Memphis Grizzlies Blog – Page 67 – NBA Blog

Grizzlies hope to keep Lionel Hollins

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Lionel Hollins was told he had 11/2 seasons to prove that he could be a quality NBA head coach when he took over the Grizzlies less than a year ago.

Hollins wasted little time convincing the man who made that declaration.

Griz owner Michael Heisley has initiated negotiations toward a contract extension for Hollins, who is working on a 17-month deal he signed Jan. 25, 2009.

Heisley instructed general manager Chris Wallace to contact Hollins’ representative last week for the purpose of determining where both sides stand. However, the Grizzlies’ Chicago-based, billionaire owner made clear that he intends to keep Hollins in charge beyond this season.

Grizzlies sign Lester Hudson

The Memphis Grizzlies claimed Memphis native Lester Hudson off waivers, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced Friday (January 8). Hudson was available after being waived by the Boston Celtics on Jan. 6.

“We are excited to acquire Lester Hudson off waivers,” Wallace said. “Lester is a player we thought of highly in the pre-draft process. He earned favorable reviews for his performance during his brief time with the Celtics. He is an athletic, tough combo guard who was one of the most prolific scorers in college basketball over his two years at the University of Tennessee at Martin. It is a wonderful day for the Grizzlies to be able to bring this Memphian back home to continue his NBA career.”

The 6-3, 190-pound rookie guard averaged 1.4 points and 0.5 assists in 4.4 minutes in 16 appearances this season with the Celtics, who selected him in the second round (58th overall) of the 2009 NBA Draft. Boston also assigned Hudson to two different stints with their NBA Development League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, where the 25-year-old posted 14.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 28.0 minutes in five games.

One of the most explosive scorers in the NCAA in recent years, Hudson ranked second in the nation in scoring in 2008-09 behind current Golden State Warriors rookie Stephen Curry, averaging 27.5 points as well as 7.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.34 steals in his senior season with the University of Tennessee-Martin Skyhawks. In his junior year, Hudson became the first men’s player in Division I history to record a quadruple-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists and 10 steals on Nov. 13, 2007 vs. Central Baptist College.

The native Memphian transferred to UT-Martin after playing his first two seasons at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis.

The Grizzlies’ roster now stands at 14 players.

Lakers sign Pau Gasol to contract extension

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forward/center Pau Gasol to a multi-year contract extension, it was announced today by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.

According to the Los Angeles Times, “Gasol officially signed a three-year extension worth up to $64.7 million, depending on the NBA salary-cap figures to be determined in 2011.”

According to ESPN.com, “The year-by-year breakdown of the extension: $18,714,150 in 2011-12, $19,000,000 in 2012-13 and $19,285,850 in 2013-14.”

Since being acquired by the Lakers on February 1, 2008 as part of a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, Gasol has helped Los Angeles to a 101-23 (.815) regular season record in games he has appeared in. In the postseason, the Lakers have posted a 30-14 (.682) record with Gasol, winning the Western Conference in both trips to the playoffs since he joined the team as well as the franchise’s 15th NBA Championship in 2009.

Gasol, currently a reigning NBA Champion, FIBA World Champion (Tournament MVP) and European Champion (Tournament MVP), earned a silver medal with Spain at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, falling just shy of the gold against the United States. Named the 2008 European Player of the Year, he earned All-NBA Third Team honors in 2009 as well as his second trip to the NBA All-Star game (2006, 2009).

“Over the past year and a half, Pau has quickly developed into one of the best all-around players in the NBA,” said Kupchak. “The impact he has had on and off the court for the Lakers is significant, and we look forward to watching Pau continue as one of the best players in the league for years to come.”

“Coming to terms on an extension for Pau is another step for the organization in its goal of trying to keep the core of this team together for the foreseeable future,” continued Kupchak. “The Buss family recognizes this opportunity and will continue to do whatever is possible to put the organization in position to contend for NBA championships.”

The fourth player in NBA history to go straight from Europe to the NBA and score 10,000 career points, Gasol concluded the 2008-09 season ranked among league leaders in points (25th/18.9), rebounds (8th/9.6), field goal percentage (5th/.567) and blocks (27th/1.00) while appearing in 81 games.

In 16 games this season, Gasol is averaging 17.0 points on .543 shooting from the field, 12.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.75 blocked shots in 36.1 minutes.

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Marko Jaric signs in Spain

The Hoop reports:

Real Madrid have reached a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies’ Marko Jaric, who will join the club for the remainder of the season pending a physical.

Marko Jaric was born on 12 October 1978 in Belgrade, Serbia and is the son of Yugoslav basketball legend Srecko Jaric. He began his career in 1996 with Greece’s Peristeri and two years later withdrew his name from the NBA draft to move to Italy.

Euroleague.net reports:

Real Madrid gave its fans an early holiday present on Tuesday when it announced the signing of former Euroleague champion Marko Jaric for the remainder of the season, pending medical tests. Jaric will be reunited with head coach Ettore Messina at the end of a decade that they started by winning the 2001 Euroleague title together with Kinder Bologna. Jaric (201, 31) arrives from Memphis of the NBA, where he had not played this season. Last season, he took part in a total of 53 games for Memphis, averaging 2.5 points per night. Jaric started his career in Peristeri of the Greek League in 1996.

Grizzlies aim to sign Von Wafer

With a 9-12 record, the Memphis Grizzlies are doing a bit better than many expected this season.

The Allen Iverson experiment only lasted three games and ended long ago, but the young team has played well. Led by Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol, Memphis has a decent core. But they can certainly keep improving and would be aided by a boost off the bench.

Enter Von Wafer, reportedly.

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

The Grizzlies are attempting to sign former Houston Rockets guard Von Wafer in an effort to improve their perimeter shooting, particularly from beyond the 3-point arc.

Wafer will join the Grizzlies next week if certain dominoes fall as expected, sources told the Commercial Appeal.

Wafer, a 6-5 Florida State alum, first needs to complete a divorce with his current team, Olympiakos, a European club that reportedly has Wafer under contract for $2 million but for whom he hasn’t logged significant playing time.

Wafer played 63 games for the Rockets last season, averaging 9.7 points and 1.8 rebounds in 19.4 minutes per game. His career three-point shooting percentage is 33.7%, but he hit 39% in 2008-09.

No Allen Iverson for Knicks

The Memphis Grizzlies and guard Allen Iverson recently came to an understanding that things simply weren’t going to work out. Iverson was waived, and became a free agent.

There have been rumblings that the Knicks were strongly considering adding the former All-Star and league MVP, but apparently it isn’t going to happen.

Howard Beck of the New York Times reports:

The Knicks’ pursuit of Allen Iverson is dead.

In an abrupt reversal, Knicks officials decided late Thursday not to offer Iverson a contract, putting an end to their brief flirtation, according to a person close to the deliberations.

Although team officials were highly intrigued by Iverson, a four-time scoring champion, they finally decided that he posed too great a risk because of his long history of problems on and off the court.

Team officials spent three days weighing the potential merits and pitfalls of signing Iverson, and alternately talked themselves into and then out of making the move.

Iverson is obviously seen by most teams as more trouble than he’s worth right now, but it still made sense for the Knicks to consider adding him. Although he’s best as a scorer, Iverson could have been used as a starting point guard, since Chris Duhon and rookie Toney Douglas are best suited as reserves. The Knicks currently aren’t winning very often. And they don’t really have a lot of top-level youth that would be affected by Iverson being there.

But, Iverson reportedly won’t be heading to New York.

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Grizzlies waive Allen Iverson

The Memphis Grizzlies today released the following statement from General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace.

“The Grizzlies and Allen Iverson have come to a mutual agreement that because of personal matters that forced him to leave the team on November 7, Allen will step away from the game at this time, allowing him to focus on those matters.

“As a result, we will be ending our contractual agreement with Allen, which will allow both parties to move forward. We wish Allen the best.”

EARLIER MONDAY:

The Memphis Grizzlies experiment with disgruntled guard Allen Iverson will reportedly end.

According to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the two sides have agreed to part ways. The team will waive Iverson.

It has not been reported what the terms of the agreement are and how much money Iverson will come away with.

Iverson has been unhappy coming off the Grizzlies bench, behind young guards Mike Conley and O.J. Mayo. Though, he was still regaining health as the season began, and it’s possible he might have gained a starting spot in the near future. But even coming off the bench early on was simply more than he could take.

Iverson only played three games — all losses — for the Grizzlies this season, the last being against the Sacramento Kings on November 2. He came off the bench all three times, and averaged 12.3 points and 3.7 assists in 22.3 minutes per game.

NOVEMBER 17 UPDATE

The Memphis Grizzlies waived guard Allen Iverson, the team announced today.

The 6-0, 165-pound guard averaged 12.3 points and 3.7 assists in 22.3 minutes in three games with the Grizzlies this season after signing as a free agent on Sept 10, 2009. The 2000-01 NBA Most Valuable Player and 10-time All-Star became the 16th player in league history to score 24,000 career points on Nov. 4 at Golden State, netting a season-high 18 points.

The 34-year-old holds career averages of 27.0 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.21 steals on 42.5 percent shooting in 41.4 minutes in 889 games (877 starts) over 14 seasons (1996-09) with the Philadelphia 76ers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies.

The roster now stands at 14 players.

The Grizzlies will seek their second consecutive victory tomorrow when they host the Los Angeles Clippers at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at FedExForum.

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Grizzlies want Allen Iverson decision

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley says Allen Iverson’s time is up.

Heisley told Iverson’s agent, Leon Rose, that his client must decide soon whether he’ll play or retire because the Grizzlies won’t deal with the uncertainty beyond this week.

Iverson, 34, has been away from the Grizzlies for the past 10 days on a personal leave of absence.

“I’ve treated this like Allen told me it was – a personal leave,” Heisley said. “But either he’s retiring or coming back to play. I’m not upset with Allen. We’ll be happy to accommodate Allen. If he retires, then he retires. If he wants to come back, we’ll gladly accept him back. But I have personally made it clear that there’s going to have to be a decision made. We’re expecting an answer in a couple of days.”

UPDATE: The Commercial Appeal reports that the team and Iverson agree to part ways. He’ll be waived: http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=5036

I think it’s amazing that a team has to actually still pay a player to take a personal leave like this.

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Grizzlies sign Jamaal Tinsley

The Memphis Grizzlies signed free agent guard Jamaal Tinsley, an original draft pick of the club in 2001, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“We are pleased to add a veteran playmaker with Jamaal’s credentials to the team,” Wallace said. “He will add experience and high-level passing ability.”

One of the NBA’s most prolific playmakers over the last decade, Tinsley ranks seventh among active players and 24th in league history in assists per game (7.0). In his last NBA season, the 6-3, 195-pound guard averaged a career-high 8.4 assists in 39 games with the Indiana Pacers in 2007-08.

Tinsley, 31, is expected to bring his playmaking abilities to a Grizzlies team that finished 30th in the NBA in assists (17.4) in 2008-09 and ranks 21st in the category this season (18.8). The Brooklyn, N.Y. native holds career averages of 10.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.66 steals in 30.2 minutes in 398 games over seven seasons (2001-08) with the Pacers. He was waived by Indiana on July 22, 2009.

Originally selected by the Grizzlies with the 27th overall pick in the first round of the 2001 NBA Draft, Tinsley’s draft rights were traded in a draft-night deal to the Atlanta Hawks along with Shareef Abdur-Rahim in exchange for the draft rights to Pau Gasol (No. 3 overall), Brevin Knight and Lorenzen Wright on June 27, 2001. Tinsley’s rights were acquired later that night by the Pacers for a future first round pick.

Tinsley had an immediate impact in his rookie season with Indiana, posting a triple-double (19 points, 11 rebounds, 23 assists) in his 14th career game on Nov. 22, 2001 vs. the Michael Jordan-led Washington Wizards. Tinsley’s 23-assist performance established a new Pacers record and was two shy of the NBA rookie record, shared by Tinsley’s then-head coach Isiah Thomas (1981-82) and Ernie DiGregorio (1973-74). Tinsley was named the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month twice (Nov. 2001, March 2002) and earned 2001-02 All-Rookie Second Team honors.

InsideHoops.com editor says: Now the Grizzlies should sign Stephon Marbury, Dennis Rodman and J.R. Rider. But seriously, this Tinsley signing suggests that Allen Iverson probably isn’t ever coming back to Memphis. Anyway, it’s curious and a bit questionable that the team would choose to add another player with a reputation as a malcontent. The Pacers wanted literally nothing to do with Tinsley anymore. And, his last NBA action was 39 games in the 2007-08 season. Still, if Tinsley works hard and focuses on being a good teammate, he can help them a little.

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Hasheem Thabeet suffers broken jaw

Scott Cacciola of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports:

Rookie center Hasheem Thabeet suffered a ridgeline fracture in his mandible — a bone in his lower jaw — when he appeared to collide with Zach Randolph’s head going for a rebound late in the first quarter.

Play was stopped with 57.4 seconds remaining as Thabeet rolled around near the basket in obvious pain.

He will not make the trip to Houston for the team’s game against the Rockets tonight, but his status will be day-to-day after that.

Thabeet is off to a very quiet start in his rookie season, playing just 6.0 minutes per game and averaging 0.6 points and 1.6 rebounds. He’s extremely raw and may not be able to contribute much for most of the season and possibly beyond.