Memphis Grizzlies Tickets

The Memphis Grizzlies are sitting in last place in the Northwest Division, which is what everyone pretty much expected from them before the start of the season.

However, the surprise is that they are hovering near the .500 mark and that their spot in the basement has more to do with the competitiveness of the division than their poor play.

The Grizzlies are still very much a team in the midst of a rebuilding process, and that plan has been further hampered by the poor economy for an organization that is cash strapped.

Nonetheless, this group is holding their own. Forward Rudy Gay continues to improve and is averaging more than 20 points per game to lead the Grizzlies in scoring.

The bad news is that many believe Gay could be one of the players moving before the NBA trade deadline in a move that should help a contender and also aid the financial situation of the Grizzlies.

Forward Zach Randolph isn't exactly a model citizen these days, but he is managing to behave himself and stay out of all of the trouble that saw him leave Portland and New York on bad terms. He is averaging a double-double, with more than 19 points and 11 rebounds per game.

The team signed point guard Allen Iverson in the offseason, hoping the veteran's presence might help some of the younger players while also boosting ticket sales.

Instead, Iverson became frustrated with his role of coming off of the bench on such a lousy team and simply picked up and left. He announced his retirement, only to reverse his decision and later sign with the Philadelphia 76ers. I guess you could say that the organization was so lousy that he opted to retire than keep playing, but Memphis has been respectable this year.

Iverson has been a terrific teammate throughout his career and lays it all out on the court, but it was probably a little naive to think he was going to come into a losing organization in the twilight of his career and spend his time mentoring the younger players while sitting on the pine.

O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol are two up-and-coming players who Grizzlies fans have to hope will remain with the team. Any talented player on the team who could start to make some serious coin is always a trade possibility.

Point guard Mike Conley remains a disappointment for Memphis much the same way former college teammate Greg Oden has struggled in Portland.
Conley is averaging just 10 points and five assists per game and might never become the point guard the Grizzlies had envisioned that they drafted.

Memphis remains in the playoff picture, but don't be fooled, this team is not going to the postseason. If Memphis can manage to finish the season within 10 games of the .500 mark, that has to be considered a huge success.