Memphis Grizzles: Grizzled Youngsters Looking for More Direction

For the 2008-2009 NBA season, there have been a lot of positive steps in the right direction for the Memphis Grizzlies. While still a losing team, the organization made some decent moves to really set up who is important to keep and who can be viable foundational pieces for Memphis. Memphis will still be Memphis (losers for the foreseeable future, in other words), but solutions have been found, and that does count for something.

One general step in the right direction was the draft/trade for O.J. Mayo, a former standout prep phenom and one of the top freshmen in the NCAA in 2007-2008. Since by some as a future All-Star and by others as a one-dimensional player, Mayo has proven to the masses that he has the ability to become a true star. Able to play both guard slots, Mayo both helped to settle and disturb the guard rotation, in that he could become the team's future point guard of the future--the problem was that assessment was the nature of the depth of the point guard position at the time.

Since 2007-2008, the Grizzlies grappled with the problem of who to keep as the principal point guards on the team, which talented first-round talents like Mike Lowry, Mike Conley and Javaris Crittenton all warrenting significant time in various ways as major contributors at the "one". Soon after the arrival of Mayo, whose skill set made him a potential threat to minutes at point guard, Crittenton (a duplicate of Mayo in size and skill) was sent to the Washington Wizards, and then Lowry was involved in a three-team deal which allowed him to acquire major reserve minutes on the Houston Rockets, behind starter Aaron Brooks.

While Conley and Mayo are both still developing, rookie Marc Gasol (the younger brother of former Grizzly and current L.A. Laker Pau Gasol) has solely claimed hold on his share of the pie as the team's best interior player and post option. With rugged play (and style), Gasol has become a major figure as a rebounder and scorer around the basket, which has probably defined former phenom Darko Milicic's role as a reserve defender and scorer, as well. Other power players on the team have either had better fortune and promise, such as rookie Darrell Arthur, who compliments Gasol nicely as a more graceful companion in the power duo; other players like reserve combo forward Hakim Warrick have been consistent but not as effective.

More importantly, the team is hoping that star swingman Rudy Gay will be able to blossom further and become a true weapon on the wing. With size and length at 6'9" and the ability to play multiple positions, as well as score with ease, the Grizzlies will only go as far as Gay is willing to take the team, unless Mayo ends up being the franchise's savior himself (which is not unlikely).

Expect Mayo and Gay to develop more chemistry and for Conley to make a better impression on the Grizzlies, and Memphis may very well compete for a chance at a low-seed position in the Western Conference for the 2010 playoffs.