Chicago Bulls Offseason Report: Bullcrap

John Askins
Staff Writer

While it was difficult to find one word to describe last year’s season for the Chicago Bulls, I think a fitting one is disappointing.  From injuries to busts, not much went right for a team that had been a fixture in the Eastern Conference Playoffs for the better part of the past decade.  Whether it be the underwhelming return of Derrick Rose, injuries to Joakim Noah, or Bobby Portis not being freed; a lot of things went poorly.  This all resulted in the Bulls being left on the outside of the playoffs looking in for the first time in 7 years.

The question many are asking after glancing at the Chicago Bulls offseason is: “What were they thinking?” and don’t worry, I was on the same boat.  Stack that on top of losing the heart and soul in Joakim Noah, Chicago’s beacon of hope in Derrick Rose, super-skilled big man Pau Gasol, and just like that!  You’ve got yourself a bad offseason.  But, hold your horses for a second.  Chicago couldn’t just pile up their draft picks and construct a rebuild -- no, that’s not the spirit!  Why not throw some cash at a few top of the market players, glue them in the starting lineup, and see what happens?

That’s exactly what Chicago was thinking when they signed 30 year old point guard Rajon Rondo and 34 year old shooting guard Dwyane Wade to 2yr/$28m and 2yr/$47m contracts, respectively, this offseason.  In their defense, franchise guard-forward Jimmy Butler is considerably older than other players with his experience are, and it would be a shame to waste away his prime risking a full rebuild that may not even be successful.  So for the sake of Butler, the Bulls are in win now mode.  The front office could’ve done worse throwing together a team, but it’s no exaggeration to say that they are far from being championship caliber.  

However, this isn’t going to be a group of scrubs.  While Rondo’s best days are likely behind him, he’s shown that there is plenty of talent left in that incredibly proportioned body.  Rondo led the league last year averaging a ridiculous 11.7 assists per game, to go along with 11.9 points and 6.0 rebounds.  There is no doubt that he can still run an offense, but the biggest question will be his attitude.  Remember the end of the 2015 season where he essentially refused to play for the Mavs?  It was like a pickup game where he didn’t like his teammates and decided to stomp around the court playing at 25% capacity.  But if he’s in the right mindset, he could make a case for being the best pure point guard in the league.  Go and search one of his mixes on YouTube, the guy seems to have eyes on all sides of his head.  He knows where his teammates are and are going to be, and can hit them with a bullet pass that puts them in the best position to make a shot.  Not to mention, he’s also a great finisher around the rim.  He possesses a ton of strength, allowing him to drive hard into the paint with ease, and usually finish with a crafty floater or hook.  Throw in being a great perimeter defender (when he puts in effort) and this guy can do it all -- except shoot.  (Reoccurring theme..)

At the other end of the backcourt, we have.. Dwyane Wade?  Wait he’s not on the Heat?!

You heard it right, folks.  Dwyane Wade is a Chicago Bull.  After Miami offered him a couple nickels (again) in exchange for being able to chase after some free agents (again), he decided to go back home to the Windy City, to show fans that this team’s 3-point shooting could get worse.  All jokes aside, this is a shocking decision.  Wade embodied the Miami Heat organization, playing 12 years on the team.  In that time he won 3 championships, led the team in scoring 7 times, led the league in scoring once, and set the record for most blocks by a guard.  Pretty fantastic.  He’s still going to be donning the white and red, but this time with a different allegiance.  Wade showed he too has plenty of gas in the tank, posting a 19p/4r/4.5a line last year, and shouldered the load while the Heat made the playoffs as the 3rd seed.  He can finish around the rim like nobody’s business, and his shot is great, just inside the dreaded 3-point line.  It’s definitely going to clog things up even more, but again c’mon, it’s Dwyane Wade!

The last wing is the Bulls’ pride and joy, Jimmy Butler.  Butler is the reason why the front office is going to such great lengths to stay in contention, as he is just about to turn 27 and only entering his 5th year in the league.  Butler is really a talent that cannot be wasted, and Chicago holds him so dearly that they refuse to ship him off to a budding team like the Minnesota Timberwolves, and instead chuck some money at aging stars to give him a chance a chip in Chicago.  He is one of the NBA’s premier “do-it-all” guys; driving, dishing, and spotting up.  Who knows, maybe a seasoned Butler with the veteran, championship-winning experience of Rondo and Wade will allow the Bulls to make a run at the Cavs, and possibly the Golden State Warriors?

But enough harping on the 3-pointers, let’s cover something they’re going to be fantastic at: defense.  Their starting five consists of 5 extremely solid defenders. Butler has proven capable of locking down the league’s best, Rondo has the quickness and IQ to keep with any point guard in the league, and Wade has been one of the premier defending shooting guards in the league for the past 12 years.  Oh and he’s the all-time leader in blocks by a guard.  Not too shabby.  Then there’s Ro-Lo in the middle, who has been excellent at clogging up the lane his whole career, and that shouldn’t change with the Bulls.  No matter what they do on offense, the defense of this team is going to be incredible.  While defense by itself cannot win championships, it can sure as hell keep a team competitive in this league.

Long story short, the Bulls are most definitely poised for a playoff berth, but it just doesn’t seem like the moves made this offseason are going to be effective in the future.  They will return to the playoffs for the next 2 years almost assuredly, but what looms after that is unsure.  Be sure to tune in to see how the most perplexing team in the NBA fares this coming season, it’s going to be entertaining, no matter what happens.

New York Knicks Offseason Report: In the Knick of time.

Matthew Huang
Staff Writer

There is no where else for the Knicks to go from here but up.  After a franchise-worst ‘14-’15 season that tallied up a total of 62 losses, the Knicks bounced back to the bottom with an underwhelming effort last season.  While their season was highlighted by rookie sensation Kristaps Porzingis and Melo’s expanded repertoire, the season was ultimately anchored down with an underpowered lineup that was rounded out by the likes of an aging Arron Afflalo and the ghost of Jose Calderon.

The Knicks made huge waves in the offseason, headlining a very active summer with acquisitions of one Derrick Rose, big man Joakim Noah and overall glue guy Courtney Lee.  While on paper the Knicks may have gotten a major, much-needed, facelift to their starting five, they also kept their reserves in mind, snagging Brandon Jennings to a $5M bargain and acquiring Justin Holiday, resigning Lance Thomas and adding a few unfamiliar European faces.  It goes without mentioning that the additions may have a lot of flair and garner lots of attention, but will these large additions and almost full makeover net positive results? Or will the potential that this roster rides on result in a catastrophic failure that only seems to happen when old, aging stars are put together? (i.g. 2012 Lakers) Throw in the low-hanging fruit that is Derrick Rose’s knees and Joakim’s fading prime and this lineup suddenly becomes questionable and the hefty price tag seems incomprehensible and unjustified given the risk involved.  But the Zen Master knows what he has in Melo and Porzingis and wants to build around the aging superstar and the hungry rookie, buying New York a star-studded roster just in the knick of time.

While Carmelo may be nearing the beginning of the end, it is never too late to change his game and/or become a different player with his physical gifts. He posted a career best 4.7 assists/game last season but that is still complimentary to his best aspect: scoring.  It just seems to flow out of the 32-year old as effortlessly as walking or talking for Melo, but critics seem to think that scoring being his best quality may make him a black hole, as he cannot seem to win despite being the hardest person for many great defenders to match up with.  While his dominance over the ball doesn’t make anyone around him any better, Melo may be doing everything he can to win.  Yes, his shooting makes him a ball hog/blackhole but what has Melo been given to work with as far as teammates go? Of Melo’s four seasons that ended with 50 or more wins, a pattern emerges. While Melo’s scoring, FG% and FGA pose little significance to total wins -- being scattered year-to-year and regardless of season outcome are very erratic -- what is important is his personnel - or who else can hold the ball.  

Melo has historically performed best with ball-dominant point guards that can also dish.  While that may seem counter-intuitive, having a ball dominant point guard and Melo on the same team, it has resulted in the four best seasons of basketball for Melo.  Allen Iverson, Chauncey Billups, Jason Kidd and Raymond Felton have all been apart of Melo’s 50+ win seasons and have all contributed by taking some of the heat off of Melo so he can go to work.  While their assist totals are lackluster, (all four PG's hovering around five and six assists per game) what their presence does is allow for someone else to bring the ball up, pose a threat with the rock and ultimately create opportunities that wouldn’t arise if all the energy was focused on the most pure scorer in the NBA.  While Melo’s scoring totals have been extremely sporadic between seasons, the stats show him to be more efficient and waste less possessions when there is at least one guard on the floor that can consistently score.  While this analysis may seem obvious, better players = more points = more wins.  For Melo and the Knicks, it seems those “better players” have to be offensive guards -- not defense-first guards, and not offensive bigs.  Defense-first guards who struggle to score on their own do not attract enough defensive attention when they have the ball and essentially do not help the Knicks win when Melo is on the court.  Offensive ball-dominant bigs have also seemed to take away from Melo’s effectiveness as their often slow pace and lack of spacing ruin the tempo for the iso, catch-and-shoot style that Melo thrives in.  The Knicks have invested in the defensive wings and gambled on the ball-dominant bigs of the world, and the best compliment for Melo has proven to be offensive-minded guards.

Synthesizing this point, the Knicks are done investing in the Iman Shumpert’s of the world and done gambling picks on the Andrea Bargnani's, and have instead focused their efforts on creating an environment that will allow their best player, Melo, to thrive in.  Melo may be a black hole, but he can be a winning black hole with a Rose-like player to attack the lane and draw the defense on him.  Imagine this… Rose, donning a beautiful blue “New York” jersey, driving right past the free throw line, drawing some help D and causing a rotational shift where the defense has to choose between letting: Courtney Lee, Carmelo Anthony or Kristaps Porzingis get an open look. It sounds like an on-paper wet dream for New York and is a nice refreshing look compared to the typical: Melo backing down his man in the post, looking around for help, Jose standing still, Arron begging for a three and Robin Lopez crashing the board anticipating Melo will miss because the entire defense has been staring at Melo this whole time, knowing he has to shoot.  The potential of this lineup is extremely exciting and given the argument made above, it actually makes sense however the elephant in the room must be addressed, DROSE KNEEEES R MADE OF PAPERRRRRR!!!!!1!1!!11

And thank you internet, yes Derrick Rose is a star who has been unfortunately plagued with season-ending injuries, but he is a former MVP that does know how to do something the Knicks desperately need and also mentioned above: attack the hoop and score the damn ball.  Furthermore, Derrick Rose played 31.8 mpg last year in 66 GAMES.  So, this is a good sign that Phil Jackson’s potential gamble may pay off.  If Derrick Rose plays 66 games or more at the level he played in Chicago last season, New York has a much better chance at a fruitful upcoming season.  Rose posted a 16.7p/4.7a/3.4r statline on .427/.293/.793 with 2.7 TO’s.  Rose’s scoring efforts are good, and if the Knicks can utilize him in a way that brings out the ex-MVP’s playmaking ability they will be golden -- oh and he has to stop trying to be a 3-point shooter, but that’s fine; that’s what they signed Courtney Lee for.  Lee averaged 2.7 3PA last season and made an above average ~38%.  Lee may not have extremely impressive stats, but his contributions speak much louder.  He is a very good complimentary piece who can do a little bit of everything, whether it be shoot, drive, play D or provide a solid locker room presence.  In the admittedly somewhat likely chance that the Derrick Rose gamble fails, the Knicks have a great fall back option in Brandon Jennings who I believe can return to similar pre-injury form, where he boasted 16 points and almost seven assists. Jennings did wonders in Detroit and arguably made them who they are today, sparking some life into what used to be a very lifeless team.  If given the chance with New York, he could possibly do similar work.  While Jennings may have recorded a very underwhelming 2015-2016 season, tallying up about 6.9 points and 3.5 assists on two different teams, he only averaged about 18 mpg.  Meaning that Brandon Jennings could be a solid starting point guard or a very effective backup point if given minutes and time to fully acclimate to his new role.

Up to this point, it may seem that defense has been disregarded in this article, but a most of the defensive weight for the Knicks seems to fall on their center.  The Knicks love to invest in elite defensive bigs like Tyson Chandler, Robin Lopez and now Joakim Noah.  Noah, like Rose, was a bit of a gamble with a $18M price tag.  However, I have faith that the former Defensive Player of the Year can be extremely effective if given minutes, *coughcoughfredhoiberg*.  Noah boasts an incredible basketball IQ and always seems to be one step ahead of the offense when guarding the rim; and is not a liability on offense, being an above average playmaker and one of the best centers at passing the rock.  He could probably come close to that ridiculous 2014 season where he posted 12.6/5.4/11.3 if he was 1) given time and 2) allowed to run the offense through him, which was the case with the Bulls that year.  I'm not saying to put him at point guard, but that year he was crucial in initiating movement in an otherwise broken Bulls team that saw Rose and Luol Deng play 10 and 23 games respectively.  What I am trying to get at is that Noah can, and will make the best of what he has.  The big can make those around him better (i.g. Jimmy Butler) and absolutely has the ability to run an offense through him, making his style perfect for Phil Jackson’s beloved triangle offense.  If the Knicks try to run the triangle through Noah, Melo or Porzingis, it transforms the Knicks from being an afterthought into a multi-faceted, extremely potent offense that will force average defensive teams to pick their poison.

Of course, that ideal triangle where the best playmaking center in the league from 2014 choosing between a cutting Rose, a fading Lee, an open Porzingis or a posted Carmelo Anthony is obviously the best scenario New York could see, but may be one that will remain a fantasy if the lineup does not pan out.  Rose has to stay durable, Melo can’t decline, Porzingis has to continue to develop, Lee has to be as good as he has been the past couple of years, Noah has to had stay sharp through an emotional and upsetting ‘15-’16 season and the bench has to be as good as advertised for New York to have the season that I personally want them to.  That may be far fetched to expect, but I believe that Phil Jackson can bring the best that each player has to offer out of them and onto the hardwood come October.  It is a lot to count on, and a lot of stars have to align, but hopefully the adversity that each Knick has faced in their career can be somewhat of a uniting factor, propelling them to get the one thing no current Knick has ever tasted - a ring next summer.

Miami Heat Offseason Report: Heat Check

Daniel Arellano
Staff Writer

Bittersweet is the only way to describe last year of Heat basketball. The emergence of Whiteside in the regular season was negated by the discovery of a second blood clot in star big man Chris Bosh. The Heat managed to eke out a division championship and the third seed in the playoffs despite sharing a 48-34 record with both the Celtics and the Hawks. Once the postseason commenced, the Heat began to show cracks in a close fought series against the Charlotte Hornets, only prevailing thanks to the late game heroics of franchise front man and Miami icon Dwyane Wade. Despite the absence of  Bosh and the crippling loss of Whiteside (MCL sprain), Miami made it within a game of the Eastern Conference Finals, eventually falling to the Toronto Raptors in game seven.

After making it as far as could be realistically expected from its active players, the Heat had only a few major goals for the summer of 2016:

1) Re-sign Hassan Whiteside before he was poached by the Dallas Mavericks for a max or near-max deal. [SUCCESS]

2) Get a meeting with Kevin Durant. Even though it was unlikely he would join an aging Miami roster, it is a sign of status in the association to get in the room with premier free agents. [SUCCESS]

3) Re-sign Dwyane Wade [NEAR COMPLETE FAILURE]

Unfortunately for Wade and Miami alike, the priorities were made in the order listed above, meaning that once again Wade would be asked to take a back seat for the good of the franchise. The details remain murky, but Wade was undeniably treated without the same respect that his peer Dirk Nowitzki received from Dallas. Wade wanted a contract worth at least $50 million over two years (or an even higher sum over three years). Pat Riley, ever the pragmatist, knew that a contract given to Wade in this ballpark would be painful beyond year two, eventually offering $40 million over two years. In a power move fitting of a star of his caliber, Wade announced that he would sign with Chicago for $47.5 million over two years. (For you math whizzes, that's only $3 million more after taxes than Miami's offer.) The famous "loyalty" that the Heat frequently used as a selling point to potential free agents seems to have completely dried up, as the most beloved athlete in Miami sports history joins a once proud conference rival. Aside from a few rare exceptions, loyalty is just a word to convince a player to take less than what he is worth.

In other news, Udonis Haslem has re-signed for $4 million for one year!

For what it's worth, the failure to sign Wade is not a complete disaster. The Heat have now been spared from the fate of the post championship Lakers, burdened by Kobe's albatross of a contract. Cap space is a commodity that is always valuable in the league. However, it could just as easily be argued that in the face of health woes from star Chris Bosh, the Heat could have used the opportunity to send a message to free agents that they will take care of their own. The 2018 Heat will probably not be as bad as the 2014 Lakers (27-55) when Kobe received $30 million to put up 13.8 points for just six games. However, the Lakers demonstrated that they were willing to fork over the money for a star that has proven himself to the city. Only time will tell if this will pay off, but only a fool would say that Miami should be glad to lose Wade.

Much of how Miami will go forward will rest on the slim shoulders of Chris Bosh.  He may be forced to retire because of his recurring blood clots, which could necessitate taking blood thinners for life.  These blood thinners can cause any normally routine injury to bleed uncontrollably.  As a point guard in college, current Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra witnessed the death of Hank Gathers from just a few feet away. Experiencing this just once is more than enough for a lifetime and is likely to play a role in Bosh's eventual decision.  Should Bosh have to medically retire, the Heat should immediately do what they can to rebuild around their core of Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson, Tyler Johnson, and Hassan Whiteside. Sign an under the radar big who can spread the floor and that's a lineup that belongs in the modern NBA (the basement of the association, but in it nonetheless!)

If Bosh manages to prove that he is capable of playing without such an obvious risk in play, then the Heat will be forced to once again try to reload on the fly. They should be concerned about trading away two future first round picks to the Phoenix Suns in 2015's Goran Dragic trade. However, in typical Miami fashion, free agency will be the most accessible avenue back into contention for the Heat. The most obvious concerns for the Heat were their lack of shooting  and big man depth. The loss of Joe Johnson and Gerald Green have hurt the former, while the loss of Luol Deng and Amar'e Stoudemire have hurt the latter. Of course, Bosh's fate will greatly impact both of these factors, as he is one of the premier stretch big men in the league.

As grim of an outlook this may be, Miami has performed admirably in filling out its roster. The re-signing of Hassan Whiteside was an absolute must for this off-season. Whiteside has the obvious talent and athleticism necessary for him to shine as a star on both ends. His mid-range jumper has remained a solid weapon for any that see him as just another rim-running big. Even his once woeful free throw percentage jumped from 50% to 65% in only a season thanks to the unorthodox jump in his motion. Although his ceiling is not incredibly high thanks to his deceptively "old" age of 27, Whiteside should continue to improve his smarts on both ends of the floor as he learns not to bite on every fake he sees and to pass out of the post. (Hassan has logged an astonishingly low 36 career assists.) Regardless, retaining Whiteside is a step in the right direction for Miami to avoid becoming a bottom dweller in the East.

The re-signing of Tyler Johnson is a double edged sword for the Heat thanks to the Arenas rule, which caused his contract to be largely back-loaded. Johnson will receive a mere $6 million a year for the first half of his four year deal (peanuts under the new cap). However, in each of the final two years, Johnson will be paid $19 million, an absurd skyrocket that will require some serious cap wizardry to work with in 2018-2019. Johnson is a promising young player with some not-at-all sneaky athleticism and a nice shooting stroke. Although he will likely come off the bench as Dragic's backup, Johnson is a key piece for the Heat going forward.

In order to fill the holes left in their roster by five rotation players leaving for greener pastures, Miami was forced to sign underrated and somewhat unknown role players on short term deals. To aid their shooting, the Heat have signed NBA journeymen Luke Babbitt and Wayne Ellington on short deals for $1.23 million/1 year and $12 million/2 years, respectively. (Ellington lit up his current team for 26 points with 7 threes back in December of last season.) Although Babbitt is unlikely to crack the rotation, Ellington should provide much needed spacing for an otherwise cramped half-court. The Heat also signed a pair of athletic forwards in Derrick Williams and James Johnson on single year deals for $5 million and $4 million apiece. Both of these forwards should provide energy and decent scoring ability if they are set up.Unfortunately, both players are solid "2nd guys off the bench" material and do not belong in a playoff team's starting lineup. In addition to this, the Heat have also signed two more young athletic pieces in Willie Reed (center) and Briante Weber (point guard). They are relatively untested, but are indicative of the new direction that Miami is aiming for in the post-Wade era: a (relatively) young and athletic team that is capable of allowing Dragic to push the pace beyond its sluggish 25th rank in the league.

And of course, Dion Waiters has signed for a meager $3 million after an unfortunate bout with NBA free agency. It remains to be seen if he can meaningfully contribute on a winning team. This contract has potential to be a massive steal, but it is more likely that it will be just a slight underpay for a below average NBA player.

 Aside from the unknown of the Bosh situation, Miami has a clear path forward:

• Continue to develop its promising players in Tyler Johnson, Josh Richardson, and Justise Winslow
• By the All-Star Break, make a decision as to whether or not to tank this season to take advantage of the self-owned first round pick
• Use the players on one year rental contracts to clear cap space and be ready to make a splash in the 2017 offseason

Aside from the obvious Wade debacle, Miami has done all that it can do prepare itself for the future. Only time will tell if Miami can successfully develop around its young core for sustained success.

Memphis Grizzlies Offseason Report: A Grizzly Contract (or two)

John Askins
Staff Writer

The Memphis Grizzlies endured a mixed bag of a season last year, getting off to a strong start before being decimated by injuries to their stars Mike Conley, Marc Gasol, and Zach Randolph.  Ending the season on a 1-9 skid, they squeaked their way into the 7th seed, only to be promptly swept by the potent San Antonio Spurs.  

Going into this offseason, there was one glaring problem that the Grizzlies absolutely needed to address: shooting.  In today’s pace-and-space dominated NBA, defense cannot be solely relied upon to bring a team to the top.  The Grizzlies ranked 27th in the NBA last year in 3-pointers made per game at 6.1, and 29th in 3-point percentage at 33.1%.  The two finals contenders were 1st and 3rd respectively in 3-point shooting this year.  The numbers speak for the themselves: if you can’t shoot, you can’t hang.

To give you an idea of their shooting woes, one of their starters was Tony Allen.  Allen brings a lot to table, some good and some bad. Beginning with the positives: he is one of the most elite perimeter defenders in the league, even at 35; he is still really athletic, and can finish pretty well in transition (unless he misses 4 open layups in a row); his style of play on the defensive end fits the Grizzlies system perfect.  Now for a very blaring negative: he is a liability in a half-court offense.  His jump shot is almost non-existent (career 28% from the arc, never averaged more than 0.2 makes per game) to the point where defenses can sag so far off of him that they can double the other team’s best player or provide extra help in the paint. (refer to the Warriors scheme in the 2015 playoffs, he was "guarded" by 7-footer Andrew Bogut) In my opinion, the goods outweigh the bads, and it is great to have a player on the court that can really bother the other team’s best player.  Many others disagree, and I can totally see why.  But if we look back to 2015, Allen was a key factor when the Grizzlies gave the Warriors the best fight they had seen all season in the Western Conference Semis, as he and Mike Conley held Stephen Curry to 42% shooting.

But this is a new year, and if everything goes according to plan, the Grizz have a fighting chance against the juggernauts in the super-powered Western Conference.  Their biggest free agent splash was forward Chandler Parsons, who signed to a 4yr/$94.4 million max contract.  Now before you go and say “Chandler Parsons even got a max? …” the 6th-year forward quite honestly addresses every one of the team’s needs.  He’s a career 38% 3 point shooter with an average of almost 1.7 made per game, which if added to last seasons totals would increase the team's 3 pointers per game by almost 30% alone.  Parsons’ spacing will also work to open up the floor for the two star big men to do work inside.  Just think, instead of Tony Allen, the Grizz can kick out to Chandler Parsons in the corner.  That is already 100x better. (sorry Tony Allen)  Along with the shooting, Parsons is an excellent playmaker, with a career average of 3.3 assists per game.  Adding Parsons to the mix puts a 3rd above average playmaker on the floor with Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, and now can run plays through a handful of different players, a valuable option in making their offense less predictable and more versatile.

Among Memphis’ other free agent signings is shooting guard Troy Daniels, who was signed to a 3yr/$10 million contract in the offseason.  Daniels is set to begin his 4th year in the league, and has shot 43% from the arc in that time.  This includes last year, where he nailed 48.4% of his attempts with Charlotte.  In my opinion, this is a very underrated acquisition.  He has proven that he can make shots from outside on a consistent basis, something not many Memphis players could do last season.  Even if his counting stats aren’t gaudy, his presence will be an asset, working to space the floor for their skilled interior players.

Along with Daniels,  Memphis signed forward James Ennis to a 2yr/$5.3 million deal.  Ennis spent the 2015-2016 season playing 22 games with 3 different teams, (including 10 games with the Grizzlies) including a short 9-game stint in New Orleans where he averaged 16 points per game.  In an offseason where largely unproven players are pulling $10 million a year contracts, (ahem Solomon Hill) this is a bargain for the Grizz.  As stated, Ennis showed some flashes of potential at the end of last year, and it would be fantastic for the team if he could carry it over to this season.  Ennis could settle into the backup small forward role, and continue to improve throughout the year as he gets more experience.  He has only appeared in 84 NBA games to this point, so he is most definitely on the rise.  Memphis' top draft pick was guard Wade Baldwin IV from Vanderbilt, whom they took with the 17th pick. Baldwin averaged 14 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists in his Freshmen year, along with a clean 41% from the 3-point line.  Baldwin can also attack the rim proficiently, as he averaged 6 free throw attempts per game, and shot 80% from the line in college.  He could blossom into an excellent player, backing up guards and possibly the future starting 2-guard, if everything goes according to plan.

The Grizzlies drew up another contract for their seasoned point guard, Mike Conley.  Conley signed a 5yr/$152.6 million max deal to kick off free agency, and it pretty much sent the internet spiraling with “Mike Conley is gettin payed amlost 3 times wat Steph Currie iz!!”  Before you lose it, consider that Conley has played 9 seasons in the NBA, all with the Grizzlies.  He embodies the Grizzlies style and is an extraordinary dude on and off the court.  If he isn't putting in work on the basketball court, he's helping out the community by running a youth basketball camp or volunteering at a local restaurant.  He was one of the finalists for last year's "Community Assist" award, which is given to the NBA player who is the most involved with their community.  Conley means a lot more to Memphis than just his basketball skills, and that is reflected in his contract.  Addressing his skills on the court, he is one of the league’s best perimeter defenders, and has has a knack for causing turnovers on the defensive end, while limiting them on offense.  If he can stay healthy, which hasn’t been a problem in the past, the Grizz won’t have too tough of a time making the playoffs.

Along with Conley, the other two cogs in the Memphis system are big men Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol.  However, time is ticking for the two of them, as both are now into their 30’s and possibly on the brink of a decline.  Randolph is 35 years old, and Gasol is 32.  Despite their age, last year Randolph put up numbers to the tune of 15 points and 8 boards, while Gasol was 17 points, 7 boards, and 4 assists before he went down.  Randolph is excellent at getting into his matchups heads and is extremely physical on the glass, both skills that will never change, no matter old he gets.  Gasol is fantastic in the post and one of the league's best big man passers; when combined with fantastic interior D,  he keeps the Grizzlies anchored on both ends.  All hopes are that the big men can continue to produce at an elite rate, as it will be integral to the Grizzlies' success.

Perhaps one of the Grizzlies’ biggest offseason changes is firing Dave Joerger and replacing him with David Fizdale.  Fizdale was an assistant coach with the Miami Heat for 8 seasons, and won two rings with them while Lebron James and Dwyane Wade resided there.  Joerger was essentially the architect behind the Grizzlies hounding, grinded-out style of play, one of the biggest reasons why the Grizzlies have made the playoffs in 6 consecutive seasons, the 3rd longest active streak in the NBA.  However, Fizdale said that he is going to continue to instill this style of play, which will hopefully work to extend that streak even longer. 

Essentially, the Grizzlies did what they needed to do this offseason: retained their heart and soul in Mike Conley, (even if it was at a steep price) added some quality shooters, and signed a potential all-star in Chandler Parsons.  The Grizzlies look ready to turn over a new leaf and transition into a more modern offense, while continuing to implement the trademarked grind house defense.  Memphis has proven in the past that they can hang with some of the best teams in the NBA.  While it is pretty darn important to have 3-point shooting, so is having good ol' defense.  And if Memphis is potent in both of those areas this year, the league better watch out.