports are true that the incentives are tied to Henry’s minutes, playing in the rookie game, and being an all-rookie player; it is unreasonable for any NBA fan to side with the player. Especially those critical of the long term guaranteed deals the NBA. The Grizzlies are hog-tied this season because of the guaranteed contract of Marko Jaric and the approximately $7 million the deal counts against the Grizzlies salary cap even though the contract was bought-out last season. Tellem speaks of the 20% premium as if it just given to the first round picks; if that was the case, why is the 20% premium even written into the Collective Bargaining Agreement? Unfortunately, details of rookie deals are not usually published, and I really doubt that every first round draft pick gets the premium indiscriminately.

The Grizzlies have proven to be the champions of hustling a dollar. Whether playing money launderer for hire with salary cap space, haggling coach Lionel Hollins on a new contract after a season with significant improvement, or being innovators in having the minimum 13 players on the roster, the Grizzlies will find ways to improve the bottom-line. Memphis is a small market and the Grizzlies have not created loyalty with the locals and corporate community to unconditionally succeed at the box office. Ten seasons in Memphis has been scarred with PR blunders and constant shots in the foot. Even if the Grizzlies sold out FedExForum for the season, the team still has to be efficient with its payroll. When the Grizzlies make the right decisions when it comes to payroll, the organization does something like fumbling the Rudy Gay extension because of an unwillingness to budge in negotiations leading to a $24 million correction when Gay has to be re-signed as a free agent in a seller’s market. So when the Grizzlies organization takes a stand on making the 20% rookie deal premium an actual bonus, it’s like Jose Canseco calling out the players who were using steroids!

Since rookies do not have to report to the team until late September, the Grizzlies have over a month to work things out with Xavier Henry (and Greivis Vasquez). I agree that the 20% premium should be tied to performance despite what has been done in the past. Antoine Walker once got a maximum contract. “The Presence” Hasheem Thabeet was drafted with the second pick when Tyreke Evans played at the University of Memphis. Rookie deals should have a way to award players for good performance. The Grizzlies had the worst bench in the NBA last year, and Xavier Henry will have plenty of opportunities to earn his bonus because he will be the only shooter on a bench with Tony Allen and Sam Young.

The Memphis Grizzlies need to stand their ground in this issue, but hopefully are willing to be flexible in negotiations of the incentives for Henry to earn the extra money. Maybe fans and media will judge this stand-off by its merit instead of the Grizzlies’ reputation and the fairly insignificant amount of money. In my Negotiation class simulation, my team was a movie studio and the other team was an agent for a movie star. Our offer satisfied all of the star’s requests, but the other team assumed something was wrong with the offer because it came from me. Unfortunately, the Grizzlies have the same problem. What is reasonable is not what a powerful agent like Arm Tellem accepts, and observers should realize what the Grizzlies are offering is not as outrageous as the spin indicates. The Grizzlies are not screwing over Xavier Henry like the New Orleans Saints got over on Ricky Williams when Master P was this agent. The message is strong and despite the Grizzlies being the messenger. The rest of the NBA will quickly follow suit in treating the 20% rookie premium as a bonus. The unfortunate thing is the Grizzlies are often innovators in what’s responsible, but Grizzlies innovations are ridiculous until more credible organizations adapt them and make them vogue.

Bluff City Bears Episode 6

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:07:00 GMT

#42

Lorenzen Wright 1975-2010

Rest In Peace Lorenzen Wright

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 21:35:00 GMT

Lorenzen Vern-Gagne Wright was found dead today in Southeast Memphis.

Lorenzen Wright was the first face of the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies traded for Ren on draft night 2001 in the deal that also got the rights to Pau Gasol and Brevin Knight. The trade was made before the NBA had approved Memphis as an NBA city. After Memphis was approved for the relocation of the Vancouver Grizzlies there was a big pep rally in Peabody Place and Lorenzen Wright was there to introduce the franchise to Memphis before thousands of adoring fans.

I am not a fan that has a favorite player on my favorite team, but I have never been as proud as I was to know that a great Memphis Tiger would be part of Memphis' major league franchise.

I feel for his family and I hate that he never had the opportunity to be an ambassador for the Memphis Tigers or Memphis Grizzlies when his playing career was over. My heart dropped when he lost a daughter, and now my heart is hurting for his family now.

RIP Ren

Bluff City Bears Episode 5

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 20:59:00 GMT

Earl Hardaway of 191 Beale Street visits the Bluff City Bears podcast and talks with Mario Latilleon about Zach Randolph, Hasheem Thabeet, OJ as a point guard, a heated debate about David Robinson, and more. If only if that darn phone would stop ringing!

Bluff City Bears Episode 4

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:19:00 GMT

Bluff City Bears Podcast becomes the Tony Allen show and explains why replacing Ronnie Brewer might not be that bad. Also a brief opinion of the Lebron James, Dan Gilbert, and Jesse Jackson controversy.

Counting the Duckets Before They Are Cashed

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:00:00 GMT

The fans of the Memphis Grizzlies probably should be full of optimism going into the 2010-11 NBA season. Not only is one of the NBA’s most effective starting line-ups back in the fold for the Grizzlies, two playoff teams, Phoenix and Utah, lost key players. Even if some fans are disappointed with the likely loss of guard Ronnie Brewer, the team really was not able to utilize Brewer on the court so nothing really missing from last year’s team. The Grizzlies have four starters who are young enough to expect improvement with experience and maturity, and a fifth, Zach Randolph, who will be playing a new contract. Next year should be the most highly anticipated Memphis Grizzlies season since the first year of FedExForum in 2004. So why is the buzz drowned out by the belly aches caused by dread?

Rudy Gay was re-signed for near max money. Ronnie Brewer was not offered. Lebron James did not chose Memphis. Xavier Henry is not Patrick Patterson, Paul George, or Damion James. The Grizzlies sold the 25th pick for $3 million. Is it the always nature of my hometown to be so critical? The Grizzlies won 40 games last year when the over/under number of wins was 28 with Las Vegas bookmakers! How about some excitement!

I will start right now with the concerns some have that the Grizzlies will not be able to re-sign the key starters on the team. Now that Rudy Gay has signed his big deal, people assume the Grizzlies have blown every dollar on him. While the Grizzlies will have a huge payroll (for them anyway) next year, there will be massive relief in payroll after next year. Marko Jaric officially comes off the books after next season. The amount of money Jaric counts is about $7 million. If people are worry about money for Marc Gasol, why not think that if the Grizzlies just took Jaric’s $7 million and added the money to Gasol to create a deal starting at $10 million for Gasol. Marc Gasol may be re-signed for a more reasonable amount, but at the very least there is room to re-sign him. Zach Randolph is an all-star, but he is greatly overpaid. As good as Randolph is, would he be attractive to other teams for a large investment? If Randolph is not attractive, why would Randolph leave the Grizzlies? If the Grizzlies gave Randolph a reasonable offer and Randolph’s deferred money from his current provides him with another income stream for the several years, does the financial situation look less dire. So the $25 million that Randolph, Jaric, and Gasol in 2010 could become $20 million for Randolph and Gasol in 2011.

There is a great deal of time between now and having to pay Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, and Mike Conley. Therefore I think it would be wise to sit back and enjoy what could be the most exciting Grizzlies season ever.

Summer League and Point Guard play

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 21:35:00 GMT

Summer League sure gets a lot more interesting this year. OJ at point dishing to Thabeet(hopefully he can catch a couple of em) and basically the entire bench including the new rooks will be out there as well. I've already programmed the DVR for all Grizz SL games and can't wait to see what happens.

Now, I realize SL doesn’t really mean much, but for us diehard fans(not the Bruce Willis film, pay attention) it gives us a chance to watch the majority of the team in action without having to wait till Halloween. I know I'm excited to see what the new guys can do + see what last year's rooks have learned so far. The back court combinations should be pretty intriguing as well. We finally get to see what a backcourt with some height can accomplish(OJ + Henry should be interesting and hopefully effective).

If you haven't noticed I'm not really in the MC fan club and personally think OJ should get a shot playing point(I know I'm all alone in this feeling. lol) Well, we'll finally get to see it for more than a couple of mins. Too bad it's only a couple of games though. My personal belief is that MC has to tools, but not the killer instinct to be a great point. I feel OJ has the mindset and with a little practice could be an impact PG in the league. His recent statements about struggling to defend S-Jax in the post reveal's a lot about what position He feels fits him best. But of course if Mayo at point turns out to be a disaster….

Enter Grevious Vasques, now I'm not going to lie and say I know much about this guy. I don’t really pay much attention to college ball and can't remember ever watching him play in person, but he does seem to have potential. In reading his draft bio a couple of things stood out. I saw that a few years back in international competition that he fearlessly attacked Kobe and Kidd(that in itself says he's confident) he played 4 years in college(which for some reason is now looked down upon??) He's 6'-6" which is great height for a point, loves to compete, has excellent court vision and he can hit tough shots. What's not to like? Well apparently he isn't the best athlete and his defense leaves much to be desired. Sounds kind of like Kidd and Nash in that regard, but they seem to do okay I guess.

I'll try to post again next week for summer league updates & first impressions of the rookies.

I know even less about Henry, so I'll try to give him some room in my next visit as well as a look at the frontcourt.

To wrap up, SL will be good and you all should watch, get excited and buy season tickets.

I believe we're playoff bound this year and with our inside game we should at least get a W or 2. Hopefully a series or 2. It's a good time to be a Grizz fan(finally)

J Casale

About the Author:

I'm not a writer(as you can probably tell) but I am a diehard Grizz fan and a lifelong Memphian.

I attended the first game played in the pyramid, the playoff massacre's, the AI press conference and now I'm ready for something new(a playoff win anyone??) I probably will not update too often, but have signed up to contribute. Anyone wanna talk grizz be sure to hit me up@Casale@bluffcitybears.com

The Gay Pride Parade

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 21:34:00 GMT

The kids from the Stax Academy rock. The most notable song they sang was “Mr. Big Stuff” by Jean Knight which is one of the funkiest songs ever to come out of Stax, even though it does not have the traditional Memphis Sound. The irony of “Mr Big Stuff” is the song is not speaking highly of the subject as Mr. Big Stuff thinks he’s better than he actually is and the singer lets him know that she could do better. After accepting a five year $84 million contract with the Grizzlies, which by annual average is the largest deal the franchise has ever given to a player, Rudy Gay puts pressure on himself to be consistent, a leadership, and a star on both sides of the floor. Rudy can easily score twenty plus points in a game. The commitment the Grizzlies have put into Rudy Gay hopefully will challenge Rudy to become an All-Star level player and contribute more to a winning culture for the organization. Zach Randolph may be sacrificed in a year to make Rudy’s deal work financially, and Gay has not proven himself to be a better player than Randolph. It is now step-up time for Rudy Gay.

This press conference / made for no television event is bigger and better than the press conferences I witnessed for Allen Iverson and the introduction of Xavier Henry and Greivis Vasquez. I presume Rudy Gay deserves the show because the franchise is investing its future in him as a star. Gay has the talent to be Kevin Durant, but Durant is a much harder worker and more professional on the floor. Rudy’s play last season convince me the team would be better with him than with a less spectacular substitute like Travis Outlaw or Josh Childress. I believe in Rudy Gay because Gay has not reached the level that he could. Grizzlies fans have been disappointed by the perpetual gap between potential and reality with Stromile Swift, but the only reason Rudy Gay is not on Brandon Roy’s level as a player is Rudy's lack of heart and desire.

There was a nice crowd to support Rudy Gay getting paid. Rudy was dressed to impressed, but he couldn't he get the same Beale Street blue tie and handkerchief that Eric Hasseltine showcased with a Puffy-styled shiny suit? Lionel Hollins had the same robotic gawk he normally has. Michael Heisley was rocking the recent retro original Grizz bear claw logo, proof Heisley is trying to save money wherever he can. I wonder if there a way to get Lionel Hollins to smile; might he be ticklish? Can Rudy let Coach Hollins swim in the Scrooge McDuck pool of cash, jewels, and gold that Gay can afford now? Mayor AC Wharton should put cushion under his knees next time he thanks Michael Heisley with such emotion. Mayor Joe Ford fortunately did not refer to the Memphis Grizzlies has his favorite project family. David Porter looked good in his colorblindness test shirt. Rudy Gay gets paid-day is a major milestone in the history of the City of Memphis; up there with the day J.R. Cash was inspired by some shoeshine boys and the day Jerry Lawler was pummeled by the "Universal Heartthrob" Austin Idol and a ring-concealed “Wildfire” Tommy Rich to create Pro Wrestling Illustrated’s feud of the year in 1988.

Rudy Gay says he feels like he won an Oscar. I hope he would prefer the feeling of winning an NBA championship. I think that if stars aligned, and Gay & Mayo played at a higher level than they currently play that the Grizzlies could be contenders with Gay, Mayo, Gasol, Randolph and complementary role players. As of this moment, the core does not look good enough on paper due to a lack of defensive ability, experience, and leadership. In terms of total talent, the Grizzlies are better than future rivals Oklahoma City and Portland. The question is whether team management is willing to create an environment where winning is expected, and can do the moves within a reasonable financial structure that can compete with teams with franchise players like the Lakers.

All jokes aside, this is a big day for the Memphis Grizzlies. It is a statement to local and national pundits who did not believe the franchise would be willing to keep a key piece of the roster. Though the Grizzlies needs to be wiser with spending, maybe this is the first step to a winner. I was at the Gay Pride Parade on July 8, 2010 at FedExForum. Here’s hoping we have the same celebrations for Mayo, Gasol, and Randolph.

The Living Dead Money and the Brewing Surprise

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 16:09:00 GMT

Victim of circumstance Marko Jaric should have been in heaven last year. He knocked up his supermodel wife (a legitimate supermodel, not a no one has ever heard of her supermodel that Tiger is about to pay off), had a team paying millions request he stay away from the team, and had another year of getting over seven million dollars to chill by the beach. Unfortunately, Jaric was an aging competitor who wanted to keep balling since his window of opportunity is closing, so Marko Jaric wanted to negotiate a buy-out with the Memphis Grizzlies so he could play in the Euroleague. After weeks if not months of haggling, the Memphis Grizzlies saved $1.3 million of the guaranteed $14.7 million owed to Marko Jaric. Marko Jaric was the price of doing business the Memphis Grizzlies had to pay to obtain potential franchise changing player OJ Mayo. The Grizzlies are a budget conscious franchise, so saving 10% on $15 million was attractive. The consequence of the waiving Jaric was taking a salary cap hit of approximately $6.9 million for the 2010-11 season that cannot be removed. So the Grizzlies, a team already crippled by market size, is handicapped even more with $7 million less to spend on players than the salary cap would allow. So over ten percent of the Memphis Grizzlies payroll is dead money.

If the Grizzlies had kept Marko Jaric the team would not be playing him and the money would still be dead in theory. Yet in the economics of the NBA, a expiring deal for $8 million would be as good as gold as a bargaining. With the right combination of Jaric and Hamed Haddadi, the Grizzlies could have grabbed a longer lasting deal like Monta Ellis or Hedo Turkoglu to solidify its position as a playoff team. Sometimes it appears the Grizzlies make moves for the short-term financial help as opposed to the long term benefits of prudent transactions.

The Grizzlies received a dose of good news from the NBA. The salary cap was bigger than expected and the Grizzlies will have approximately $7 million of wiggle room before crossing the luxury tax threshold. By waiving Lester Hudson, the Grizzlies will only have 12 players on the roster after signing the draft picks. Therefore, the Grizzlies have to sign someone. It should be Ronnie Brewer. Even with Xavier Henry and Greivis Vasquez, Brewer brings veteran experience and a defensive mentality. The Grizzlies will explore all options and Brewer will have many suitors when the free agency dust settles, but with Brewer on the bench, I like the Grizzlies’ chances as a playoff contender this season.

Deliver Ramesses the Great to FedExForum to Inspire Hasheem The Presence

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:47:00 GMT

BassPro Shops is taking over the never named “Great American” Pyramid and it appears the massive statue of Ramesses the Great will need a new home. I suggest moving Ramesses to FedExForum. The FedExForum does not seem like a reasonable landing spot for the statue; the building has a musical theme and it is shaped like the Mid-South Coliseum, not the Pyramid. So I know you are wondering why in the world should we move the Ramesses statue to FedExForum: to commemorate “The Presence” Hasheem Thabeet!

Much like Thabeet, the Ramesses statue is tall, does not move around much, and cannot catch a ball. If we put a #34 jersey on the statue and stuck it in the lane on the court, I doubt many people will notice it is not The Presence patrolling the lane. Most importantly, if we told Hasheem the statue was inspired by him, he will tweet about the statue every night! What better way to promote the statue by having our stiff telling the world about dinner and his statue. Hasheem might even spray Febreze on the statue before every game. Hasheem could update the Sesame Street song “Me and my Llama” to be “Me and My Ramesses.”

The only downside to bringing Ramesses to FedExForum? Zach Randolph yelling at Hasheem, “LET MY REBOUND, GO!” But alas, The Presence has no problem letting a rebound go.

Call Mayor Wharton and tell him to deliver the Ramesses the Great statue to FedExForum to create The Presence outside of the arena to go with our Presence on the inside.

Bluff City Bears Episode 3

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 15:35:00 GMT

Episode 3 has a special guest, Earl Hardaway of 191 Beale Street discussing Rudy Gay's deals and Grizzlies moves with Mario Latilleon.

Ronnie Come Back

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 18:05:00 GMT

Former Grizzly Hakim Warrick, who was only the greatest player ever when the Grizzlies revoked a qualifying offer in 2009 according to some in Memphis sports media, received a reported four year, $18 million deal from the Phoenix Suns. My reaction to the deal was a boost of optimism about Ronnie Brewer. The Memphis Grizzlies made Ronnie Brewer a sacrificial lamb to be able to offer Rudy Gay a 5 year, $82 million contract without moving over the luxury tax threshold. Ronnie Brewer has not been renounced, meaning the Memphis Grizzlies can still pursue him despite him being an unrestricted free agent. I feared Brewer would receive a better offer than the Grizzlies could provide, but if Hakim Warrick only received a deal worth $4.5 million annually, maybe Ronnie Brewer will not get an offer much better than something the Grizzlies could afford.

Hakim Warrick may not seem like a good comparison for Ronnie Brewer, but Hakim Warrick is a better offensive threat and can play a more valuable position, power forward. Though both players are 11 to 12 point a game scorers in a limited minutes, Warrick is more able to create his offense while Brewer is at his best being set-up by another player within the offense. Brewer is a much better defender, but Warrick’s value as instant offense off the bench is worthy of more attention from teams needing a spark. So I would assume Warrick would be able to obtain a bigger deal than Ronnie Brewer. Apparently, Warrick’s deal is less than a full mid-level exception (which will be in the area of $5-6 million), the level I originally expected Ronnie Brewer to attract as a free agent.

For the first time, I became Chris Rock about the Grizzlies’ Brewer strategy (I ain’t saying I would have done it, but I understand). The Grizzlies have to give Brewer or a comparable player a salary of less than Brewer’s $3.77 million qualifying offer. With Rudy Gay’s salary counting for $13.3 million on the books next year, the Grizzlies have a current payroll of approximately $64.2 million. If the luxury tax threshold is $67 million, the Grizzlies will need to do some shuffling to fill the roster with the last player or two they are required to obtain to complete the roster.

I think Ronnie Brewer is the player the Grizzlies need. Brewer would be the Grizzlies’ defensive specialist. Brewer is also a player with playoff experience from a winning culture in Utah. Though Brewer may not be a leader, he is a professional who represents the city well and could be a good presence in the locker room. Brewer is a good candidate to be a fan favorite in Memphis if he got to play without being injured.

Unfortunately, the Grizzlies cannot currently afford to give Ronnie Brewer a competitive offer. The Grizzlies have less than $3 million of payroll breathing room and achievable incentives for current players could push the payroll even higher. I have a simple solution to create more cash for Ronnie Brewer: trade Hamed Haddadi.

Hamed Haddadi is a serviceable back-up center in the NBA. Haddadi will earn $1.8 million for the 2010-11 season and would be attractive to a team with a little cap space that needs a back-up center. If the Oklahoma City Thunder or Washington Wizards want to improve the size on their bench, Haddadi may be attractive. Trade Haddadi to one of those teams for a conditional 2nd round draft pick (pick has to be between 55-60) to open up payroll. Offer Ronnie Brewer a four year deal for $13.7 million with a fourth year player option. The cap hit for such a deal next year would be $3 million, and the Grizzlies could sign a journeyman power forward/center to complete the roster (Earl Barron anyone?).

$14 million may not be enough to keep Ronnie Brewer, but it is a reasonable offer for the player who would be vital in making the Grizzlies competitive for a playoff spot next year. If we cannot keep Ronnie Brewer, I guess Travis Outlaw, Rodney Carney, or Trenton Hassell might be sufficient replacements. Ronnie Brewer was the player to obtain last season, and he is a player the Grizzlies need to keep this off-season. As hard as the Grizzlies worked to keep Rudy Gay, I hope they find same zeal for Ronnie Brewer.

Bluff City Bears Episode 2

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:33:00 GMT

Bluff City Bears Episode 2 is an intervention with a Memphis Lakers fan, narrator extraordinaire, Willie Jones. What do we need to do to get him in Beale Street Blue?

The Day $82 Mill Got Gay

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 22:05:00 GMT

Sometimes I wonder if Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley has Attention Deficit Disorder. Heisley's actions often indicate a person with a problem with patience. If you talk to Heisley and do not agree with his opinion, he quickly gets flustered and will likely be short with you. If one of Heisley's players is due for a contract, he reacts in a manner that seemingly goes against the business acumen that has allowed him to scoop in like a vulture to make billions off the misfortune of failing companies. When Pau Gasol was eligible for a salary extension in 2004, Heisley was a tough negotiator for most of the summer. Pau Gasol desired an affirmation that he was the franchise player for the Grizzlies despite the Grizzlies having success utilizing Hubie Brown's ten deep team effort. Pau was the best player on a 50 win team, but as good as Pau was, he was not worth a maximum contract. After Gasol had an amazing Olympic performance and hired an agent with a great relationship with Jerry West, Heisley was convinced to sign off on an maximum contract extension for Pau Gasol; answering the trivia question how the hell Zach Randolph and Andrei Kirilenko were able to finagle maximum contract extensions (What is because Pau Gasol got one, Alex?). Michael Heisley is the kind of guy who is amazingly loyal to those dear to him. If a player performs well, Heisley becomes their biggest fan and could go against conventional wisdom in decision-making. But when Heisley has his heart broken, he becomes vengeful as a way to protect himself like a dumped boyfriend by slashing business and basketball operations budgets. Michael Heisley has exhibited amazing discipline since trading away Pau Gasol to Blake and Krystal Karrington's Dynasty. The team has taken the accusations of being frugal and foolhardy like a champ in being adamant about collecting the young pieces they felt would add up to a competitive team, laundering money for richer franchises with available cap space, and taking a gamble on Zach Randolph for nothing but an expiring contract and cap room. It appeared Heisley would maintain that discipline with Rudy Gay's contract extension. Rudy Gay is a good player who could be great if he could ever get a true passion for basketball. Rudy Gay will give you three-fifths of a quarter in practically every game where he looks like the best small forward in the game not named Lebron James (yes I've heard of Carmelo and Durant). Rudy Gay has ice water in his veins if the Grizzlies need one shot to tie or win the game and is more clutch than he is credited. As good as Rudy Gay could be, he will never be a franchise changer, a leader, or the most popular player in the league. Michael Heisley understood these issues with Rudy Gay, and when the contract extension offer came, it was comparable to deals other players in Gay's draft class (outside of the Trailblazers pretending to be Lil' Wayne's Young Money), between $50-55 million over five years. But the monsoon of free agency 2010 was coming and Rudy Gay wisely waited to get his money. Little did Grizzlies fans like myself know how quickly Gay could break Mike Heisley.

Everyone knew Rudy Gay would be overpaid by some desperate team that missed out on the big names or a team that could not get the big names so they focused on the 2nd tier. Yet no matter how unreasonable those teams could get with an offer sheet, the Grizzlies could have maintained an poker-faced resilience about matching any and every deal Rudy Gay would receive. To hedge the gamble even more, the Grizzlies could have warned any interested team that not only would the team match any offer sheet, the team would take all seven days before matching. The Grizzlies could also negotiate in good faith with Rudy Gay, offering more than the amount they offered for an extension, I’m thinking something in the area of five years and $60-65 million with incentives for reaching the All-Star game and the Grizzlies making the playoffs.

Michael Heisley’s ADD kicked in when reports claimed Rudy Gay would receive offers that were heavily front-loaded and the Grizzlies would have to pay Rudy big immediately. Why does a big baller like Mike Heisley fall prey to a bluff? If Heisley could be a sucker for an owner challenging him that quickly (or maybe even Gay’s agent), how is he going to handle the pressures of the next three years when the Grizzlies will need to do shuffling to keep a competitive team that is below the luxury tax threshold. The Grizzlies need a cool, calm owner for handling these big dollar decisions.

I am happy for Rudy Gay and I hope he is able to be the consistent, high-level player he is going to be paid to be. I hope the Grizzlies find a way to keep Ronnie Brewer on the roster. I hope the national media will stop acting like the Grizzlies were stupid to sign Rudy Gay to this bloated deal when they did not want to believe the Grizzlies would be willing to pony up in the first place. Most importantly, I hope someone gets Michael Heisley a Ritalin prescription, so he will not be so apt to lose focus. Or at least, can we get Zach Randolph can sell him some of that good cush that he keeps Naptown lit up with? Wouldn't that mellow Michael Heisley?

Bluff City Bears Episode 1

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 20:15:00 GMT

Ronnie Brewer didn't play much due to injury last season, but Ronnie Brewer was still the best bench player on the Grizzlies roster. The first Bluff City Bears podcast focuses on Ronnie Brewer and where the Grizzlies go from here.

Epiphany

mario@latilleon.com (Mario Latilleon) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 23:03:00 GMT

I grew up watching basketball. The first basketball team that earn my admiration was the Chicago Bulls, for no reason other than I lived outside of Chicago when I became a sports fan. I was the beneficiary of great timing because I moved to the Greater Chicago area at the same time that Michael Jeffery Jordan slipped to the third pick in the 1984 NBA draft because the Portland Trailblazers had Clyde Drexler playing shooting guard and Sam Bowie projected to be a star center despite the history of injuries in college. When I moved back to Memphis, everyone seemed to be a Los Angeles Lakers fan and I watched many Lakers versus Celtics games. Being the loyal kid I was, my support stayed with the Chicago Bulls. When told my 8th grade classmates the Chicago Bulls were winning the championship, the generation only used to the Lakers, Celtics, and Pistons as champs disparaged me.

I celebrated six NBA championships from my hometown of Memphis and saw what those titles did for my second hometown of Chicago. The success of the NBA in Chicago was my primary motivation for doing all I could to help propel the Vancouver Grizzlies to Memphis. I saw the benefits of a winning NBA franchise from afar. I believed that if the NBA could have the same success in Memphis, the city would unite behind its NBA team and the world would get see inside a window to the region. I wrote to media members and politicians in support of funding a new arena and I volunteered for the NBA Now effort. In fact, I paid money to buy an NBA Now tee-shirt; a shirt meant to promote a political campaign. That is the equivalent of buying a Barack Obama shirt instead of getting one free from the campaign (hey, wait a minute!). The movement was successful getting the team established, but not without enemies who remain bitter to this day due to issues as immature as a misguided opinion that the NBA franchise is working to ruin the University of Memphis‘ men’s basketball program, the money for FedExForum should have went to schools despite no big previous effort to increase funding, and the lunacy that the team was trying to leave Memphis as soon as it got to town. So unfortunately, the region has not unified behind the Memphis Grizzlies. The reason is mainly because the team has not been overly successful on the court. The team had limited success in the mid-2000s, with a hodgepodge of good talent without potential to have a decent run into the playoffs since the team did not have a true alpha dog or leader. When president of business operations Jerry “The Logo” West broke-up the team by trading key pieces without upgrading the team’s talent, eventually sacrificing the team’s “glue” Shane Battier to take a gamble on a potential game changing talent in Rudy Gay, the region’s fandom of the team subsided. By fate or coincidence, the University of Memphis’ basketball team had its greatest success ever when the Memphis Grizzlies were falling fast and hard. Some Memphians believe the Grizzlies’ woes are due to bad luck or karma; a pessimism that is guarded by a negativity stronger than the odor that emanated from the old Humko plant on Thomas in North Memphis.

I have a different opinion. The Grizzlies have an equal opportunity for greatness as every other team in the NBA. The Grizzlies do not have the worst owner in the NBA. The Grizzlies do not have the worst fans in the NBA. The Grizzlies do not have the worst talent in the NBA. The Grizzlies are not the worst franchise in the NBA. Memphis is not the NBA’s worst market. The citizens of Memphis need to be accepted by outsiders we respect and envy. When we do not get the attention we crave, we increase criticism by doubting ourselves with a self-hatred and forget that success begins with believing in ourselves. We under-appreciate what we have, and one of those things we have is the Memphis Grizzlies.

I have been a fan of the Grizzlies since the team relocated to Memphis, while being a Tiger fan since I was a child. I am as loyal to the Grizzlies as I am to the Memphis Tigers. Even as a lifelong Tigers fan, I came to a realization: the Grizzlies winning the NBA championship with have a greater impact than a Memphis Tigers NCAA championship. The Tigers have nine decades of history in the city and have earned a place in the hearts of Memphians. An NCAA championship would culminate the commitment of time and battle scars. As great as a University of Memphis NCAA championship in Division 1 men’s basketball would be, the NBA championship for the Memphis Grizzlies would be more of an achievement for the region.

For the Grizzlies to win the NBA title, the team would have to have a combination of good luck, great team management, excellent coaching, and tenacity. Unlike the University of Memphis Tigers, which operates with the college basketball landscape changing every year or two, the Grizzlies contend with great NBA opponents which may maintain the same core for a decade. If the Grizzlies reached the pinnacle of the NBA, the team would have a slow build of success with years invested to make the team good enough to win a title and once the title is achieved the team would likely contend for five or more year title-contending window following the championship. The Grizzlies would have popular players that are among the best in the profession. To achieve an NBA title, the Grizzlies would have to succeed for three months of the most competitive basketball played on the planet. The Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA Finals would have the eyes of the world on Memphis for the two weeks. If the Larry O’Brien title came to Memphis, the Memphis Grizzlies would earn fans from Little Rock to Nashville, Jackson to St. Louis, and finally achieve a status needed to thrive at the box office, regional popularity. Though the Tigers have been the biggest story in Memphis over the last five years, the Tigers’ place in Memphis lore is forever etched regardless of winning a championship. If the Grizzlies make their place in history for the city of Memphis, the benefits to the city of Memphis would be great. Morale would be at an all-time high, the media attention would be immeasurable, and I’ll admit I’m hitting Beale Street (or maybe Thomas for really gritty partying!).

Achieving the NBA championship is the goal. I have posted thousands of messages on various forums on the internet supporting the Grizzlies and giving my opinion on the best strategies to achieve the goal. BluffCityBears.com will be a source for those opinions for the future and one corner of the web that realizes Memphis needs the Grizzlies and a championship might end world hunger and bring about world peace... Well maybe not world peace nor an increase to the food supply, but maybe the Larry O’Brien trophy has magically properties and can give Ophelia Ford and Geoff Calkins a little more sense. I hope Bluff City Bears brings a different and entertaining point-of-view and earns a regular visit.