Can The Czar
Mike Fratello has been detrimental in the Grizzlies progress as young and upcoming franchise. He has consistently played the veterans over the young and more promising players (Eddie over Rudy), allows no freedom on his team (see Jason Williams, Stromile, and Bonzi fiascos), and can not seem to get his team to execute anything he draws up during a timeout.
As mentioned previously, our buddy Mike seems to have a problem playing the younger players on the Grizzlies. However, this is not a new problem, this is something that has troubled the fans and Jerry West the past two seasons. For example, last year the Grizzlies drafted/traded for Lawrence Roberts, Hakim Warrick, and Anthony Roberson, none of these players recieved significant or consistent playing time during the season. There were points when Fratello played them on a regular basis, but one mistake resulted in pine time for the rookies. I'll start by talking about Lawrence Roberts.
Roberts was acquired by the Grizz from the Seattle SuperSonics for two second round draft choices. Roberts didn't play much, but when he did he played with energy, tenacity, and toughness, he was last year's Alexander Johnson. Roberts got significant minutes on November 9, 2005 in a game against the Boston Celtics, which the Grizz lost by one. Roberts contributed 8 points and 5 rebounds in 18 minutes on the court, but went 0-7 from the free throw line. After this game Roberts playing time diminished greatly and he averaged 5 minutes a game the rest of the season and only competed in 33 games total. After the season, Mike Fratello went on a local radio show and when confronted with the question of why he did not play the young players he pointed specifically to the Boston game where Roberts went 0-7 from the foul line. He claimed playing the young players hindered the Grizzlies and cost them games.
SIDENOTE** Earlier this season the Grizz played at Boston and Roberts went 14-15 from the line in a winning effort, which makes me wonder just how good Roberts could have been last year with continued playing time and not a punishment for one disappointing performance.
Anthony Roberson is another young player who only made it onto the floor during "garbage" time for the Grizz. Roberson was picked up as an undrafted FA and was heralded as the team's best shooter. Unfortunately, Grizz fans never got to see Roberson on the floor. Instead the Grizz fans watched Bobby Jackson, probably the worst shooter on the team, jack up shot after shot throughout the entire season. Now, I'm not saying Roberson would have performed well last season, because there was no statsitical backup to lead Grizz fans to believe Roberson would produce in the NBA as a point guard. Roberson was more of a SG who came out of college too early. The Grizz let him go and he was recently picked up by the Golden State Warriors where he has done pretty good for himself. He is averaging 12 minutes a game and has put in a few scoring performances around 12-15 points and has a season high of 21 points for the Warriors.
Hakim Warrick was the Grizzlies first round draft pick, #19 overall, in 2005. He came into the league as a "tweener' but was considered freakishly athletic with the knack for finishing around the basket (usually with a dunk). Grizz fans immediately started referring to him as the next Stromile Swift, only with a basketball IQ. There was talk of moving Gasol to center, Warrick to PF, and the Grizz becoming a run and gun team, much like the Suns. However, Warrick never was able to find consistent playing time under the Czar. He, like the other rookies, showed flashes of greatness througout the season, but eventually found his way back to the bench due to rookie mistakes that Fratello did not tolerate. Warrick's high point of last season came against the Dallas Mavericks where he dominated Dirk Nowitzki. Warrick completely dominated Dirk on the blocks going 5-5 from the field for 11 points on the night in only 12 minutes. This was the first matchup of the season for the Grizz and Mavs, and seeing that Drik could not guard Warrick one would have thought Fratello would utilize Warrick more in the next Mavs-Grizz showdown, right? Wrong, the two teams faced each other seven more times over the season (including the playoffs) in which Warrick averaged 6.5 mpg, his highest output was 17 min in a blowout playoff loss. A logical fan would have surmised that Fratello would play Warrick more in the remaning Mavs games due to his showing against Nowitzki, unfortunately for Grizz fans their coach is not logical.
As mentioned previously, our buddy Mike seems to have a problem playing the younger players on the Grizzlies. However, this is not a new problem, this is something that has troubled the fans and Jerry West the past two seasons. For example, last year the Grizzlies drafted/traded for Lawrence Roberts, Hakim Warrick, and Anthony Roberson, none of these players recieved significant or consistent playing time during the season. There were points when Fratello played them on a regular basis, but one mistake resulted in pine time for the rookies. I'll start by talking about Lawrence Roberts.
Roberts was acquired by the Grizz from the Seattle SuperSonics for two second round draft choices. Roberts didn't play much, but when he did he played with energy, tenacity, and toughness, he was last year's Alexander Johnson. Roberts got significant minutes on November 9, 2005 in a game against the Boston Celtics, which the Grizz lost by one. Roberts contributed 8 points and 5 rebounds in 18 minutes on the court, but went 0-7 from the free throw line. After this game Roberts playing time diminished greatly and he averaged 5 minutes a game the rest of the season and only competed in 33 games total. After the season, Mike Fratello went on a local radio show and when confronted with the question of why he did not play the young players he pointed specifically to the Boston game where Roberts went 0-7 from the foul line. He claimed playing the young players hindered the Grizzlies and cost them games.
SIDENOTE** Earlier this season the Grizz played at Boston and Roberts went 14-15 from the line in a winning effort, which makes me wonder just how good Roberts could have been last year with continued playing time and not a punishment for one disappointing performance.
Anthony Roberson is another young player who only made it onto the floor during "garbage" time for the Grizz. Roberson was picked up as an undrafted FA and was heralded as the team's best shooter. Unfortunately, Grizz fans never got to see Roberson on the floor. Instead the Grizz fans watched Bobby Jackson, probably the worst shooter on the team, jack up shot after shot throughout the entire season. Now, I'm not saying Roberson would have performed well last season, because there was no statsitical backup to lead Grizz fans to believe Roberson would produce in the NBA as a point guard. Roberson was more of a SG who came out of college too early. The Grizz let him go and he was recently picked up by the Golden State Warriors where he has done pretty good for himself. He is averaging 12 minutes a game and has put in a few scoring performances around 12-15 points and has a season high of 21 points for the Warriors.
Hakim Warrick was the Grizzlies first round draft pick, #19 overall, in 2005. He came into the league as a "tweener' but was considered freakishly athletic with the knack for finishing around the basket (usually with a dunk). Grizz fans immediately started referring to him as the next Stromile Swift, only with a basketball IQ. There was talk of moving Gasol to center, Warrick to PF, and the Grizz becoming a run and gun team, much like the Suns. However, Warrick never was able to find consistent playing time under the Czar. He, like the other rookies, showed flashes of greatness througout the season, but eventually found his way back to the bench due to rookie mistakes that Fratello did not tolerate. Warrick's high point of last season came against the Dallas Mavericks where he dominated Dirk Nowitzki. Warrick completely dominated Dirk on the blocks going 5-5 from the field for 11 points on the night in only 12 minutes. This was the first matchup of the season for the Grizz and Mavs, and seeing that Drik could not guard Warrick one would have thought Fratello would utilize Warrick more in the next Mavs-Grizz showdown, right? Wrong, the two teams faced each other seven more times over the season (including the playoffs) in which Warrick averaged 6.5 mpg, his highest output was 17 min in a blowout playoff loss. A logical fan would have surmised that Fratello would play Warrick more in the remaning Mavs games due to his showing against Nowitzki, unfortunately for Grizz fans their coach is not logical.
posted by Jason Smith at 3:16 PM
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