Tuesday, May 2, 2006

Grizzlies and Nuggets Are Voted Out

                 

MEMPHIS:  This was their third straight season ending with a playoff berth.  And it was the third straight season that the Grizz were swept.  Their 0-12 mark in their first playoff games is a record.  Add the stat that head coach Mike Fratello has lost 13 of the last 14 playoff games he's coached doesn't help matters either. 

The Grizzlies have the NBA's 7th highest payroll.  They can add some guys since they do have some tradeable parts.  Eddie Jones is due to make $15.6M next year...which will be the final year of his contract.  That makes him attractive to teams wanting to gain salary cap room in the big summer 2007 free agent class.  Lorenzen Wright [$7M] is off the books as is Bobby Jackson [$3.4M]....but they still aren't under the cap enough to make a difference that way.    This team is tied up with some long contracts [Pau Gasol, Shane Battier, Mike Miller, Brian Cardinal].  Memphis could be looking at mediocrity for several years to come.

DENVER:  Despite winning the Northwest Division, the Nuggs had the worst record of any Western Conference playoff team and were shown the door by the Clippers in 5 games.

The story of the series was the suspension of Kenyon Martin.  Most likely, this will be addressed first in the offseason.  Word is that the Knicks are interested, and Denver better pray that's the case.  Martin still has 5 years and over $80M remaining on his deal.   But, the Nuggets are in much better financial shape than Memphis.  The Nuggets only have Martin's, Marcus Camby's and Andre Miller's long term deals.  They only have 4 guaranteed contracts for the 2007-8 season [with 4 players looking at options].  The first thing, again, will be moving Martin.  Once that happens, we'll have to see how the makeup of the team is. 

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Memphis is the new Milwaukee.