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.

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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Grizzlies gear up for Playoffs against Spurs after loss to Clippers

LOS ANGELES --- Rest and recuperation.
That, not necessarily a win for the better part of three quarters, is what the Grizzlies went for Wednesday night in their regular-season finale. The Griz didn’t play three starters in a 110-103 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in Staples Center.
The Griz will enter the NBA playoffs this weekend as the eighth seed in the Western Conference and they are set to face the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
Memphis and New Orleans both finished with 46-36 records, but the Hornets are the No. 7 seed because they hold the tiebreaker over the Grizzlies.
“We knew we were playing against a great team either way,” Griz forward Shane Battier said. “(The Spurs) play good at home and on the road. We have our work cut out for us. I told the guys its the playoffs but it’s still basketball. … We can’t get caught up in the fact that it’s the playoffs.”
The Griz-Spurs series will open with two games in San Antonio, beginning Sunday at noon. Game 2 will take place Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. The series shifts to FedExForum April 23 for Games 3 at 6:30 p.m. The Griz will also host Game 4 with a time to be determined.
“We’ve played some good games,” Griz guard O.J. Mayo said of the regular-season series with the Spurs. “We just have to believe in ourselves and believe in what we’re doing.”
The teams split its four-game season series at 2-2. The Griz and Spurs each won their home games.

Projected Schedule:

Game 1 - Sunday, Grizzlies at San Antonio, noon, TNT
Game 2 - Wednesday, Grizzlies at San Antonio, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV
Game 3 - April 23, San Antonio vs. Grizzlies at FedExForum, 6:30 p.m., ESPN
Game 4 - April 25, San Antonio vs. Grizzlies at FedExForum, TBA
Game 5 (if necessary) - April 27, Grizzlies at San Antonio, TBA
Game 6 (if necessary) - April 29, San Antonio vs. Grizzlies, TBA
Game 7 (if necessary) - May 1, Grizzlies at San Antonio, TBA


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HATE it or NOT: GRIZZLIES beat Celtics 90-87

Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies celebrates after he made a three point shot in the second half against the Celtics on Wednesday in Boston, Massachusetts. The Grizzlies won 90-87. (Elsa/Getty Images)

BOSTON — Grizzlies newcomers Tony Allen and Leon Powe received a warm welcome from the TD Garden crowd during player introductions.

The former Boston Celtics players gladly absorbed the appreciation. They were just as happy to send the Celtics crowd home sad.

Allen and Powe took their return to Boston personally and the Grizzlies treated the start of a two-game excursion like a business trip. The result for the Grizzlies on Wednesday night was a 90-87 victory over the Boston Celtics, followed by a loud celebration from the visitors’ locker room.

“You see the smile on my face,” said Powe, who tied Zach Randolph with a team-high 13 points off the bench.
The Griz (40-32) began their toughest week of the remaining schedule on the right foot, considering that the surging Chicago Bulls are next Friday. Memphis then hosts the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.


The Grizzlies’ largest lead of the night was 36-26 in the second period, largely because of Powe’s work on both ends of the court.
“This team plays my style of ball,” Powe said. “It’s a post-up team. I felt like I got in a rhythm and the guys worked hard. This was a good win for us. It’s huge. It just adds fuel to our confidence.”


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ALL I CAN SAY IS GO GRIZZLIES!!!!!! 

ZBO Leads Grizzlies against Clippers 105- 82

If you havent been excited about the Grizzlies before, now is most definitely the time. The Memphis Grizzlies (37-31) continue to prove to the NBA that they are a force to be dealt with. 
heir foibles had been written on a white board for all to see and digest.
The Grizzlies spent the past two weeks allowing opponents to shoot about 50 percent. They gambled too much in the passing lanes, didn't contest enough shots and lacked the ball pressure the coaching staff expects.
"We've been atrocious," Griz forward Shane Batter said.
All of that changed Monday night during their 105-82 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers in FedExForum.
The Griz went from atrocious and back to attack mode, snapping a two-game losing streak before a crowd of 15,989.
Memphis (37-31) never trailed and never allowed the Clippers to get closer than 12 points in the second half behind the power of Zach Randolph's 30-point, 12-rebound performance and a stronger defensive effort than they had displayed in the past seven outings.
"It was an important game for us," Randolph said. "We came out with a lot of energy. We came out focused. We did what we had to do. We took care of business on the defensive end."
The Grizzlies) were more physical. They were more aggressive," said Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, whose team shot 37 percent through the first three quarters. "They were denying passing lanes. They beat us up."

Grizzlies' next game
Who: New York Knicks
When, where: 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Madison Square Garden
TV, radio: SportSouth, WRBO-FM 103.5

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Photo courtesy: Mark Weber (commercialappeal)

MEMPHIS Grizzlies Quiets the Thunder: 107 - 101

I know Beale St in downtown Memphis had to be off the chain last night! The Memphis Grizzlies continue to show their strength and desired recognition in the NBA. Ronald Tillery of www.commercialappeal.com writes:
Point guard Mike Conley credits the improved poise under pressure.

Head coach Lionel Hollins points squarely at the suddenly dynamic defense.

Tony Allen just says the Grizzlies are greedy.

Who could argue any of those points?

Every bit of it seems true these days.

The Griz continued their strong effort toward earning a playoff spot Monday night by building a 17-point lead and then holding on to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 107-101, before a crowd of 13,903 in FedExForum.

Playing for the third time in four nights, the Grizzlies (36-29) maintained control throughout with another lively defensive effort after escaping Dallas with a one-point victory the night before.

“Guys are focused and locked in,” Allen said. “Getting back-to-back wins against these two top teams pretty much shows that we’re very ambitious.”

Allen and Conley each finished with 20 points. Conley added nine assists with a turnover and a few clutch baskets in the fourth quarter after the Thunder had cut the Grizzlies’ lead to one.

Perhaps no shot was bigger than Conley’s driving layup around Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant. Conley darted in the lane, pump-faked to elude Durant’s reach and scored a layup that gave Memphis a 102-96 advantage with 31.4 seconds left.

“That,” Hollins said, “was the breather we needed.”

Zach Randolph later made four straight free throws to seal the Grizzlies’ 14th win in their last 17 games at home.

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How far do you think the Grizzlies will advance? Do you think we are playing better because of the additions of Veterans like Battier and J-Will? Do you think our playing style has changed? I continue to say GO GRIZZLIES

Beastly Memphis GRIZZLIES clawed the San Antonio Spurs

The Grizzlies began what looks to be a difficult month on paper in dynamic fashion.
They scored more than 100 points without making a 3-pointer, forced 22 turnovers and remained the aggressors from start to finish –- thoroughly outperforming the team with the NBA’s best record.
Memphis easily handled the San Antonio Spurs, cruising to a 109-93 victory Tuesday night before a crowd of 13,480 in FedExForum while sending a message to themselves if no one else.
Just because the next two weeks on the schedule are filled with playoff-bound opponents jockeying for position doesn’t mean the Griz will flinch.
“We don’t care who is in our way. We’re going to fight. It just goes to show you the fire we have inside of us,” reserve forward Darrell Arthur said after he matched Zach Randolph with a team-high 21 points in the Grizzlies’ fifth straight win at home.
The Griz now must face New Orleans, Dallas, Oklahoma City, New York and Miami in their next five contests. It’s a tall order but the Griz are by no means an easy out, either.
The Spurs found that out Sunday when the Griz wiped out a 20-point deficit and led by seven points before losing 95-88 in San Antonio. This time, Memphis maintained control throughout because of its defensive intensity and efficiency on offense.
“We did to them what they did to us,” Griz coach Lionel Hollins said. “We came out with great emotion and great intensity. We were physical and aggressive. We kind of knocked them back on their heels. We kept attacking and kept attacking. The effort was unbelievable.”
San Antonio, playing without starting point guard Tony Parker because of a calf injury, also couldn’t get Manu Ginobili going. Ginobili had just nine points and played with foul trouble two days after he torched the Griz with 35 points.
“We won in San Antonio because we had the juice and the aggressiveness. We didn’t have it (this time), and they kicked our butts,” Ginobili said. “We were a little soft with the ball. We knew they were going to jump on us.”
Memphis’ coaching staff counted 31 deflections for the game. San Antonio’s offense was easily disrupted with George Hill playing in place of Parker. Hill had five turnovers in the first half, which ended with the Griz leading 61-52.
The Griz scored 30 points off the Spurs’ mistakes, and many of the baskets came off fast breaks. Memphis’ lead swelled to 16 points when the fourth quarter began, and Spurs coach Gregg Popovich waved the white flag soon after Arthur connected on a pair of 18-foot shots.
Arthur’s 3-point play with 9:09 left gave the Griz their largest lead at 25 points.
“It was just a good team effort, especially on the defensive end,” Randolph said. “We were moving our feet. We were helping each other. We were talking. That’s what we have to do these last 20-something games.”
Popovich lamented his team’s lack of urgency in the game.
“It wasn’t just the turnovers,” Popovich said. “It was the offensive rebounds along with the lack of focus. Memphis played more physical and aggressive. They wanted the game more than we did and it showed in a variety of ways.”
Poise played a factor, too.
Arthur’s performance came with eight rebounds in extended playing time. He logged 30 minutes because center Marc Gasol was ejected after receiving his second technical foul with 5:12 left in the second period.
Gasol had already picked up a technical in the opening quarter for his animation while arguing a foul call. The Griz remained settled even though they picked up three technicals in the first half.
San Antonio shot just 34 percent in the second half after enjoying 55-percent shooting in the first two periods.
“They’re a different team without Tony Parker. With him they’re the 49-10 Spurs,” Griz forward Shane Battier said. “You have to temper your enthusiasm a little bit. But I hope our guys see that if you play hard and play with energy, we can beat anybody.”
If the playoffs began today, the Griz would meet the Spurs in the first round. But they have higher aspirations, sitting just a game behind sixth-seeded New Orleans.
“We understand we have a tough stretch,” Griz point guard Mike Conley said. “We definitely know we don’t have time to relax.”
Article: Ron Tillery 
Image courtesy commercialappeal
source: www.commercialappeal.com

Grizzlies Playoff run hopeful with Veterans

Just how much are the Grizzlies all in on making a strong playoff push?
All one needs to look at is management's move to multiply the team's experience in a major way.
A year ago today, the Grizzlies took the court with two players having appeared in a grand total of 20 playoff games. The roster suddenly is more robust with postseason familiarity as the Griz prepare to face the San Antonio Spurs -- a possible first-round opponent -- tonight in FedExForum.
While it might not seem significant in comparison to their direct Western Conference opponents, the otherwise youthful Griz now have four players with a combined 169 games of playoff experience playing significant minutes.
The Griz went to battle with Zach Randolph and Marcus Williams as the only playoff-tested players during the latter stages of the regular season last year. Randolph (eight playoff games) is now aided by Shane Battier (38), Tony Allen (56) and Jason Williams (67) as the Griz attempt to earn a postseason berth for the first time since 2006.
"That's extremely important," Griz general manager Chris Wallace said. "Not only are there more options, but there's experience that's been around winning. Those guys have been there. They've seen everything. They are not going to get rattled. And your younger players understand they've been there as well. It's something they know and respect. We've got a good group of young players, but at some point in time we had to get older."
If the Griz add forward Leon Powe, that would give them 28 more games of playoff experience. Powe is expected to clear waivers today after Cleveland released him last week, and Memphis is one of the teams he's seriously considering.
The Griz are interested in Powe as well as a few other buyout candidates. Wallace said the Griz intend to add another veteran power forward who can also play center if they can find the right fit.
"If you're going to be a good team," Wallace said, "you've got to have various weapons."
Either way, the Griz are markedly more equipped to take a giant step toward satisfying team owner Michael Heisley's playoff guarantee.
"We are getting better," Griz coach Lionel Hollins said. "When you add veteran players that have been on a championship level, the communication is better. They help people that don't communicate, and they are in the rotation. Adding Tony Allen, adding Shane and J-Will was needed for our young players in order to really go forward."
Grizzlies vs. Spurs
When, where: 7 p.m. today at FedExForum
TV, radio: SportSouth, WRBO-FM 103.5

Image: Darren Abate, Associated Press
Source: www.commercialappeal.com 

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

ZBO leads the Grizzlies to a 104-95 Victory over MN

MINNEAPOLIS -- It didn’t take long to discern how the Grizzlies would respond Wednesday night to a bitterly disappointing loss at Denver the night before.
Showing more energy and making a conscious effort to play off their big men, the Grizzlies jumped on the Minnesota Timberwolves early and cruised to a 104-95 victory in the Target Center.
“We got the kinks out and we came back ready to play,” forward Zach Randolph said after leading the Griz with 24 points, 10 rebounds and the determination to limit Minnesota’s double-double machine, Kevin Love. “Everybody contributed. That’s what we need to win games without Rudy (Gay).”

Photo courtesy Jim Mone/Associated Press

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