March 2011 Memphis Grizzlies Wiretap

Allen Serves As 'Emotional Beacon' For Grizzlies

Mar 30, 2011 1:09 PM

Shane Battier calls Tony Allen the Grizzlies' "emotional beacon".

In his first year with Memphis, Allen has won over both his teammates and fans with his energetic, animated style of play, both on and off the court.

"I've never played with anyone quite like him," Battier said, "and I mean that in a good way. He's 100 percent energy and you have to respect his passion and emotions."

Allen is fifth in the NBA in steals per game despite averaging just 19.7 minutes per game.

Allen's antics aren't just confined to the court. Even when he's out of the game, Allen is smacking hands with idle teammates, cheering, yelling instructions, throwing towels and frantically pacing the sideline.

"I think his wackiness is good. He brings a lot of positives to the program," head coach Lionel Hollins said. " A lot of guys in this league have been energetic defensively, but they don't have that other side that's a little wacky. He makes you laugh."

Ronald Tillery/Memphis Commercial Appeal

Tags: Tony Allen, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA

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Grizzlies Need Mayo For Scoring Off The Bench

Mar 27, 2011 4:12 PM

The Memphis Grizzlies were prepared to deal O.J. Mayo to the Indiana Pacers at the trade deadline, but the call to the league office was late by three minutes.

“I asked a couple of guys in the locker room, ‘How am I supposed to feel now?’ ’’ he said. “So now I’m supposed to come out here the next day and go to work? I don’t know. I’m like anybody else. How would you feel?

Mayo, who was taken third in the 2008 draft and averaged 18.5 points per game as a rookie, is in the unenviable position of playing for a team that seemingly doesn’t want him.

Then Grizzlies star swingman Rudy Gay suffered a separated shoulder that will cost him the rest of the season. And now Memphis is depending on Mayo for off-the-bench scoring to make a run at the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

The Grizzlies made a significant step toward that goal with a win at Boston Wednesday in which Mayo tallied 11 points in 19 minutes.

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe

Tags: O.J. Mayo, Josh McRoberts, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA

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Gay Undergoes Successful Shoulder Surgery

Mar 26, 2011 12:48 PM

Rudy Gay underwent successful surgery to repair his partially dislocated left shoulder on Friday in Pensacola, Fla.

Gay will likely be sidelined 4-6 months, but he is expected to participate in the Grizzlies’ training camp in the fall.

Gay, who was ruled out for the rest of this season earlier this week, was hurt Feb. 15 in a game against Philadelphia.

He’s been out the past five weeks, and the healing process hadn’t progressed enough to allow Gay full range of motion in the shoulder.

Memphis Commercial Appeal

Tags: Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA, NBA Injury

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Wallace Confident Memphis Will Retain Randolph, Gasol

Mar 26, 2011 12:41 PM

General manager Chris Wallace is confident the Grizzlies will reach an extension with Zach Randolph before the June 30th deadline. Randolph will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent.

Wallace also expects the Grizzlies to be able to re-sign restricted free agent Marc Gasol.

The Grizzlies will enter an important offseason to secure their starting power forward and center one summer after signing small forward Rudy Gay to a max contract.

Zach Lowe/SI.com

Tags: Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Randolph Hopes To Sign Extension With Grizzlies

Mar 24, 2011 1:41 PM

Zach Randolph hopes to sign a four year contract extension with the Memphis Grizzlies and avoid free agency this summer.

"That’s something I have said all along that I wanted," Randolph said, "and I feel better about it now than I did at the beginning of the year. But I am concentrating on coming out and winning games, and focusing on controlling what I can control.”

If the Grizzlies and Randolph can’t get a deal done, the team will be facing some difficult choices this summer, with both Randolph and center Marc Gasol hitting free agency.

Randolph is averaging 20.1 points and 12.6 rebounds, which would make him the only player to post averages of 20-and-10 for the last three years.

Sporting News

Tags: Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA

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Powe Enjoys Homecoming Win At Boston

Mar 24, 2011 10:48 AM

Leon Powe is feeling more comfortable in the Memphis system, but his heart is still in Boston.

“It was like a homecoming,’’ Powe said on Wednesday at the TD Garden after the Grizzlies' 90-87 win. “And that’s the best feeling ever, to come back home and win.

“They love me over here and I love them. And that’s what made it so memorable for me to come back here — just to see the fans, the kids, everybody coming up to me, man, just showing me some love. And I show them love back, and that’s what it’s all about. I won a championship here with these guys and it was a fun situation being here, that’s all.’’

“Leon’s perseverance is his strength, he’s got strong faith in himself,’’ Lionel Hollins said. “He just keeps battling, just keeps coming back. You love it when a guy won’t quit. I’m proud of him that he has kept going and made it back.’’

Boston Globe

Tags: Leon Powe, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA

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Gay Needs Shoulder Surgery, Will Miss Rest Of Season

Mar 22, 2011 12:38 PM

Grizzlies small forward Rudy Gay will miss the rest of this season after a second opinion on his partially dislocated left shoulder determined that the injury requires surgery.

Gay was hurt Feb. 15 in a game against Philadelphia. He’s had to sit out the past five weeks. However, the healing process hasn’t progressed enough to allow Gay full range of motion in the shoulder.

In a related Twitter, the Commercial-Appeal reported that they had been told unofficially that Gay could be out for six months.

Memphis Commercial Appeal

Tags: Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA, NBA Injury

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Grizzlies, Zach Randolph Closer To Contract Extension

Mar 21, 2011 1:11 PM

The Griz initiated and held serious contract negotiations with Zach Randolph over the past week, and both sides continue to discuss the framework of a four-year extension that could be finalized soon.

Randolph, who leads the Grizzlies with 20.1 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, would become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season if no deal is reached.

Memphis Commercial Appeal

Tags: Zach Randolph, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor

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Gay Will Need More Time To Heal Shoulder

Mar 14, 2011 8:27 PM

Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay underwent a follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on his left shoulder, which revealed that while the shoulder is healing from a subluxation, it needs more time to fully recover. There is no timetable for his return.

Gay has missed the last 10 games after suffering the injury on Feb. 15 versus Philadelphia.

Press Release

Tags: Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA, NBA Injury

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Marc Gasol Not Inviting Free Agent Interest From Knicks

Mar 10, 2011 10:50 AM

Marc Gasol will be a restricted free agent this offseason, but didn't sound like he was prepared to use the Knicks' interest as leverage against the Grizzlies the way his teammate Rudy Gay did a year ago.

"I'm not worried about it," Gasol said of his free agent status. "I'm just trying to enjoy my situation right now and make the playoffs. That's the only thing that I really care about right now.

"When the time comes, we'll see what happens and we're going to study every situation by itself," he added. "But right now, we've got too nice of a present to worry about the future."

The Knicks are expected to show interest in Gasol. Though Gasol expressed concern about how he would fit in Mike D'Antoni's system, he did compare New York to Barcelona.

"It's a great city, beautiful city, similar to Barcelona," said Gasol.

Alan Hahn/Newsday

Tags: Marc Gasol, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, NBA, NBA Signing Rumor, NBA Misc Rumor

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Leon Powe To Sign With Grizzlies

David Aldridge/NBA.com (via Twitter)

Memphis Won't Re-Sign Carney, Looking At Powe

Memphis Commercial Appeal

Grizzlies Lose Henry For At Least Four Weeks

Associated Press

Powe Talking With Grizzlies, Heat, Hornets And Knicks

David Aldridge/NBA.com (via Twitter)