Grizzlies 2007-2008 Preseason Conference Call

[LoCo89]

GM LoCo: Ahem. Good evening everyone, sorry about the late start, we had some uh technical issues setting up our normal press conference and we wanted to make sure we got a chance to answer any questions you may have.

This off-season was pretty eventful, we added three new pieces to our team. Sadly we lost Ray Allen who played extraordinarily well in his one season in a Grizz uniform. In losing Ray, we added Shareef Abdur-Rahim. We're excited to see what he can bring to our team. In the draft, and free agency, we're excited to have picked up both Joel Anthony and Theo Ratliff. Two defensive minded big men who we feel can really compliment Elton Brand's offensive abilities on the court. We will now open up the call to any questions you may have.

[Pelicans78]

What was the main reason for trading Ray Allen who was a big part in your run to the WCFs? What kind of impact will Shareef have and how will he fit with the rest of the team? What plans do you have for your PGs who could start on most teams?

[LoCo89]

What was the main reason for trading Ray Allen who was a big part in your run to the WCFs? What kind of impact will Shareef have and how will he fit with the rest of the team? What plans do you have for your PGs who could start on most teams?

I thought it was obvious why we moved Ray Allen, but I can clear it up. Last season, we traded Alonzo last season with a massive cap hit for Ray Allen's contract which still had a few more years and was considered untradeable. We were prepared to live with that decision and we're ok with it, simply because we didn't believe that a year later we would be able to move him. We were obviously wrong, and actually received quite a few offers for his contract. We choose to go with Shareef, because it made the most sense for us, especially with a pick added in down the line. Especially with the breakout post season for Jamal, it was a purely financial decision. We would have loved to keep Ray, but he understands that this is a business, and you have to make moves that make sense financially.

We choose the deal with Shareef mainly for the defensive prowess he brings. At his age, he has gained a wealth of knowledge on the defensive end and we are excited for him to bring it here. He will play a similar role to what he played in Milwaukee where he was a defensive presence more than an offensive one. He should fit in just fine with the rest of our guys.

Our plans at PG are the same as last year, with Jamal starting and Duhon backing him up. Crawford has shown that he can start and be very effective, and we expect that to continue this season

[BeeBall Reasons]

Think your team's earnings this season will cover the burdens of being in the luxury tax?

[LoCo89]

Think your team's earnings this season will cover the burdens of being in the luxury tax?

Absolutely. We're never too worked about the Lux tax

[NOLa.]

How do you see your team ranked along with the rest of your division? Rockets, Mavericks, and T-Wolves remain tough, plus the Nuggets and Jazz added Durante and Oden respectively. See any shakeups?

[LoCo89]

How do you see your team ranked along with the rest of your division? Rockets, Mavericks, and T-Wolves remain tough, plus the Nuggets and Jazz added Durante and Oden respectively. See any shakeups?

Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if there were, but who knows. This division has been pretty good for awhile now, you only need to look at how the playoffs shook up last year to see that. It's good to see even the "bad" teams getting pieces that will help them move out of the cellar of the division and increase the competition. The only thing that I am sure about is that it will be a dogfight in the Midwest division once again

[Conroy]

What's the gameplan and rotation looking like?

[Inner_GI]

How do you plan on changing your game plan to make up for the lose of Ray Allen's scoring at the 2 position?

[LoCo89]

What's the gameplan and rotation looking like?

How do you plan on changing your game plan to make up for the lose of Ray Allen's scoring at the 2 position?

Much like last off season when everyone questioned how we would replace Zo, we have pretty much the same answer with the Ray Allen question. We don't foresee a problem scoring the basketball, and the way we hope to add to our scoring is by allowing Jamal Crawford to score more. His showing in the postseason is a reason why we felt we could move on from Ray Allen.

Our starting five this season will be:

C: Theo Ratliff
PF: Elton Brand
SF Joe Johnson
SG: Shareef Abdur-Rahim
PG Jamal Crawford

[TrayWithAnA]

Much like last off season when everyone questioned how we would replace Zo, we have pretty much the same answer with the Ray Allen question. We don't foresee a problem scoring the basketball, and the way we hope to add to our scoring is by allowing Jamal Crawford to score more. His showing in the postseason is a reason why we felt we could move on from Ray Allen.

Our starting five this season will be:

C: Theo Ratliff
PF: Elton Brand
SF Joe Johnson
SG: Shareef Abdur-Rahim
PG Jamal Crawford

Shareef at the 2?!?! What sort of numbers do you expect to get from him playing out of position?

[LoCo89]

Shareef at the 2?!?! What sort of numbers do you expect to get from him playing out of position?

Well we certainly don't expect a decrease, this will be our starting lineup opening day, but if adjustments need to be made after that, we will make them. We find that generally, there isn't much difference between the 2 & 3 position which is why Joe has done so well, and we'll look to keep him there as long as we can.

[Pelicans78]

I would love to see Shareef's ratings as a SG.