Memphis Grizzlies vs.  Oklahoma City Thunder

If Zach Randolph continues playing basketball the way he is now, it is hard to imagine any team stopping the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies are the first team since the Golden State Warriors in 2007 to be the #8 seed to knock off the #1 seed.

Memphis emphatically dismantled the San Antonio Spurs in 6 games, and it would likely have been five games had Manu Ginobili and Gary Neal missed those unbelievably clutch 3s in the waning moments of game 5 to push the game into overtime.

The Thunder have Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook to combat Zach Randolph and Gasol. They also scored at the trade deadline and stole Kendrick Perkins away from Boston (Boston will regret this move before their post season is finished) for Jeff Green.

In fact, the Thunder’s roster boasts Perkins, Serge Ibaka, Nick Colison, and Nazr Muhhammed to throw at Marc Gasol and Randolph. That is a lot of depth, and expect the Thunder to wear out Memphis as this series goes on.

But we cannot forget that Marc Gasol dominated Tim Duncan in round 1, and when paired in the front court with Randolph the two mutated into some sort of mythological, twin-towered beast for the Grizzliest whom terrorized the Spurs.

This series should come down to the performance of two players performances that will decide the outcome:

Can Russell Westbrook can keep his turnovers low and push the transition game?

If Westbrook is on so are the Thunder, this has catastrophic results for most opposition, and makes life more pleasant for Kevin Durant on offense by reducing his load, and saving his game for the 4th quarter.

If Zach Randolph continues to dominate the game as he did in round 1? How will he handle the myriad of never-ending size the Thunder throw at him?

The Grizzlies might make this a series, but it is hard to bet against the Thunders talent and depth.

Prediction: Thunder in 7

Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers will be facing off against the tallest version of Dallas they have ever experienced in the playoffs.

The Mavericks will have Dirk Nowitski, Tyson Chandler and Brendan Haywood – three seven-footers- to battle Andrew Bynum, Pao Gasol, and Lamar Odom – another three seven-footers – which will take away the height advantage the Lakers used on New Orleans in round 1.

Even though the height might be equal in numbers, it does not account for the fact that the Lakers talent level over-matches the talent of the Mavericks.

Jason Kidd has the upper hand over Derek Fisher at point guard, but how do the Mavericks have any chance whatsoever at slowing or doing anything to disrupt Kobe from imposing his will on them?

Jason Terry or DeShawn Stephenson, maybe even Corey Brewer, perhaps. Brewer is the better defender of the group, but his limited offense (major offensive regression this year) and lack of playoff experience with a winning club all but rule this out the chance of making an impact.

Rodridgue Beabois is lightning fast, but at 6’2″, he has no chance to stop Kobe.

This gives the Lakers the ultimate advantage, and should be allowed to dictate most of the pace of this series.

The Lakers are simply overall a much better team.

I would consider predicting a sweep, but can’t beat against a sweep if Jason Kidd is involved. Even at the age of 38, Kidd can still be expected to will Dallas into stealing at least 1 game.

Prediction: Lakers in 5

Memphis Grizzlies star Rudy Gay’s partially separated shoulder injury has not gotten any better after a fierce rehabilitation attempt, and will require season ending surgery, according to Yahoo! Sports.

With only 11 games remaining in the regular season, the Grizzlies hold a slim 2-game lead over the surging Kyle Lowry and the Houston Rockets. Phoenix trails by 2.5 games, while Utah is currently 3 games behind.

Steve Nash might be able to get his team into the playoffs on his will alone, so do not bet against the Suns trying to squeak in right at season’s end.

Rudy Gay is the marquee player for the Memphis Grizzlies. He is unquestionably the franchise player with a knack for being the Grizzlies go to man in clutch situations. The cool and collected killer who nails impossible clutch shots for his team has a max deal worth $82 million over 5 years. Basically, the man is hard to replace, anyway you slice and dice it.

His 19-plus points per game will be sorely missed as bodies grow more tired, and games have more importance over the next 11 games.

Now that Gay is officially ruled out for the season, we must wonder if the Grizzlies will continue to play strong to finish off the season,  or instead falter into the offseason knowing they have no chance of Gay returning to the court if in fact the do hold on to the 8th playoff seed in the Western Conference.

Sure the Grizzlies did good in adding Shane Battier, Leon Powe, and Darrell Arthur has emerging as a solid bench player. They are not close to supplanting Rudy Gay even though they do provide toughness, rebounding scoring, and three point shooting. Could it be enough?

WIth Kyle Lowry playing basketball like he has just escaped from the NBA Jam video game, collecting triple-doubles, and shooting the rock as flames come off the ball, it might be very difficult for the Grizzlies to hang on to their 8th seed without Gay in the lineup.

The Rockets have won their last 4 games in a row, and their next game is against the Golden State Warriors at home, then they hit the road to battle the Miami Heat, New Jersey Nets, and close the month out in Philadelphia. The way Houston is playing, it is hard to imagine them not finishing their next 4 games going 3-1.

Things do get a bit more rough for the Rockets in April, facing the San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Hornets, and Dallas Mavericks.

However, with coaches like Gregg Popovich and Rick Carlisle probably planning to rest their stars in preparation for the playoffs, the Rockets might pull off some more victories against these top level squads.

The Grizzlies are 6-4 in their last 10 games, and have won their last 2, but they head to Boston on Wednesday, and follow that up in Chicago against the Bulls on Friday. Memphis will close the week out at home against San Antonio.

The Tim Duncan-less Spurs seems will put international stud Tiago Splitter in the middle to combat Gasol, so this is no easy win for the Grizzlies either. The Grizzlies face the Warriors to close out their March schedule. so at worst, they could finish off 2-2, or 1-3. It is too hard to imagine the Grizzlies taking down the Celtics or the Bulls on the road.

April seems much lighter for the Grizzlies as they will face off against the New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Clippers twice. They also face Minnesota Timberwolves and Sacramento Kings at home, and head to Portland to play the Trailblazers.

The Grizzlies look good in April as they have 5 games against teams with losing records, opposed to 3 against playoff contenders. If any team is a candidate to play the spoiler for the Grizzlies look for Sacramento and the Clippers led by Blake Griffin to do just that.

O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen of the Memphis Grizzlies got into a physical altercation aboard the team jet after tempters rose during a card game named “Boo Ray.” Allen had won an undisclosed sum of cash from Mayo, and for reasons unknown, Mayo kept taunting Allen until Allen lost his temper and struck Mayo.

According to the Yahoo! Sports report, “Boo-Ray” is the same game that caused the altercation between Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton.

What exactly is the purpose of this game, and why it has now led to two publicized altercations between  enraged teammates aboard charter planes. Don’t these guys make enough money to swim in piles of it? Is there really a reason to fight over a few thousand dollars when you are making millions?

On another note, Mayo must have been in outer space while Arenas was being suspended for the the remainder of the 2009-10 season. Or is he just seriously mentally challenged?

You have to be one or the other to not know about how fighting a teammate over a card game aboard a plane can lead to severe consequences.

Perhaps no disciplinary action will be issued for this time, because Mayo mysteriously developed bronchitis or some other BS story as to why Tony Allen played in his place, but don’t be surprised if David Stern attempts and plots to take away gambling from all league flights in order to further polish up the image of the NBA.

Mayo's temper is flying out of control.

Mayo was already experiencing a turbulent season with his on court performance, and causing commotions will not do anything to help his trade value. There are several rumors floating around pegging him on the move to Minnesota. David Kahn must be loving this news, as he and every other GM can now use this incident to gain leverage in negotiation talks.

As far as I know, Tony Allen is a stand up guy. I haven’t heard or read anything bad about him on or off the court. Admittedly I do not seek out Tony Allen by name when reading NBA related news, but I can say, unlike Mayo, he has no trail of turmoil surrounding him dating back to his collegiate career whereas the same cannot be said for Mayo.

It seems like Mayo might have a growing case of psychological baggage, and that is never a good thing for an young player starting his career in the NBA., especially one as talented as Mayo has the potential to be.

Zach Randolph is coming off the best year of his career. He made it to  the 2010 NBA All Star team. Now, in historically typical form, he is involved with something off the court that might hurt his career: Drugs.

A drug investigation in Indianapolis has been linked to Randolph after police discovered he had provided a 2008 Cadillac Escalade and a house for Arthur Boyd, whom was arrested police May 11th.

Hey guys, if you are sore after the game, I got just the thing...

Making matters worse for Randolph is that an informant told police that in addition to providing Indianapolis residents vehicles and a house, Randolph also provided them with marijuana for the purpose of distribution.

This definitely sounds like something the Zach Randolph of “Jail Blazers Past” would definitely be involved with.

David Stern’s disciplinarian bone must be blaring out at his central nervous system like a New York taxi driver warning oblivious tourists trying to cross a street.

Randolph’s attorney, John Tompkins, naturally countered that Boyd was indeed under Randolph’s employ, but that there is no connection to Randolph’s involvement with drugs.

I believe this is the foundation for the “ignorance is bliss” defense. Good luck.

The fact is Randolph has a history of off-court troubles, specifically, one offense that is directly related to Marijuana use during 2003.

This jersey could be all the rave, stashed next to all the Robert Parish jerseys, for all the pothead-NBA-fans who support the NBA players who love their dope:

The sad thing for Randolph is that had appeared to have ditched his tainted past while becoming a fan favorite and All Star this season in Memphis. Randolph became a mentor while leading the young Griz to their best season in years.

According to The Commercial Appeal Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley made the following statements:

“I don’t know enough to comment on it, but needless to say I’m concerned about it,” Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley told The Commercial Appeal late Wednesday night.

Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said, “We have no comment at this time. We’re at an information-gathering stage at this time.”

This news delivers a major blow to the Grizzlies this summer. If Randolph is charged with crimes, odds are good he will be handed down stiff punishment from Warden Stern.

This might obliterate, or at the least severely dent,  all the good chemistry Memphis developed this season. Life for Grizzlies fans might be hopeless again, as it often is when supporting a losing franchise. As a Warriors fan, I know how much this sucks.

It might just be a horrible coincidence that this Arthur Boyd fellow happened to get busted and happened to be Randolph’s “employee,” but Randolph has a history of bad behavior which could and likely will play out against him.

Watching the Memphis Grizzlies defeat the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday was watching a major-statement game. They defeated the defending champs, albeit by 1 point, making it known that these guys are for real. Who woudl want to play Memphis in the 1st round of the playoffs?

We will find out how good Memphis is on back to back nights tonight when they play LeBron James at Cleveland. Memphis won in December when they hosted the Cavs at Fex Ex Forum. The Cavs are out to seek revenge.

Zach Randolph is a reborn superstar as far as I am concerned. This guy is playing the way we all knew he could, but always wondered why he never did. Until now.

Which Cavalier will be able to step up and stop him tonight? Is there anyone?

The main concern I have with the Grizzlies is Michael Conley at the point guard. I am not convinced he has the right stuff to be the leader they need to take the team to an elite level. However, he should be allright against a depleted Cavs backcourt.

Will Rudy Gay rise up against the Cavs? (Credit: picapp.com)

The matchup I am looking forward to tonight will be to see how Rudy Gay performs against LeBron. If Gay can make the game competitive vs. LeBron, then O.J. Mayo, Marc Gasol and Randolph should be able to make this game a competition.

The only concern I have is if the Grizzlies can bounce back withotu experiencing a “hangover” from the joy of defeating the Lakers.

There are 7 players making their first ever all star appearance during the 2010 NBA All Star Game: Deron Williams, Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo, Gerald Wallace, and Zack Randolph.

Those noteworthy, yet snubbed, include David Lee of the Knicks, Chris Kaman of the Clippers, and Mo Williams of the Cavaliers. Better luck next season guys!

DERON WILLIAMS

Deron Williams joins fellow Olympian Kobe Bryant in Dallas. (Credit: picapp.com)

Deron Williams is long overdue. He had a legitimate grief for not being named to the game for the past two years. They finally got it right! I might be biased, but that is because I think Deron Williams is the best point guard in the business. No disrespect to Steve Nash or Chris Paul, but when I see Williams play, I feel he is more of a pure point like Nash, but has the ability to overtake a game like Paul. Only time will tell if I am right or not, but Williams size and strength play to his favor over Paul over the long haul. KEVIN DURANT

Sorry David, your All Star chances are "Rejected!" (Credit: picapp.com)

Kevin Durant is not only deserving of an All Star nod, but people should seriously consider putting his name in the MVP hat this year. He is playing brilliant basketball, has a current of 19 games with 25 points or more, his team is a respectable 24-21 and tinkering on the brink of playoff contention.

More importantly, Durant has focused on defense, and as he told me during this twitter interview, and is committed to working hard to improve on every facet of his game. His off season work has proven to be effective this year as his defense is vastly improved this season.

AL HORFORD

Horford's relentless hustle earned him an All-Star appearance. (Credit: picapp.com)

Al Horford is the quiet force in the middle for the Atlanta Hawks. He is one of the most athletic, self sacrificing big men in the NBA today. He might have lower statistical output than David Lee, but coaches understand how good Horford is. He is a walking talking double-double who would be putting up crazy numbers if he got to play his natural position, power forward. Plus, it never hurts your chances if your team has a winning record of 29-15. David Lee knows the Knicks suck, and if anyone on a losing team deserves an All Star bid it’s Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors. DERRICK ROSE

Rose is emerging as one of the leagues best in his 2nd season. (Credit: picapp.com)

Derrick Rose is the Chicago Bulls lately. He has shaken off residuals from his preseason ankle injury while steadily increasing his scoring from 16.2 in November to 23.5 in January. The result is  a 9-5 record thus far during January.

There are few players in the league that possess the “all-in-one” game that Rose has. He will defend his skills challenge this year during the all star weekend as well. I would not be too surprised to see a slam dunk contest in his future. The dude can fly.

RAJON RONDO

It's plays like this that make Rondo an All Star. (Credit: picapp.com)

Rajon Rondo has been an All-Star since day one of the NBA season. He is a vicious defender, leads the league in steals, and is only 0.3 APG away from averaging a double-double on the season. Rondo is on an elite Celtics team in the East, and he is an integral role of the team being so. His selection comes as no shocker. GERALD WALLACE

Wallace joins Duncan among the leagues elite stars. (Credit: picapp.com)

Simple fact: Gerald Wallace is a downright nasty basketball player. He rebounds (11.0 RPG), scores (18.6), and is an all-around stat machine (1.9 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 1.2 BPG). With the Bobcats contending for the playoffs, Wallace is a extremely deserving All Star. An winning argument could be made for him being an all star for a few years now. Now that Charlotte is winning, Wallace finally gets the nod.

You will also be able to see his insane dunking ability in the 2010 NBA Sprite Slam Dunk Competition.

ZACH RANDOLPH

Randolph has revived his career in Memphis. (Credit: picapp.com)

Last, but certainly not least, is Zach Randolph. Randolph has had a stigma surrounding him his entire career. He has been considered a distraction, selfish, or a long list or other words I dare not type, by teammates, coaches, and fans alike.

This year Randolph appears to have matured, taken the Grizzlies under his wing, and is making Memphis a team nobody wants to play. They currently rank 7th in the Western Conference playoff standings, and if San Antonio does not get it together soon, the Griz might rise higher before the end of the season.

The Memphis Grizzlies are playing some serious basketball these days. I do not know if coach Lionel Hollins has got the team drinking the Cool Aid, but something has finally them gelled together as a team.

Look out Pau, Marc is dominant. (Credit: picapp.com)

The emergence of Marc Gasol this year has been huge for the Grizzlies. He is a flat out beast on the boards, shooting a insane 62% from the field, and has a feathery touch from the line. Gasol is also a brilliant passing big man, contributing 2.1 APG. He is one of the league’s best young big men.

Zach Randolph is not being a distraction to the team. He is getting his usual stat lines, and mentoring the young Grizzlies lineup. His acquisition appears to be a gamble that has paid off.

O.J. Mayo is playing like a seasoned veteran. He appears to have the patience to let the game come to him but also when he needs to assert himself and take the game over. This poise on the court has been vital in the team’s growth.

Rudy Gay is playing better than he did last season. His defense is vastly improved, and his shooting percentages are back up to his 2008-09 season averages.

Rudy Gay is playing like it was 2008-09. (Credit: picapp.com)

Gay and Gasol are the keys to this team continuing on their quest to go over .500. Randolph and Mayo will get their points any given night, but if Gay and Gasol are on, it makes this team a contender in any game they play. The well balanced 4-tiered attack is hard to stop.

Tonight the Memphis Grizzlies will take their newfound team game to the Boston Celtics at the FedEx Forum.  The NBA’s best road team will put the Grizzlies to the test tonight, and I look forward to this game more than any other game on the schedule.

Allen Iverson and the Memphis Grizzlies agreed today to part ways, terminating AI’s contract and waiving him after a 10-day absence from the team.

Iverson had career low numbers as a reserve for the Grizzlies, and it now looks worse than ever for him to turn his career around.

Iverson was frustrated about not starting, and was unable to reconcile his life as a reserve.

It will be hard to sell these things without a team. (Credit: picapp.com)

With his contract terminated, one must wonder what lies ahead for AI now. How will he sell his signature shoes?

One suggestion: sign a 1-year deal with the New York Knicks. It is obvious the Knicks need a PG as Chris Duhon’s shooting is causing a major void.

Why not give New York fans something to get excited about? AI, the man, the myth, the legend would be awesome in the Knicks offensive schematic.

Iverson has had a rough season this far. Does this “failure” in Memphis further tarnish his appeal to other franchises?

Iverson has to accept that his game is no longer what it once was and that if he wants to continue his career he will need to accept that as reality.

Life could be much worse than that. Making millions of dollars to play a game is always a better alternative than not playing and not getting paid.

To date he has been unable to deal with being a reserve so he should simply walk away, before he ruins his legacy further.

He had the opportunity to teach the likes of OJ Mayo and Rudy Gay, and flushed the opportunity right down the drain.

Will he ever get his career back on track?

Only AI can answer that, and so far his actions indicate he is stuck in denial about his career, which might very well lead to its demise.

This is one writer who wishes he does. AI is good for the game, he inspires the little guy to play their heart out, and dig deeper from within.

I lied about liking Allen Iverson. I really did.

Who didn’t love all those breathtaking dunks, and ridiculous finishes in the paint? All the fight he has inside him. The headband he would wrap around those incredulous hairdos. Oh yeah, and his rant about practice never seems to grow old.

I lied about liking AI. After what he said yesterday, I can never support him again.

Man, ya'll giving up on me? (Credit: picapp.com)

Iverson took the lowly road of Monday morning quarterback, and divulged information after the fact, while contradicting himself later in the same interview.

From ESPN: Iverson continued: “I’d never been on a team where a coach told me the guys gave up on me. You know what I mean? And I kept this under wraps the whole time … because I didn’t want to bad-mouth any of those guys.

Is it only now, that AI has secured a contract with the Memphis Grizzlies, that he decides to badmouth THOSE guys?

This picture makes a lot more sense now. (Credit: picapp.com)

Could he only keep it under wraps until he signed and secured a $3,099,729 salary?

Knowing he no longer has to be politically correct, why should he care if he keeps his mouth shut?

Some people would call it having tact.

AI could have taken the high road, but instead, he took jabs at a team that traded away Chauncey Billups in order to place him into their postseason plans, which he then managed to alienate himself.

AI has been on teams where players have given up on him.  They probably grew tired of never seeing the ball after it reached AI’s hands. Or may be they grew tired of watching him dribble out every 24 second clock. Maybe that was the situation in Denver, where his selfish play resulted in very little success.

The Nuggets only won 1 first round playoff game during the Iverson era, losing both 4-game first round playoff series in 2007 and 2008.

Sure the Nuggets went to the playoffs, and that can be considered successful.

But look at how far they got simply by dumping Iverson, and installing Billups: a loss in the Western Conference Final to the Lakers after going 10-6 during the postseason.

It is safe to say that his old Nuggets teammates got behind Billups.

I can honestly say that if players who have won an NBA title (See: Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace) will not stand behind you, then the real problem exists with the person they are not standing behind.

There are rumors circulating that Allen Iverson is heading to either the Los Angeles Clippers, Miami Heat or the Memphis Grizzlies. For the sake of one of the NBA’s financially ailing franchises, lets hope AI lands in Memphis. Heat and Clippers fans should be rooting for this as well.

Dwyane Wade will not re-sign until he feels Miami has provided him with a contender.

Is the gum sour, or is it AI who is sour? (Credit: picapp.com)

Iverson was the nuclear explosion of the Pistons last year. Now the nuclear debris in Detroit is attempting to rebuild as the radioactive afterlife slowly dissipates. If Miami were smart they’d realize that explosive isotopes do not lead to NBA championships. They lead to team combustion and full on roster makeovers, starting with the coach.

To top that off, the Heat are within $300,000 of the exceeding the salary cap, and incurring the NBA luxury tax. Adding Iverson would require them to make moves, or pay a hefty price. AI’s arrival could help initiate Wade’s departure.

It is rumored Wade does not like radioactive isotopes. Nor does he like selfish players.

Miami needs talented players to get behind Wade to support and relieve attention from him. Iverson needs the ball in his hands to be most effective. He also has trouble with the idea of playing second fiddle.

Get Stuckey outta here! (Credit: picapp.com)

Rodney Stuckey’s game is still recovering from the effect Iverson can have on a teammate’s game.

If Iverson lands in LA the Clippers will truncate the growth of budding star Eric Gordon. There is nothing else to say about AI and the Clippers compatibility. That being said, this will most likely will end up happening. The Clippers are overly-talented at shooting themselves in both feet.

The logical choice for the NBA is Iverson to Memphis. The Grizzlies need Iverson the icon, regardless of his radioactive mess.

Besides, AI jerseys sell in mass quantity. I believe Pau Gasol’s Memphis  jersey is still their top seller.

Memphis needs bodies in the seats. The Grizzlies have a long road ahead of them as OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay and crew develop. Iverson can at least financially help fans weather the growing pains until the young guys have the chance to develop into winners.

Iverson clearly puts bodies in seats. He is of similar height to the common NBA fan, and because of this, we are all blown away at what he does on the court against much larger men. Watching what he can do against those giants is a marvel worth viewing live (and worth paying for).

If Allen Iverson wants his legacy to be something other than being known as selfish, he’ll head to Memphis and mentor the talented young Grizzlies.

If Miami signs Iverson, their plan must be to put bodies in the seats. That is, once Wade is gone.