duncan228
09-20-2009, 03:27 PM
“No offense to Pau, who is obviously a terrific player and greatly enhanced the Lakers and I think put them over the top, but it just wasn’t happening in the direction we were going,’’ said Wallace. “I am not a critic who is going to assess this from afar, [but] you have to do what is best for your franchise, and if the Lakers win a championship as a byproduct, God bless them.’’
Grizzly details emerge (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2009/09/20/grizzly_details_emerge/?page=full)
Wallace defends high-risk moves
By Gary Washburn
The Boston Globe
When the NBA spotlight shines on Memphis, it usually carries negative connotations. The Grizzlies are a troubled organization playing in a half-empty arena and trumped by the local college team that draws sellouts.
Many NBA observers speculated that the signing of controversial and aging guard Allen Iverson was merely a publicity stunt to sell more tickets. Chris Wallace says no.
The former Celtics general manager, given the nearly impossible task of rebuilding a franchise lacking any tradition and doing it in a troubled economy, said the Iverson signing, along with the plethora of moves executed the past two years, is part of an elaborate blueprint.
Wallace came from Boston with the express purpose of being the lead decision-maker, not having to check with the team president as he did in Boston with Danny Ainge. As vice president of basketball operations/general manager, he has filled the transaction wires with trades, signings, salary dumps, and draft picks, hoping to make the Grizzlies competitive and fun to watch.
Iverson’s presence, he said, is intended to add fire to an organization that seemed content to lose as long as it competed into the fourth quarter. Iverson may want to start, and may want the ball 40 times per game, but he will play hard.
“The passion in which he plays the game every night, the intensity, the desire to win, the frustration when he loses, those qualities will be noticed by his teammates and will help us immensely,’’ Wallace said, “because even during the controversial days of his career, I never once read an article that said Allen doesn’t care, Allen is a good loser, or Allen doesn’t play hard.
“He wears his emotion on his jersey, but that’s very positive. It’s very easy to get numbed by losing in the NBA when you are a team trying to build.’’
The Grizzlies will be more interesting to watch, even though they play in a division in which the other four clubs made the playoffs last season. O.J. Mayo nearly won the Rookie of the Year award, former University of Connecticut standout Rudy Gay is a star in the making, and Mike Conley is a talented point guard who is just learning the NBA game.
Wallace said he understands the fan base in Tennessee and Northern Mississippi rejecting the Grizz after several playoff washouts and the controversial trade of popular center Pau Gasol, who went on to help the Lakers reach the Finals in 2008 and win the crown in 2009.
Wallace and Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley were lambasted for the Gasol deal, which netted mediocre center Kwame Brown, point guard Javaris Crittenton, Gasol’s brother Marc, and two first-round picks. But Wallace said the Grizzlies used the deal to rebuild by getting Darrell Arthur, cap space to acquire Iverson and Zach Randolph, and three first-rounders in 2010.
“No offense to Pau, who is obviously a terrific player and greatly enhanced the Lakers and I think put them over the top, but it just wasn’t happening in the direction we were going,’’ said Wallace. “I am not a critic who is going to assess this from afar, [but] you have to do what is best for your franchise, and if the Lakers win a championship as a byproduct, God bless them.’’
Wallace points out that the Celtics took part in a three-way deal in 2004 (dealing Chris Mills to Atlanta for a first-round pick that became Tony Allen) that allowed Detroit to acquire Rasheed Wallace. And eventually the Celtics resurrected their franchise and won a title.
Wallace is not making such gaudy predictions in Memphis, but he has used the Celtic model to add talent and youth to a franchise that has been an NBA afterthought.
“I really believe now, and this is my third year here, that the heaviest of the lifting is behind us,’’ said Wallace. “I think we’ll see more tangible results this year and we’ve got a good group of talent that we’re high on, we can develop, and we’re going to have a tremendous future here.
“Our ticket sales are up over a year ago, there’s a buzz in the city, particularly last week when we acquired Allen Iverson, so I think the fandom here is ready to be engaged.’’
Grizzly details emerge (http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2009/09/20/grizzly_details_emerge/?page=full)
Wallace defends high-risk moves
By Gary Washburn
The Boston Globe
When the NBA spotlight shines on Memphis, it usually carries negative connotations. The Grizzlies are a troubled organization playing in a half-empty arena and trumped by the local college team that draws sellouts.
Many NBA observers speculated that the signing of controversial and aging guard Allen Iverson was merely a publicity stunt to sell more tickets. Chris Wallace says no.
The former Celtics general manager, given the nearly impossible task of rebuilding a franchise lacking any tradition and doing it in a troubled economy, said the Iverson signing, along with the plethora of moves executed the past two years, is part of an elaborate blueprint.
Wallace came from Boston with the express purpose of being the lead decision-maker, not having to check with the team president as he did in Boston with Danny Ainge. As vice president of basketball operations/general manager, he has filled the transaction wires with trades, signings, salary dumps, and draft picks, hoping to make the Grizzlies competitive and fun to watch.
Iverson’s presence, he said, is intended to add fire to an organization that seemed content to lose as long as it competed into the fourth quarter. Iverson may want to start, and may want the ball 40 times per game, but he will play hard.
“The passion in which he plays the game every night, the intensity, the desire to win, the frustration when he loses, those qualities will be noticed by his teammates and will help us immensely,’’ Wallace said, “because even during the controversial days of his career, I never once read an article that said Allen doesn’t care, Allen is a good loser, or Allen doesn’t play hard.
“He wears his emotion on his jersey, but that’s very positive. It’s very easy to get numbed by losing in the NBA when you are a team trying to build.’’
The Grizzlies will be more interesting to watch, even though they play in a division in which the other four clubs made the playoffs last season. O.J. Mayo nearly won the Rookie of the Year award, former University of Connecticut standout Rudy Gay is a star in the making, and Mike Conley is a talented point guard who is just learning the NBA game.
Wallace said he understands the fan base in Tennessee and Northern Mississippi rejecting the Grizz after several playoff washouts and the controversial trade of popular center Pau Gasol, who went on to help the Lakers reach the Finals in 2008 and win the crown in 2009.
Wallace and Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley were lambasted for the Gasol deal, which netted mediocre center Kwame Brown, point guard Javaris Crittenton, Gasol’s brother Marc, and two first-round picks. But Wallace said the Grizzlies used the deal to rebuild by getting Darrell Arthur, cap space to acquire Iverson and Zach Randolph, and three first-rounders in 2010.
“No offense to Pau, who is obviously a terrific player and greatly enhanced the Lakers and I think put them over the top, but it just wasn’t happening in the direction we were going,’’ said Wallace. “I am not a critic who is going to assess this from afar, [but] you have to do what is best for your franchise, and if the Lakers win a championship as a byproduct, God bless them.’’
Wallace points out that the Celtics took part in a three-way deal in 2004 (dealing Chris Mills to Atlanta for a first-round pick that became Tony Allen) that allowed Detroit to acquire Rasheed Wallace. And eventually the Celtics resurrected their franchise and won a title.
Wallace is not making such gaudy predictions in Memphis, but he has used the Celtic model to add talent and youth to a franchise that has been an NBA afterthought.
“I really believe now, and this is my third year here, that the heaviest of the lifting is behind us,’’ said Wallace. “I think we’ll see more tangible results this year and we’ve got a good group of talent that we’re high on, we can develop, and we’re going to have a tremendous future here.
“Our ticket sales are up over a year ago, there’s a buzz in the city, particularly last week when we acquired Allen Iverson, so I think the fandom here is ready to be engaged.’’