Grizzlie's Marreese Speights is out to prove HE IS THE MAN!

With Zach Randolph being out for the next couple of weeks due to an injury, Coach Lionel Hollins and the Memphis Grizzlies have acquired 6'10, 255lb forward Marreese Speights from the Philadelphia 76ers. Just a couple games into the season, Marreese is already proving his ability on the court by scoring and holding up to the defense, including his game high 17 points last week against a tough Grizzlies loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Marreese Speights (courtesy ESPN.com)

The trade did not come without controversy as word around the NBA and with coaches was that Speights would not be a good team player because of his work ethics.  Speights recently told sports writer Ron Tillery of commercialappeal.com ,"Everybody always say I'm lazy and all of that," Speights said. "But they didn't say that my first two years. It's crazy that in my third year when coach (Doug) Collins came (to Philadelphia) that all of that started coming up. I can't change the past. The only thing I can affect is my future."

With his new addition to the Grizzlies lineup, Marreese will definitely have to get a feel for other key players (Rudy Gay , Marc Gasol, Mike Conley) and find his niche on the court. Becoming a member of the Grizzlies team is sort of a second chance for him as he found himself barred off the court in Philadelphia, having some shaky ground with coach Dave Collins. and didnt play in any games before the trade. Last year, he averaged 5.4 points per game and has already seen improvement during two games with the Grizzlies up to 8.5 points per game.

Speights knows this is his opportunity to prove that he is the player needed on the team and definitely capable of getting the job done. Coincidentally, the same player who he is playing for know, Zach Randolph, faced similar issues when he joined the Grizzlies back in 2009 from the New York Knicks. Nobody believed in Zach and viewed him as trouble; however, all those issues were dispelled when Zach, now known as ZBO, showed the world that he has what it takes, including getting the Grizzlies back in the playoff spotlight during last years season.


He continues to tell Tillery that "Going through that (in Philadelphia) made me realize that everything can't be gold all of the time," Speights said. "Me and coach (Collins) have a good relationship off the court. But on the court we really couldn't get it together. I've got a fresh start here so I'm not worried about Philly anymore. ... (The Griz) need me and I need them. I'm excited to be here."

So far I am impressed with Speights. He is proving to have star power on the court. The fans cheer him on and his energy and hard play will definitely keep us as contenders.  Welcome to Memphis Marreese, I dont think they could have picked a better player.

After 3OTs, Grizzlies lose steam to the Thunder: Series tied 2-2

Memphis - (Ron Tillery reporting) What do you call an NBA playoff game that features collapses, comebacks, clutch shots, is a credit to both teams’ will to win and doesn’t abide by anyone’s clock?
A classic.

That best describes the Grizzlies’ 133-123 triple overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 of their Western Conference semifinal Monday night at FedExForum.

Not only is the best-of-seven series tied 2-2 but it is clearly marking the infancy of a budding rivalry, and a long, fierce fight for the right to play Dallas in the conference finals.

Everything about the nearly four-hour affair between the Griz-Thunder suggested as much.
Memphis led by 18 points in the second period. Oklahoma City stormed back and took a 10-point advantage midway in the fourth.

The Griz got a clutch, fourth-quarter 3-pointer from Mike Conley to initially extend the game. Then, rookie Greivis Vasquez connected on a miraculous long-range shot that forced even more time.
In the end, though, the Thunder had more energy and more key players on the floor in the third overtime. With the game knotted at 121, the Thunder put away the Griz with a 10-2 run that included the final eight points of the game.

Game 5 is set Wednesday in Oklahoma City if either team has enough energy left to play it.
Griz big men Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol each played 56-plus minutes. Randolph finished with 34 points and 16 rebounds. Gasol had 26 points and 21 boards. The Thunder offset that with Russell Westbrook’s career playoff-high 40 points and Kevin Durant’s 35-point and 13-rebound outing.

“It’s a tough loss,” Randolph said. “You’ve got to give (the Thunder) credit. They played well and hit big shots. Their two star players hit big shots toward the end of the game.”

Oklahoma City, which lost Game 3 in overtime after blowing a 16-point lead, reclaimed home-court advantage in dramatic fashion.

“This game is something people are going to be talking about for a while,” Durant said. “I'm glad I’m a part of it.”
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Now that the series is tied 2-2, we are back to square one. Although the Grizz travel to Oklahoma for game 5, I am confident this series will go through for seven games, with that game back in Okc. We need this one. BELIEVE is the team's motto, and I am doing just that.  Before I conclude, I would also like to commend the fans for an outstanding SUPPORT system for our Memphis Grizzlies. This game goes down in NBA history.

BELIEVE MEMPHIS: GRIZZ MANHANDLE SPURS 104-86

Electrifying! Magnificent! Exhilarating! BEASTLY! All those are words than be used to describe the level of intensity and endurance displayed by the Memphis Grizzlies as we hammered the San Antonio Grizzlies in Game 4 at Fedex Forum in Memphis, TN. You can literally feel the energy from the team and let me give a big HI-FIVE to all the ENTHUSIASTIC fans who came out and rallied the Grizzlies on!!!

Ronald Tillery - (Commerical Appeal) Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins walked into the locker room at halftime and basically hypnotized his players into thinking they were down a bunch.


They trailed by only two points, but Hollins wasn’t at all happy with the energy level. So he implored his troops to rush out into the second half and play with a sense of desperation.
“We responded well,” Griz forward Zach Randolph said.

That would be an understatement.

The Grizzlies opened the third quarter on a 14-0 run fueled by the scrappy, defensive play that has defined their season and pulled away Monday night for a 104-86 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of their first-round playoff series.

A sold-out crowd of 18,119 in FedExForum watched the Spurs fall into a trance, too. San Antonio wilted, turning the ball over seven times in the third, after hitting Memphis with its best half of basketball in the series.

“They put their foot on our neck and they never let up,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
Memphis, the eighth seed, is on the verge of making top-seeded San Antonio cry uncle. The Griz now own a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, which shifts back to San Antonio for Game 5 on Wednesday.

The Griz are trying to become the second eighth seed to beat a No. 1 seed since Golden State upset Dallas in 2007. Like he has all series, Hollins refuses to look too far ahead.
Perhaps that’s a show of respect to the Spurs. But the Griz didn’t have much regard for the former champions in a game they led by as many as 24 points. Neither team won by more than six points in the first three games.

Arthur electrified the towel-waving crowd by making a series of 18-foot shots as the Griz established their lead. An Arthur jump shot ended that decisive third. The Griz won the period 30-15 and led 78-65 when the final frame began.


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Thabeet Out, Shane Battier In, OJ Mayo deal a NOGO

With starting forward Rudy Gay out with a shoulder injury for at least three more weeks, the Grizzlies acquired forward Shane Battier from the Houston Rockets for 2009 No. 2 pick Hasheem Thabeet at the NBA trade deadline today.

The Grizzlies also worked with Indiana on a deal that would have sent guard O.J. Mayo to the Pacers for forward/center Josh McRoberts and a Pacers' first-round draft pick. Despite reports of the deal being done, it never reached completion by the deadline. Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace confirmed that Mayo was not traded in a tweet this afternoon.
In the deal with Houston, the Grizzlies traded Thabeet, a 7-3 center, and a future first-round draft pick to reacquire Battier, once one of the most popular members of the Grizzlies.
Battier was a first-round choice of the Grizzlies in 2001 and played five years here before being sent to Houston in a deal that brought the Grizzlies the draft rights to Rudy Gay.
It was long believed that Thabeet would be dealt. He is largely considered a bust as the No. 2 overall pick in 2009.
“I approved Shane because while I thought Rudy (Gay) is out he could basically help us get into the playoffs. And I am committed to getting into the playoffs,” Heisley said. “He’s the best player I could find to replace Rudy. And he’ll be a positive influence in Memphis.”


Source: www.commercialappeal.com

Carmelo Anthony in Manhattan for Knicks Announcement

Melo has been spotted in Manhattan.
Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks' newest star, surfaced Wednesday at a Downtown hotel, looking, well, mellow.
Dressed in a grey sweatshirt and black sweatpants, headphones resting on his noggin, Anthony looked like he didn't have a care in the world as he toted his laptop through the lobby.

Carmelo Anthony leaving his hotel after arriving in the Big Apple

Never mind that Anthony was just hours away from donning the blue and orange and making his much anticipated debut with the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Never mind that Anthony has been heralded as the 6-foot-8 savior of a basketball franchise desperately in need of a championship.
If Anthony was feeling the pressure, he wasn't showing it.
Meanwhile, New York sports fans were in the grips of Melo madness.

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