Grizzlies release entire scouting department to save money

[lurker23]

Found this story via Bill Simmons's Twitter, @sportsguy33 ( http://twitter.com/sportsguy33 )

Excerpt:

I bring this up because the Grizzlies recently decided to let go of their scouts. Yes, all of their scouts.

"I prefer a smaller group," said Chris Wallace, the Grizzlies GM.

You have to love Wallace, don't you? He could have put a positive spin on the yellow fever epidemic.

"I prefer a smaller city," he'd have said.

Last season, the Grizzlies had five full-time amateur scouts. David Booth, Ryan West, Ed Manning, Ray Jones and Marin Sedlacek.

This season, the Grizzlies will have no full-time college scouts. Booth, West, Manning, Jones and Selacek are all gone.

A couple of them fled the building; a few more were let go. The Grizzlies will use a part-time scout to help them keep on eye on players in Europe. They do not plan to make any hires.

"We had a restructuring," said Wallace, and I guess you could call it that.

The Grizzlies restructured their scouting department the way the city restructured the old Baptist Hospital. With well-placed dynamite.

Full story here:

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/aug/02/grizzlies-cutbacks-revealing-priority/?partner=RSS

[Shank]

They'd go ahead and just fold up the franchise, but the Lakers would be without a AAA affiliate if they did.

[baseline bum]

WTF? They're willing to pay Zach Randolph's worthless ass $16 million but they can't pay scouts who are infinitely more important to the team, considering they'll be in the lottery for next few years? Stern should really step in and have that team downsized after this season.

[sook]

WTF? They're willing to pay Zach Randolph's worthless ass $16 million but they can't pay scouts who are infinitely more important to the team, considering they'll be in the lottery for next few years? Stern should really step in and have that team downsized after this season.

Exactly what i was thinking :lol

[Darthkiller]

well

idk. their scout got them thabeet which really is a common sense tbh.

[jack sommerset]

I don't think scouting is really that important to just one NBA team. They can read the other teams scout reports,the thousands of magazines,webstes that have scout reports, there are only 2 rounds in the draft. They can wing it just fine.

[bdictjames]

They should just scout around message boards, fans sound like they know what's best for their team.

[Dex]

Yes, because the Grizzlies certainly shouldn't be worried about getting better.

[angelbelow]

Lol geez.

[dirk4mvp]

smh

[eisfeld]

Grizzlies need to do something... they are not winning games even with promising players... they make stupid moves and the owner is a cheap bastard. In order to lure good veterans to Memphis they have to spend money, unless they decide to do so, the franchise is doomed like the Clippers.

Don't get me wrong, there are many franchises which prefer to pay little money but a majority of them manages to stay competitive by trading for and signing players who really fit (e.g. Nets and hell even the Bobcats). Memphis is desperate and can't find a way to attract good players - will be interesting to see what Mayo and Gay will do when their contract expires.

[Shank]

Memphis is desperate and can't find a way to attract good players - will be interesting to see what Mayo and Gay will do when their contract expires.

They'll be traded to the Lakers for a bag of dogshit. Naturally.

[Bob Lanier]

I can't believe the NBA moved them from Vancouver to this shithole.

[redzero]

Do the Grizzlies want Gay?

[KidCongo]

They'll be traded to the Lakers for a bag of dogshit. Naturally.

Probs Bynum for Mayo and Gay. Grizz FO comes out and say we've made money out of this and the future looks great.

[Samr]

Wow, and I legitimately thought this thread title was a joke. Maybe they're hoping for a bailout to "stimulate the fans"?

[Chieflion]

Do the Grizzlies want Gay?
Don't think so. They will probably trade him or something.

[PM5K]

That's crazy that any team would have zero scouts, especially such a horrible team. I can understand downsizing, but I would have at least kept two and told them they'd better work their asses off or we'll just go with no scouts.

[exstatic]

The Lakers will just tell them who to draft. Payng two scouting departments would be redundant.

[45 bank shot]

this is pathetic, just like when they traded pau gasol and their help in the Marion trade