2008 Memphis Grizzlies NBA Preview & Season Predictions


Written October 8, 2008 by Luke Knight

The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the youngest teams in the league, with 8 core contributors 23 and under. The Grizzlies have a lot of talent, and certainly were not the most maligned team last season. Marc Iavaroni went 22-60 last season, but was left dangling most of the off season before being retained with Kevin O’Neill on the bench, as somewhat of a defensive coordinator. The Grizzlies have had back-to-back 22-win seasons following 3 straight playoff sweeps, so it will be interesting to see if the fans’ patience will last with such a young team. Keep reading our Memphis Grizzlies Preview to find out if we think the time is now for this young Grizzly squad or if the fans will need to be patient a little longer. If you want to bet on the NBA odds for the Grizzlies this season, then head over to BetUS where you can get up to 145% in signup bonuses.

Mike Conley had somewhat of a rocky rookie season. The Grizzlies brought him along slowly, allowing him to grow behind Damon Stoudamire and 2nd year man Kyle Lowry to begin the season. When Conley was ready to take over the starting job, Conley suffered a shoulder injury that sidelined him for 20 games. This season Conley has returned with more muscle, a better jumper, and a promise to be a more vocal leader. Conley flashed the quickness, poise, and court vision that suggests he can be a top-flight point guard, which were the skills that got him drafted 4th overall. Lowry will push Conley for playing time. Lowry was the Grizzlies most effective lead guard a year ago. He doesn’t have a great jump shot and sometimes makes questionable decisions, so he is a better fit for a bench role. It will be important for Conley to take control of this team and be the floor general an NBA starting point guard is supposed to be. If he can do that, and Lowry can adjust to his role as a bench player, this team will be better at the point than people expect.

O.J. Mayo is expected to start from day one. He has an NBA physique and has been tapped for NBA stardom since middle school. During the summer, Mayo looked like a polished scorer with deep shooting range. Initially, there was some thought of turning Mayo into a point guard, but he turned the ball over too much in the summer to take that notion seriously. Mayo shot 41% from 3-point range at USC, and Memphis hopes that can transfer to the longer NBA 3-point line. Marko Jaric a versatile and experienced player out of Serbia & Montenegro should get minutes behind Mayo, but could start the season ahead of him on the depth chart. Second-year guard Javaris Crittenton, who was acquired from the Lakers last season for Pau Gasol, could get some playing time, but could also find himself on the trading block, since Memphis has an overload of ballhandling guards.

Rudy Gay finished second in the league’s Most Improved Player voting in his second season in the NBA. Gay raised his scoring average from 10.8 points per game to 20.1 last season. Gay was a solid 3-point shooter, an explosive finisher in transition, and an increasingly confident and effective go-to scorer in half-court sets. Gay needs to improve his defense, rebounding, and ballhandling to become a true star in the NBA. This season will show just how high Gay’s upside is. Greg Buckner, who is a defensive specialist, should get solid minutes behind Gay. Marko Jaric could also get minutes here, with Buckner getting backup minutes behind Mayo.


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Hakim Warrick, the 25-year old senior of the Grizzly team, has averaged 15.7 points and 6.7 boards per game in 73 starts over the past 2 seasons. Warrick has proven himself as a viable scoring threat with slick post moves, strong transition play, and a jumper that has increased in range and reliability. Warrick is generally considered too small at 6-9, 219 pounds to hold his own on the boards or keep from being overpowered on the block. Rookie Darrell Arthur out of Kansas, and who is coming off of a dominating performance in the NCAA title game, could challenge Warrick and eventually take over the starting job. Many think Warrick is best equipped to be a scorer off the bench, and if Arthur comes along the Grizzlies will just be that much better. Arthur is a talented offensive player, but needs to be more consistent scoring and get better at rebounding before he will make a huge impact. Antoine Walker may get some minutes here, but he is 32 years old and the tank looks like it may be empty.

Darko Milicic started out last season as a quality post defender, but injuries killed his early season confidence and he ended up averaging only 7.2 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game. The Grizzlies aren’t looking for Milicic to be the star that he was initially drafted to be as the 2nd overall pick 5 years ago, but he needs to anchor the defense, rebound consistently, and score efficiently. Milicic will be in a situation where he must improve or rookie Marc Gasol (Pau’s brother) could take over the starting job. Marc Gasol was the MVP of the Spanish ACB league, which is typically considered the world’s second best pro league. Gasol will be expected to play right away off the bench as his passing and shooting ability should make him effective out of the high post and his size should help him in the paint.

Final Analysis

The Grizzlies have a very talented group of young, core players with Conley, Mayo, Gay, Gasol, and Lowry, Milicic, and Arthur. The problem with a young group of talented players is that they are unproven. The Grizzlies are in a tough division in a tough conference and young teams in the NBA tend to lose in bunches. The Grizzlies are in the exact same situation. They should come along this year, but it will be difficult to find wins this season. Hopefully the Grizzlies fan-base can stay patient through these growing pains, because this team has a future with the talent that they currently have. We have the Memphis Grizzlies finishing 5th in the Southwest Division behind the Mavericks, Rockets, Hornets, and Spurs and missing out on the Western Conference playoffs. This team will be exciting to watch come along despite what is expected to be a low-win total and since expectations are low, then could be a good team to bet on each night.

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