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FBB: Gunnin' with the Grizzlies

It is time for another run with a dynasty report. This time I will be using Fast Break Basketball, a simulation game created by fellow FOFCer HeavyReign. The game is the most accurate NBA simulation on the market and I have enjoyed playing it. I have done a dynasty report with it before, but did not get into it. This time I have a feeling things will be different as my interest in the NBA has grown. I do plan on returning to my Manchester United report someday and writing up a new hat trick dynasty report as well. With the imminent release of FOF2k4, updates may come at a slower pace. I might get around to writing an FOF2k4 report as well. Needless to say, I like these dynasty things….

I will be using the most recent roster updates for the game and we will start with the 2003-2004 season campaign. It will be strictly an information dynasty, which is different from my usual storyline style. However , I really have never done a strict information report, so I am curious to see what is like too. The dynasty will of course be loaded with detail, as all good reports are. Reports will be on a monthly basis.

Being from Memphis, the Grizzlies are obviously my favorite NBA Team. I was thrilled when they relocated from Vancouver. I have been to several games and seen a first hand perspective of the team. The team and product has slowly improved over the years despite early front office blunders (this will be touched on in the next section, the history of the franchise). I am excited to see just how exactly the franchise will do when the reigns are handed over to me.

Stick around, hopefully it will be a long and successful ride…

Memphis Grizzlies: History of the Franchise

The Grizzlies franchise started not in Memphis and not even in the United States. It all begun in Vancouver, where along with Toronto, received NBA franchises to being in the 1995-1996 season. The two franchises were the first ever to be located outside of the United States since the conception of the NBA. Arthur Griffiths and his company, Northwest Sports Enterprise, were essential in getting the franchise placed in Vancouver. On April 27th, the NBA Board of Governors officially approved the franchise to be located in Vancouver. The franchise fee was $125 million.

Stu Jackson was hired as the firs General Manager for the Grizzly franchise. He came with solid credentials. He had been the head coach of the New York Knicks and was then holding the position of head basketball coach at the University of Wisconsin. He also had previous experience working in the front office of the NBA.

In another front office move, Brian Winters was named the first coach of the Grizzlies. He also came with respect, as he served as an assistant coach to the all time winningest coach in the history of basketball, Lenny Wilkins. He served in that capacity for nine years. He also had extensive playing experience in the NBA.

Jackson and Winters immediately went to work by partaking in the NBA Expansion draft, which would serve as the nucleolus of the early years. The first pick of the expansion draft was point guard Greg Anthony, who came via the New York Knicks. Other players added were Bryan Scott, Gerald Wilkins, Blue Edwards, Kenny Gattison, Benoit Benjamin, Larry Stewart, Rodney Dent, Antonio Harvey, Reggie Slater, Trevor Ruffin, Derrick Phillips, and Doug Edwards.

With the sixth overall pick in the 1995 rookie draft, the Grizz selected Bryan Reeves, a 7 foot, 292 pound center from Oklahoma State. This move would come back to haunt and the Grizzlies and perhaps was their first front office blunder that seemed to plague the franchise. Reeves never performed up to expectations and retired before the 2001 season due to chronic injuries.

The first year of the franchise in 1995 was without a doubt a struggling one. After a surprising 2-0 start, the team seemed to crumble. There was a streak of twenty-three consecutive losses, which is the longest losing streak in NBA history. The team finished with a disappointing 15-67 campaign.

In the next 1996 season, the Grizzlies again had to suffer through growing pains. After an 8-35 start, the Grizzlies relived coach Brian Winters of his duties. Stu Jackson, with his previous head coaching experience, took over and had no luck either. The Grizz went 6-33 and only won 14 games on the season. The draft pick of Shareef Abdur-Rahim gave the Grizz hope for the future, as he and Reeves combined to produce a young, talented front court.

Around came 1997 and the Grizzlies hoped that they could turn the corner as a franchise.
Brian Hill was giving the reigns of the head coaching job, after modest success with Orlando. The front court of Rahim and Reeves continued to develop. The team won 18 games and seemed to be at least establishing itself as a franchise. The team made a surprising move at the deadline by adding Bobby Hurley and Michael Smith from Sacramento.

The 1998 season was filled with promise after the Grizzlies added Mike Bibby to lead the team at the point guard position. He was a proven All-American from Arizona who had success in college. However, the NBA season was shortened by a lockout and the Grizz ended with an 8-42 record.

In 1999 the NBA returned and so did the Grizzlies. However, it was the same old team. After a 4-18 start Brian Hill was replaced with Lionel Hollins who took the team to an 18-42 record. This set the franchise record with 22 wins. However attendance was on a steady decline and a move was becoming necessary. Rahim led the team in points. It was also the beginning of the end for Reeves, as injuries started to hit hard.

The 2000 campaign would be the last in Vancouver. Sidney Lowe took over as the head coach and led the squad to a 23-59 record. Rahim led the team in points again and newcomer Michael Dickerson was second. Reeves put in 75 games but it was obvious the end was near. The team packed up its bags and headed to the United States.

On March 26th, 2001 Grizzlies owner Michael Hesley applied to move the team to Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis promised a new stadium and gained corporate support from Fred Smith, owner of FedEx. It faced competition from Anaheim, New Orleans, and Louisville. In the end, the pledge of Memphis was too much to turn down.

The 2001 season was a changing time for the Grizz. They dealt Mike Bibby to Sacramento in exchange for flashy point guard Jason Williams. They traded Rahim to Atlanta in exchange for former University of Memphis Star Lorenzen Wright and a first round draft pick. They drafted a proven winner in Shane Battier of Duke and Spanish star Pau Gasol. Sidney Lowe led the team to a 23-59 record and its inaugural season in Memphis. However, not all was lost as Gasol won the NBA Rookie of the Year.

Before the start of 2002 season, Jerry West was named the new president of basketball operations. He had built a proven team in the Los Angeles Laker dynasty. The excitement built around the team. After a slow start, Lowe was replaced with Hubbie Brown, an NBA coaching veteran. Under ‘Hubbie’ ball, the Grizz won 29 wins and in doing so setting the franchise record for wins. West traded draft pick Drew Gooden to Orlando for Mike Miller.

This all leads to the 2003 season, where the Grizzlies are loaded with talent and playoffs are being whispered around town. The team has depth, size and seemingly all the tools to win. An ESPN analyst called the Grizzlies the most exciting team in basketball. The bottom of the division will no longer be accepted. The team wants to win and wants to win now…

Memphis Grizzlies Roster Evaluation

Code:

Name           Pos Age  Height  Weight In  Out  Hn  Df  Reb Pot 



Jake Tsakalidis C   24   7'2''   285   C+   C-  D-  B+  B-  C 

Pau Gasol       PF  23   7'0''   227   A-   C-  C   A   B-  A 

Stromile Swift  PF  23   6'9''   225   B+   C-  D   A-  C+  F 

Lorenzen Wright PF  28   6'11''  240   B    D+  D   B   B+  B 

Bo Outlaw       PF  32   6'8''   210   C+   D+  C-  B-  C+  D 

Ryan Humphrey   PF  24   6'8''   233   C    D+  D-  B-  C   C 

Shane Battier   SF  25   6'8''   220   C+   B   C   A   C   D 

Mike Miller     SF  23   6'8''   218   B-   B+  C+  B-  C-  A 

James Posey     SF  26   6'8''   215   C    B   C   B+  C   C 

Wesley Person   SG  32   6'6''   200   C+   A-  C   B-  C-  C 

Michael Dickers SG  28   6'5''   190   C+   B+  C   C   D+  D 

Dahntay Jones   SG  22   6'6''   210   B-   B-  D+  C   C-  C 

Jason Williams  PG  27   6'1''   190   C+   B   A   A-  D+  C 

Troy Bell       PG  22   6'1''   183   C+   B   C   C+  D+  B 

Earl Watson     PG  24   6'1''   195   C    C   B-  B+  D+  A

Centers
Jake is the only true center on our roster and is expected to see the bulk of the playing time. He is a big body who will battle inside the paint. He good rebounding skills and is good defensive player, which is a must at center in our conference. He has a decent inside game and came step out and a hit a shot if necessary. He is only 24 and has decent potential, so I expect to see some improvement. With the upcoming free agent period, we may look to pick up a center who can put up some points. Lorenzen Wright for the time being will serve as the back-up.

Power Forwards
The power forward position is our strong point, as it is loaded with talent. Spanish sensation Pau Gasol highlights the group. Pau will not only be the starting power forward, but the go to guy on the offensive side of the ball. He can step up and hit a jump shot and can grab some rebounds, in addition to having a great inside game. He is no slouch on defense either, boosting excellent skills there. Pau will only continue to get better. Stromile Swift can also put up points and will give us great effort on the defensive side of the ball. Veterans Bo Outlaw and Lorenzen Wright will also see time. They are both known as hard working individuals who know how to play defense and rebound. Project Ryan Humphreys is not expected to see much playing time this season, but may be a player to keep your eyes on in the future.

Small Forwards
Playing up to expectations for the small forwards could make or break our season. Mike Miller is the projected starter, as he can go inside and outside. He is also is a good defensive player and has a bright future ahead of him. James Posey is also expected to contribute. Posey can step out and hit the outside shot when necessary. He is also a very good defender. Posey and Miller both may see playing time at the shooting guard as well. Shane Battier is expected to provide us with depth and the occasional starting nod when performing well. He gives the combination of an above average inside game and a good outside game. He can also defend with the best of them.

Shooting Guards
The shooting guard position could be the one filled with the most question marks. While the talent is there, it is not clear who will step up and gives us quality minutes. Wesley Person is a veteran with one of the sweetest strokes in the game. His defense is not bad either. Michael Dickerson is a player who started his career out strong but has been plagued by injuries. He has a good outside game and doesn’t hurt us with his defensive play. Dahntay Jones was a recent draft pick and he will be the guy when we go with an inside game focus. However, he will need to improves his defense to become a solid NBA prospect.

Point Guards
Jason Williams is one of the most talented and controversial point guards in the game. He has great handling skills and is just a pure defender up-top. He can hit the outside shot as well when needed. Earl Watson lacks the offensive skills and top-notch handling skills needed in the NBA, but has great potential and should be a nice project. Troy Bell has a nice shot but he too has some work to do. He has to work on his handling skills as well as his defense to be able to play at this level.

Memphis Grizzlies Finances

Team Salary: $57,290,381
Cap Room: $14,790,381

Code:

Player Salaries

 

Name            Pos  Age  Salary     YRL   Total

Jake Tsakalidis C    24  $1,580,702  1    $1,580,702 

Pau Gasol       PF   23  $3,416,520  2    $7,735,001 

Stromile Swift  PF   23  $4,614,782  1    $4,614,782 

Lorenzen Wright PF   28  $6,600,000  3    $21,450,000 

Bo Outlaw       PF   32  $5,355,000  2    $11,310,000 

Ryan Humphrey   PF   24  $1,143,360  3    $4,250,186 

Shane Battier   SF   25  $2,533,440  2    $5,745,842 

Mike Miller     SF   23  $3,380,457  7    $52,880,457 

James Posey     SF   26  $4,917,000  4    $22,618,200 

Wesley Person   SG   32  $7,700,000  1    $7,700,000   

Michael Dickers SG   28  $6,187,500  5    $37,812,500 

Dahntay Jones   SG   22  $1,063,680  4    $5,316,312 

Jason Williams  PG   27  $6,187,500  4    $37,812,500 

Troy Bell       PG   22  $1,285,440  4    $6,413,321 

Earl Watson     PG   24  $1,325,000  2    $2,800,000

The only real contract I would like to get rid of is Michael Dickersons’, although I doubt I will have any takers. He simply has not performed to that level to receive that kind of money. If Mike Miller is an underachiever then we are stuck with his huge contract for a very long time. Let’s hope for the best.

We have close to $15 million to play around with in the 2003 Free Agency period, however, most of that will be deferred to the 2004 Off-Season and to the resigning of Pau Gasol long term. With a full roster, I would not expect us to add more than one player. After this year, with the contracts of Swift and Person expiring, we will have even more money to go out and do things with…

2003 Free Agent Period

The 2003 free agent period has no real superstars and has simply just role players. What I am looking for is a Center who can put points on the board and has good potential so that we can develop him. The Free Agency Period and for some reason, I could not bid on any players. I did find a young center that I like and luckily no one signed him. I will keep you updated as to whether we can get him under contract or not.

No team really stood out as helping their teams out significantly. The period was mainly used for simply to grab a player or two to help out with depth. The Jazz helped themselves out the most by adding SG Steve Smith, SG Eddie House, and PF Tyrone Hill. The Trailblazers inked the aging Shawun Kemp and the Rockets added John Starks to round out ‘name’ players who were signed.

2003 Training Camp

I was really unfamiliar with what Training Camps did in FBB. I checked out the documentation only to find out that it is a revaluation period of team rosters. I guess that is ok, but it would have been neat to work on certain aspects of a players game. Also, computer controlled teams set their roster sizes to twelve players.

I checked my rosters to pre-Training camp and didn’t see any changes. Hopefully I will start seeing some changes down the road.

Days 1-30, 2003

The first thing we had to was reduce our current roster size from fifteen to twelve. This means we would have to place three players on the injured reserve list. After much deliberating, I decided to go with a ‘big’ line-up that will focus primarily on the inside with ball. That being decided, we placed Michael Dickerson (he should be able to afford nice suits with that $37mil), Ryan Humphrey, and Troy Bell on the injured reserve.

As I said, we decided on the inside focus when we have the ball. Because we are such a good defensive team, we also have options on that side of the ball. We decided to run trap settings to often and pressing to often. We will run very fast game, since we are so deep. Basically we are going to press you to force turnovers then create easy buckets in transition.

With that in mind, I went Lorenzen Wright starting at center and Jake Tsakalidis backing him up. Wright is simply a better inside player and a better defender. Pau Gasol gets the obvious nod at power forward and will be offensive focus #1. He will be backed up by Bo Outlaw. Stromile Swift gets the nod at the #3, and Mike Miller will start at the off guard. They will be backed up by James Posey, Shane Battier, Dahntay Jones and Wesley Person. Jason Williams gets the start at the point and will be backed up by Earl Watson.

Heading into the season, I think I am really excited about this team and its potential. If we play well and up to our billing we will be very successful. It is in your face basketball - Grizz Style. I know its early, but, hey I am excited.

Month Record: 9-12
Overall Team Record: 9-12
Place: 6th in Midwest Division
GB Leader: 9.0
PPG: 94.1
OPPG: 92.7

After a good start we struggled. The team seems to put together a good win streak, then we will lose three or four in a row. We seem terribly inconsistent. This is probably just a sign of a young team. We have showed life though and I think we will still be a good team this year. Both Lorenzen Wright and Jason William suffered injuries of a week at the same time but we played well during the stretch they were absent.

Individual Performances

As expected Pau Gasol leads the team in two major stat categories, PPG (21.0) and RPG (9.7)…Lorenzen Wright, when healthy, has been a consistent player at center putting in 14.1 PPG…Jason Williams leads the team in minutes played so far, 34.5 per game. He has responded with 7.4 APG, which is 13th in the NBA…Troy Bell and Ryan Humphrey saw some playing time due to injuries. Bell showed some promise at point guard and Humphrey put in some solid numbers off the bench…A change was made to slow down the pace of the game slightly, and we will now run just a fast pace.

Around the NBA

The New York Knicks are the surprise team of the league, putting in a 13-8 record and in first place. The Toronto Raptors have also performed well, sitting in first place as well…In the Western Conference, The Mavs have proven to be hard to stop with a 19-4 record. The Kings have a 15-4 record to be in first place in the Pacific Division…Tim Duncan is having a monster of a year, averaging 30.3 PPG….Rookie phenom Lebron James of the Cavs has lived up to his billing, averaging 14.8 PPG and leading all rookies in that category.

Days 31-60, 2003

Session Record: 9-11
Overall Record: 18-23
Place: 6th in Midwest Division
GB Leader: 17.0
PPG: 92.5
OPPG: 92.3

Code:

Hornets 117, GRIZZLIES 98  

GRIZZLIES 97, Clippers 85  

GRIZZLIES 99, Timberwolves 79  

ROCKETS 86, Grizzlies 71  

Raptors 105, GRIZZLIES 87 

Grizzlies 85, TIMBERWOLVES 73  

Mavericks 96, GRIZZLIES 87  

GRIZZLIES 89, Warriors 84 

Grizzlies 112, LAKERS 100 

GRIZZLIES 98, Wizards 87   

Grizzlies 104, NUGGETS 91  

KINGS 94, Grizzlies 82  

Sonics 95, GRIZZLIES 88   

CELTICS 107, Grizzlies 86  

GRIZZLIES 111, Mavericks 90  

PACERS 95, Grizzlies 94  

GRIZZLIES 100, Kings 73  

SPURS 91, Grizzlies 78  

KINGS 111, Grizzlies 75 

CLIPPERS 80, Grizzlies 75

We are lucky enough to have no injuries this month but we still struggled. We followed the same pattern of putting together some nice wins over such teams as the Lakers, Kings, and Mavericks. We have to find a consistent way to win if we are expected to make the playoffs. I see really no glaring weaknesses on the teams so it is just hard to tell what should try to go out and do. Sure we could use a big time center, but there are really none available. We tried to move Michael Dickerson to the Jazz but there was no way they were willing to take on that much cap.

Mid Season Stat Dump

Code:

Name            Pos  Games MPG  PPG  RPG  APG  SPG  BPG  TPG  FG%  FT%  3P% 

Jake Tsakalidis  C    41   20.7 8.5  6.2  1.0  0.7  0.8  1.1  .468 .643 .000 

Pau Gasol        PF   41   32.8 20.1 9.9  2.9  0.9  1.9  2.7  .457 .714 .000 

Stromile Swift   PF   41   31.4 12.9 6.6  1.4  1.1  1.1  1.3  .477 .699 .000 

Lorenzen Wright  PF   37   27.1 13.2 8.7  1.5  0.8  0.6  1.0  .449 .610 .000 

Bo Outlaw        PF   41   15.3 3.6  3.8  0.7  0.4  0.8  0.6  .340 .672 .000 

Ryan Humphrey    PF    4   23.0 6.8  5.8  0.8  1.0  0.8  1.0  .370 .583 .000 

Shane Battier    SF   41   17.1 4.8  2.6  1.3  0.6  0.3  0.8  .410 .729 .425 

Mike Miller      SF   41   29.3 14.1 4.8  2.3  1.1  0.1  1.8  .426 .757 .333 

James Posey      SF    3   3.3   1.7 0.7  0.0  0.0  0.0  0.3  .333 .750 .000 

Wesley Person    SG    3   2.3   1.0 0.3  0.3  0.0  0.0  0.3  .500 .000 1.000 

Michael Dickersp SG    0   0.0   0.0 0.0  0.0  0.0  0.0  0.0  .000 .000 .000 

Dahntay Jones    SG   41  18.8   4.6 3.1  0.6  0.7  0.1  0.8  .403 .682 .391 

Jason Williams   PG   37  34.7   8.5 3.7  7.3  2.1  0.1  3.9  .471 .735 .313 

Troy Bell        PG    4  20.5   6.5 0.8  3.8  1.8  0.3  1.5  .417 .800 .500 

Earl Watson      PG   41  14.7   2.8 1.8  2.9  0.8  0.0  1.1  .363 .667 .211

Around The NBA

The Mavs, Kings, Wizards, and Pistons are in first place…Tim Duncan is continuing to have a great season….Jermaine O’Neal has been a surprise, as he second in the NBA in scoring with 26.9 PPG. ..Jonathan Bender was sent to the 76ers from the Pacers in exchange for Aaron McKie…Tracy McGrady of the Orlando Magic was the NBA 3-Point champion…Kobe Bryant won the annual slam dunk contest…The West defeated the East 113-74 in the All-Star Game.

Days 61-90

Session Record: 7-15
Overall Record: 25-38
Place: 7th in Midwest
GB Leader: 28.5
PPG: 92.2
OPG: 93.4

Code:

BUCKS 108, Grizzlies 104 

GRIZZLIES 103, Rockets 90 

MAVERICKS 96, Grizzlies 78 

Grizzlies 98, BULLS 78 

TIMBERWOLVES 109, Grizzlies 99 

HEAT 100, Grizzlies 93 

GRIZZLIES 96, Clippers 72 

Trailblazers 98, GRIZZLIES 78 

Nets 90, GRIZZLIES 86 

GRIZZLIES 112, Heat 94 

71 Grizzlies 97, ROCKETS 88 

Suns 100, GRIZZLIES 92 

Bulls 93, GRIZZLIES 90 

CLIPPERS 104, Grizzlies 89 

SPURS 100, Grizzlies 81 

Pistons 99, GRIZZLIES 90 

GRIZZLIES 116, Celtics 95 

Pacers 84, GRIZZLIES 73 

SUNS 109, Grizzlies 81 

Jazz 103, GRIZZLIES 100 

Hawks 97, GRIZZLIES 70 

Grizzlies 93, CAVALIERS 90

If anything this month taught me that we are not quite ready to compete for a playoff spot and are not as good as I thought we would be. We changed up things a bit. We provided a balanced look on offense and that gave us no success. I am going to tinker with the starting a line-up to see if we can get one for the 2004 season. I really don’t care about setting the franchise record for wins. If we can add a center who can score, we will be good. That is our number one need. There is a couple of kids in the draft I will look at. We should get a high draft pick. Pau Gasol continues to lead the team with 19.8 PPG. Lorenzen Wright has fallen off and will no longer start. Expect to see some of our younger players get a lot of minutes.

Around the NBA

The Mavs are having a great season, posting a 53-9 record so far and look to be the odds on to win the league…If Tim Duncan stays healthy look for him to win the MVP…The Knicks are in first place in their division, quite a surprise…The Magic and Bucks have struggled after expecting to compete.