Cinco de Mayo

With six new players and five significant subtractions from the roster, it looks like the team is taking the shape Mike Fratello wants. After Hubie retired last year, Czar had to take over midstream. In his first few games coaching, Memphis really started featuring Pau Gasol, and he was dominating opponents before going down with plantar fasciitis.

Check out these numbers from Fratello's first game coaching:

Dec 03 vs. PHI - 39 min, 34 points (12-19 FG, 10-11 FT) 15 rebounds (5 off) 2 assists 3 blocks

He averaged 20.3 ppg in December after Frat took over with 8.5 rpg. Slightly above normal. He averaged 21.7 ppg and 7.2 rpg before really starting to feel the effects of the injury, which he was obviously playing through at the start of the calendar year.

Those aren't too gaudy of numbers over a stretch of time, but had he averaged them from the start of the year (and Memphis didn't get off to a crummy start), Pau would have been an All-Star. There was a stretch in early-January and late-December where Gasol was unstoppable offensively.

On Dec. 27, he put up 24 points on Elton Brand (9-13 FG). Dec. 29, he did another 24 on Raef LaFrentz (6-13 FG, 12-13 FT). On New Year's, he put up 23 points on the Wolves, primarily guarded by Kevin Garnett, on 9-10 shooting. The next game, he dumped 25 on Carlos Boozer (9-15 FG). He put up 29 points in the first half against the Pacers on Jan. 11 against O'Neal.

He didn't score more against Indiana, because he was effectively frozen out by a shot-happy Jason Williams and Bonzi Wells in the second half, and this was one of the Grizzlies' main on-court problem last season, neck-and-neck with lousy rebounding. We had too many players who thought they were offensive juggernauts.

Those players have been phased out and replaced by similarly-skilled but more mature teammates. I can't even count how many times last year where I'd see Williams or Bonzi or James Posey or Earl Watson launch up an idiotic shot from the outside when Pau had been killing in the post all game. Even Stro had fallen in love with his jumpshot. None of these guys were team players last season, and it's probably because alot of them were in potential contract years. Someone should tell Lorenzen to stop shooting too, because he was just as bad as the others (and now, as it turns out, that was probably because he was looking for more money this offseason, too).

Damon Stoudamire has never been known as a pass-first guy, but he had more assists last season than JWill on a team with far less options and a lesser PF. Bobby Jackson isn't a point guard, so I'm not expecting him to feed the post, but he's at least a professional and can actually shoot the ball. Eddie Jones shouldn't need to dominate the ball like Wells did to fill his role, and he's seen in his career the benefits of having a dominant low-post threat (Shaq, a prime Zo) and how to utilize them.

With more team-oriented players and a full offseason of rest (not returning overseas to play more), I can see Pau performing like he did in December and January consistently for the entire season. Also, with no Stromile wasting minutes on the court this year, he'll get around a career-high 38-39 mpg.

For 2005/06, I predict:

38 mpg, 23 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3 apg, 0.6 spg, 2 bpg on 52 FG% and an All-Star bid.

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KokoTheMonkey

Well, I'm curious as to how many minutes he's going to play. Obviously there is no Stromile Swift there now, but these past two seasons he's hovered around 32 MPG, and his first two seasons he played about 36 MPG. If he gets 36-38 MPG, he'll score 20 PPG. That's pretty much a given. On the boards I've never seen him as a great rebounder, but he's going to have to get tougher and get closer to 9 boards a game that 7 per game.


I'll guess 37 MPG, 20/8/3 on 52% shooting from the floor. Whether or not he makes the All-Star game will depend on how good the Grizzlies are.

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Koko's 2nd Annual SM Giveaway


Southwest is best (Combined records):

Southwest: 125-84
Central: 118-85
Pacific: 108-96
Northwest: 96-112
Atlantic: 87-119
Southeast: 83-121

MemphisX

I think Pau Gasol is going to have one of the better season's in the league this year. The team is built for him to thrive with the exception of an burly center or rebounder (which I think will come in the next 2 weeks). Pau is going to be surrounded by very good three point shooters (Miller, Stoudamire, Eddie Jones, BoJax, Battier, and Cardinal) that is going to make it painful to double team him and I haven't seen anyone except K Mart that gives him problems one on one. So my predictions are probably on the high side as I am going homer this season.

37-40 minutes per game
24 points per game
10 rebounds per game
3 assists per game
2 blocks per game
51% FG
79% FT

I think this year Pau will be more aggressive offensively which will result in him moving into the elite scorers territory of 10+ FT attempts per game and his FG attempts are going to be more inline with other team's 1st options at about 16 per game. He will make the All Star team as a reserve.

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3 Shades of Blue - For the latest news and views on the Memphis Grizzlies

piri

IMO they key point of Pau stats for this seasoni tha change at the PG position. Stoudamire will give Pau more balls than Jwill, and with E. Jones and Miller outside, he will have more posibilities to score or give more assists.

If opponents continue double team him in defense he will be with 19/9/4.5 ***. and if the opponents reduce the defensive pression on him and take care of the outside shots 25/9/3.

In both cases I think he will play around 36 mpg.

Nikos

If he plays 35-36mpg I would expect about 21.2ppg 9.4rpg 3.1apg 2.0bpg, if he could keep his TO's around 2.5 or less, that would show some growth on his part as an offensive player. His scoring is excellent, but he could stand to improve on his passing and defense.

Just out of curiosity, where do you fans rank Pau Gasol on the PF list?

sportkingJSP13

38 ptpg= playing time per game
22.7 ppg= points per game
8.9 rpg= rebounds per game
2.1 apg=assists per game
1.1 bpg= blocks per game

^^^ in case u didnt know wut the initials( abreviataions ) stood for.

HogsFan1188

bad.

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Grizzlies Playoffs: 0-8

Ar-kansas is better than your Kansas.

Cinco de Mayo

Top 5 or 6.

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MemphisX

After this season it will be: Duncan, Dirk, KG, JO, and then Pau unless Amare is playing/considered a PF.

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NastyN44

I predict...in 34mpg... 20.1/9.8/3.5

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NASTY

Myspace Profile!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cinco de Mayo

Not too shabby. I'm expecting him to further improve his scoring this season.

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qross1fan

Uhh, Elton Brand? Forgot him

As far as Pau: 32.8 MPG | 20.3 PPG | 9.1 RPG | 4.2 APG | 1.3 BPG | .8 SPG | 2.14 TO's

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Q's Teams:
Los Angeles Clippers: 0-0
Los Angeles Galaxy: 7-12-8
Green Bay Packers: 2-3
Detroit Red Wings: 0-0-0
UCLA Football: 2-3
UCLA Basketball: 35-4
Atlanta Braves: 72-90
Birmingham Patriots Football[HS]: 1-4
Combined Record: 119-116-8

Cinco de Mayo

A career-low in blocks?

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