Memphis Grizzlies Tickets

Memphis Grizzlies 2008/2009 Season Preview The Memphis Grizzlies had another brutal season in 2007-2008 and were the most controversial team given their trade of center Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Many playoff teams in the Western Conference were furious with the Grizzlies for trading Gasol to the Lakers and receiving nothing in return. The Grizzlies received point guard Javaris Crittenton, center Kwame Brown and draft picks, which will certainly aid in their rebuilding efforts but is a questionable return for a player the caliber of Gasol.

The biggest development for the Grizzlies last season was the play of forward Rudy Gay. Gay became a big time scorer and showed the type of improvement the team was looking for from him. He has all the talent in the world, but many worried he didn't care enough to utilize it to its fullest potential. Instead, Gay now has the look of a future multi-year All-Star.

After a trade, the Grizzlies ended up acquiring guard O.J. Mayo in this year's NBA Draft. I love Mayo's game and think he can make an immediate impact for Memphis. He has a great outside shot, good ball-handling skills and will continue to improve his ability to attack the rim.

An underrated selection was that of forward Darrell Arthur. Arthur is a solid rebounder and defender and should be a fantastic role player to begin his career in Memphis. Eventually, he could become one of the best sixth men in the league or even work his way into the starting lineup.

One thing to watch for this year is the play of center Marc Gasol, the younger brother of Pau. Marc has been been playing in Europe but is under contract with the Grizzlies and will play in the NBA this year. He is bigger than his brother and is said to be as talented, if not more.

Gasol will certainly help to solidify the center position for Memphis and could very well earn the starting nod. Brown is no longer in the team's plans after he was signed by the Detroit Pistons in the offseason

Memphis is also likely looking to make a trade to ship out one of their guards, as they have a serious logjam of young talent at the position. Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry are likely to compete for the starting point guard job, but Crittenton is also expected to be in the mix.

The Grizzlies should be a tad bit better this season, but certainly nowhere close to entertaining the thought of competing for a playoff berth in the Western Conference. However, there is hope as the team continues to stockpile young talent and let the players gel together.