The Grizzlies have dumped their coach amid talk of tanking. Do the Raptors have a chance to upgrade their roster at a vulnerable time for Memphis?
The Memphis Grizzlies started this season well but, just like their near neighbours the Orlando Magic, the balloon has burst. The Grizz, beset by injuries, have lost their past eight games. They became the first team in 2017-18 (but not the last, I’ll wager) to decide their coach was the culprit for their recent woes, and have fired David Fizdale.
If they don’t become the next team to decide to blow up their roster, I’ll be very surprised. Marc Gasol, their best player with Mike Conley on the shelf, again, made no secret of his dislike of Fizdale’s tactics. Voila – Fizdale walks the plank.
Memphis management has created a huge problem for itself by siding with a player against the coach. Who will take the head bench boss’s job under these circumstances? Mercifully, that’s not our concern as Raptors fans; we unashamedly want to take advantage of the situation if possible.
Grizzlies, here’s Tanking 101
There are two critical elements a tanking team must do well: burn down their roster as they race to the bottom, AND, get a bevy of draft selections when they trade their core. Memphis doesn’t have much of a core to trade: Gasol, Conley and Chandler Parsons (if you like juggling your lineups, as these two seem to be hurt all the time), and perhaps Tyreke Evans.
I won’t waste time analyzing anyone but Gasol. He’s got this year plus one more, then a player option, on a contract that pays an average of $24 million. Assuming he opts in, he’ll be 35 when it’s done.
Gasol is so much more than a big body in the middle. Last season, he famously turned into a “stretch-5”, taking 268 3-balls and making 104 (which is more than the total of attempts he’d made in his career), a more than acceptable 38.8% rate. That remarkable spike didn’t hurt his other numbers, all of which were and are excellent. He leads his talent-short Grizzlies in points, assists, rebounds, and blocked shots.
Trade Proposal
I’m reluctant to give up Norman, but the Grizzlies need building blocks. Bruno may be intriguing to them, and I had to make the money work somehow. The Trade Machine suggests the Raptors “lose” one win, while the Grizzlies improve by two.
Masai Ujiri would be making a very clear statement of “We’re winning now!” if he could pull off this trade. The Grizzlies would get a lot younger, which they must do if there’s going to be any hope for them. Their fan base isn’t the greatest, and a few years in the wilderness may be difficult for the organization to tolerate. Norman and JV would give them some people who could help today.
As for Masai throwing in a draft pick…we don’t have that many left. Maybe finalize the deal with a 2019 second-rounder or something.
OK, Rapture Nation? Do you like this proposal?
And since I don’t want to be accused of fence-sitting, I’m going to say Yes, I’d do this one.
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