Memphis Grizzlies Practice in Spain

BigFootFool's Preview:

The NBA season is still weeks away, but all over the United States and the World NBA teams have begun preseason practice, exhibitions, and scrimmages all to prepare for the regular season that doesn't matter.

Following a Wednesday Scrimmage in which Pau Gasol's team lost to Darko Milicic's (largely due to 13th year veteran Damon Stoudamire) 34-40, the Grizzlies headed over to Pau Gasol's Homeland, Spain. In Spain they will be gearing up for a Tuesday matchup with Unicaja Malaga. Unicaja Malaga of course being spanish for "Has sex with a goat".

The Griz barely scraped 22 wins last season and hope to have a repeat of their '05 and '06 playoff runs of 0-4 and 0-4 respectively. The differences in this Grizzlies line up are not surprising, but the front offices look startlingly different. No more Jerry West. New GM and most of that office has been overhauled. Marc Iavaroni has taken over the reigns left by Tony Barone, Mike Fratello, and Hubie Brown.

Many Grizzlies Fans are hoping to see Phoenix Suns type numbers from the pupil of Mike D'antoni, but should just hope to see a winning season again in Memphis. Seeing a winning season shouldn't be that surprising because the thinnest PF in the league, Pau "I have a beard" Gasol, is starting the season uninjured, as is starting PG Damon Stoudamire (not to be confused with arthroscopic knee surgery Amare Stoudemire that JTExperience has a huge boner for).

Soon to be the best rookie in the NBA (Mike Conley II), has been challenging Stoudamire for the starting spot, but will probably be relegated to clean up and relief when Damon starts remembering how old he is.

Other tools the Grizzlies will be using this season.

Mike "the lesbian PE teacher" Miller

Darko "I'm a crazy Serbian" Milicic

Rudy "Gay Husky" Gay (a little redundant)

Hakim Warrick (I'm not making fun of Hakim ... he'll fuckin' kill me)

This is the Grizzlies team for the next year and I look for them to make nearly as big a turnaround as the Warriors did last year. I still think when they moved from Vancouver we shoulda called them the Fighting Elvises!

JTExperience's Preview:

Fool, I think you hit it right on the head, pretty much, so I'll be brief.

• Hells yeah I got a boner for STAT! Who don't? I want him to have my children.

• Darko's been freed. Darko and Pau together will kick some ass once they get used to playing together.
  

• I think Junior Conley will play a bigger role than you think. Kyle Lowry Esquire will challenge him for playing time, and we'll see a lot more of these guys with less of Creaky Knees StoudAmire as the season progresses.
  

• In Ivaroni's style of play, look for the Stro-Show to have a breakout 8th year in the league. I just feel it; it's his time.
  

• The Grizz are young and stacked. Pau, Darko, Gay, Stro, and Warrick look like a pretty damned good frontline. Junior, Lowry Esq., Michelle Miller, Juan Carlos Navarro, sharpshooter Casey Jacobsen will be REAL good after a little seasoning, with Ole' Creaky lookin' after 'em. That's runnin' 11 deep right there, not counting three other cats, of which Tarence Kinsey showed a lot of promise late last year.
  

• Yes, Hakim Warrick will fuckin' kill you. He might even add the g on the end.
  

I bet they can win at least one playoff game this year. They'll fasho be one of the most fun teams to watch, next to Phoenix and Golden State. It's just too bad that they're the gayest team in the league, with two of their top 3 players being a lesbian P.E. teacher and a dude whose name actually is 'Gay.' ::sigh::

Gettin' Money is my Sport

Long time no entry, but frankly, besides some tennis and All-Star Baseball, we're in the dog days of sports where NOTHING is going on. Nothing. Except WNBA; whoop-dee-fucking-doo.

But, a few small items of note have occured over the past couple weeks, including some big free agent signings and some summer league crap.

First of all, WTF MATE?!?!?! Rashard Freaking Lewis was signed to a 127 million dollar, 6 year contract!!!

I mean, he's a good player and all....but not 127 million good. Homeboy will still be pulling 20 million and more down when he's on the wrong side of 30...and coupled with Dwight Howard's contract, the Magic are tied up for years to come. Good for a 5th seed in the East every year; woo.

A very comparable player G-Wallace, was signed for a VERY reasonable 57 million for 6.

So apparently, the 4.3 points that Shard averages more than Crash are worth 70 million dollars. I politely beg to differ. Gerald has better numbers in rebounding, assists, blocks, steals, and is younger. So WTF is going on in Orlando?

Portlant bought out Stevey Franchise's contract, so he's free to go to the Clippers to be with his soulmate partner "buddy" Cuttino Mobley. He said he would be "made whole" by reuniting with Cat Mobley. I just say, whatever floats your boat there, Steve.



This brings us to the piece de resistance, my girl Miss Gossip's interview with Greg Oden. I wish she'd marry me...she's a Suns fan and everything...it would be so beautiful....

anyways, this is all over the internet tubes, and for good reason; it's tight as hell.




"That was not an infection, believe me." "I was completely sober! She was just backin' it up real good..."

Greg is probably one of the realest dudes in the league. Keep lookin' up brutha.

To round it up, we got Darko going to my Memphis bruthas (relatively cheap, good fit; he'll blossom. Darko has been freed.), Chauncey Billups re-upped wit Detroit for a reasonable payroll, and GRANT HILL'S GOING TO PHOENIX. That last is bitchin'. They got a great guy and great player for CHEAP, and if his ankle holds up anytime at all, it's a STEAL.

Shout out to Fanhouse for the vid , and The Cavalier at Yaysports for the second picture.

And to my boy Marcus Banks for dropping 42 in the summer leagues, which proves that summer leagues are shit.

Holla'