Toronto Raptors<\/a>‘ expansion cousins moved to Tennessee for the 2001-02 season.\u00a0<\/p>\nWe mention this only in part because the Raptors played the Grizzlies in the 60th\u00a0edition of their respective histories Friday night.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For the record, the Raptors won 128-96 in a convincing response after their letdown against another tanking team, Sacramento, on Wednesday night in Toronto. They now lead the franchise series 31-29.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought the guys took this game very seriously from the start,\u201d said Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic. \u201cPreparation for the game, watching film, we did everything that\u2019s in our control, our guys did a really good job tonight from the jump.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Raptors led after the first quarter but six turnovers in the game\u2019s first 13 minutes or so allowed the Grizzlies to briefly take the lead early in the second. <\/p>\n
Fittingly, it was RJ Barrett \u2014 who had spoken frankly about the Raptors’ poor showing against Sacramento (“that\u2019s a game we have to win”) \u2014 who got the team back on track. He hit a three to stop an 8-2 mini run by Memphis and another three to help fuel what ended up being a 14-4 run that allowed Toronto to reassert control.<\/p>\n
Barrett finished with 25 points on 9-of-17 shooting to lead Toronto. The Raptors used a 14-5 run at the end of the second quarter to take an 18-point lead into the half. They never looked back after that. They ended up with seven players in double figures and 31 assists on 44 makes from the field while holding Memphis to 40 per cent from the floor and forcing 20 turnovers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Raptors needed the win as much as the Grizzlies\u00a0(25-52) \u2014 who had only three players from their opening-night lineup available for the game \u2014 needed to lose it for draft-lottery purposes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The win kept Toronto (43-34) in a virtual tie with Philadelphia for sixth in the East (although the Raptors are in seventh because the Sixers hold the tiebreaker due to a better head-to-head record) and a game-and-a-half behind Atlanta for fifth. Both Atlanta and Philadelphia won Friday.<\/p>\n
The Grizzlies’ status in Memphis is topical again not just because this is the 25th\u00a0anniversary season of their move from Vancouver, but because no less an authority than LeBron James put the organization and the entire city on blast \u2014carelessly and needlessly, I would say \u2014 when he shared his view on the Grizzlies in Memphis while playing golf with YouTubers Bob Does Sports.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was asked if \u2014 in his 23th\u00a0season \u2014 NBA travel has lost its lustre, even with private jets and six-star hotels:\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah, a random Tuesday in Milwaukee, stay at the Hyatt at 41 years old, you think I want to do that (expletive)? Being in Memphis on a random-ass Thursday?\u201d James said, his every word and move recorded by cameras following him from all angles. \u201cYou guys (Memphis) have to move. Go to Nashville.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
James went on to add that had he been drafted by the Grizzlies in 2003 (they ended up having the second-overall pick that year, which was traded to the Pistons), he might not have reported and forced Memphis to trade him, citing Eli Manning\u2019s refusal to report to the San Diego Chargers in 2004.<\/p>\n
Naturally, James\u2019 golf course banter did not go over well in Memphis, with Mayor Paul Young taking to social media to support his city and challenge James to visit, become immersed in the city\u2019s cultural history and opportunities for investment.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s be clear: there are few athletes fickler than an NBA veteran. Raptors fans know it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In 1997 I remember talking to Otis Thorpe, who played 47 of his 1,257 NBA games in Vancouver. His big complaint? No highways, just surface arterial roads as the main way to get around.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He seemed baffled by it. Mountains? Ocean? Beaches? Incredible textures and flavours from all over the world? All of that was nice, but no highways?<\/p>\n
Still, if any group of NBA fans should have some empathy for the people of Memphis it\u2019s Canadian NBA fans \u2014 hard feelings about the Grizzlies leaving Vancouver aside. Having covered the NBA\u2019s only (remaining) Canadian team for longer than I\u2019d like to admit, I know what it\u2019s like to have NBA players make disparaging comments about where you live, work and raise your family. Antonio Davis and the fear of his kids having to learn the metric system; Chris Bosh and the challenge of bad cable. Taxes, weather, customs. We\u2019ve heard it.<\/p>\n
And it\u2019s not like James has to live in Memphis (or Milwaukee).\u00a0<\/p>\n
Is it really that difficult to fly in on a private jet and stay at a hotel that\u2019s not six stars? Seriously, that\u2019s a complaint NBA players have: there\u2019s no Four Seasons or equivalent, so they have to stay at the Westin or the Hyatt for a night or two, once or twice a year?<\/p>\n
Hey, 23 years in the NBA can change a guy, even James, who justifiably likes to reflect on his own remarkable journey from public housing in Akron, Ohio to riches, fame and sunny L.A.<\/p>\n
But his gripes touch a nerve because Memphis is one of those cities in the NBA where it\u2019s hard to see the market supporting the scale of investment the league expects these days.<\/p>\n
Remember, this is a league planning to earn $7-10 billion in expansion fees for new owners hoping to get franchises in Las Vegas and Seattle. Forget arenas, some teams are spending $500 million on dedicated, standalone practice facilities. The Raptors just opened a $30-million practice facility for their G-League team.<\/p>\n
Before the league formally committed to exploring expansion, there was some thought that relocation was a possibility, with most pointing to Memphis and New Orleans \u2014 another small market where billions don\u2019t flow from the tap \u2014 as the most likely candidates.<\/p>\n
And while commissioner Adam Silver said in February relocation wasn\u2019t on the table, but that expansion was the focus, he did leave some wiggle room when said “for now” when asked about the possibility of relocation.<\/p>\n
The Grizzlies don\u2019t own their own arena and the lease comes up in three years when they\u2019ll be seeking hundreds of millions in renovations for the publicly owned facility where they are the primary tenant and generate the most revenue.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Will the city or state be willing to foot the bill? Will the ownership want to cut the cheque even though the local revenues aren\u2019t on par with other markets?<\/p>\n
It doesn\u2019t mean that small-market teams can\u2019t succeed in the NBA. The San Antonio Spurs certainly have. The Oklahoma City Thunder are a community treasure in a city not much bigger than Memphis.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But things have to go right. The margin for error is small. The Grizzlies are in the middle of a rebuild, which is never a sure thing.<\/p>\n
So it\u2019s not inconceivable the Grizzlies could be on the move again at some undetermined point in the future, even though their owner \u2014 Robert Pera \u2014 is rated as the league\u2019s third-wealthiest individual owner with a net worth of nearly $30 billion, depending on the day.<\/p>\n
It would be a shame if the Grizzlies left. Tickets to Grizzlies games don\u2019t cost a fortune. <\/p>\n
Centre-court tickets just a couple of rows off the floor were gettable for the Raptors’ visit for $100 on the secondary market. I ordered chicken tenders and fries at the concession stand for $6.99. There were normal families wandering around the concourse before the game. <\/p>\n
Bigger picture, the NBA is a league that thrives in part because of its African American roots. Moving from one of the cradles of the civil rights movement would be a tough look.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s ironic, right?\u201d said Raptors veteran and NBPA vice president Garrett Temple, who played in Memphis in 2018-19. \u201cI understand and appreciate the culture and history that Memphis brings to the NBA and America in general. It\u2019s a great NBA (city) and fans love basketball here. Look at the Grit \u2018n Grind era. The place was packed. It would be different if there weren\u2019t people who follow the team and loved it.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Friday night, attendance was about 2,000 below capacity to watch the Grizzlies play out the string against the Raptors. But those in building were engaged, smart, informed and funny: \u201cHey ref, enough talking to the coach,\u201d one said when Rajakovic was trying to plead his case while the Grizzlies were on the free-throw line. \u201cYour girlfriend is over there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Was James onto something, however clumsily? Maybe. The NBA is a business. But did Memphis deserve to hear it like that? From him?\u00a0<\/p>\n
No one does, frankly. Canadian basketball fans know that as well as any.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Grizzlies are very much in the dregs of the NBA season as they try to position themselves for a favourable lottery position this summer. But it\u2019s created an opportunity for Montreal\u2019s Olivier-Maxence Prosper and he has taken full advantage.<\/p>\n
Drafted 24th\u00a0overall in 2023, by Dallas, Prosper had a hard time cracking the lineup with what was then a deep, veteran Mavericks team. He was waived last summer in a contract crunch and signed with Memphis on a two-way deal. His playing time was intermittent at first \u2014 he was DNP-CD (did not play, coach\u2019s decision) or inactive for 23 of the Grizzlies’ first 43 games and logged considerable time in the G-League.<\/p>\n
But in his last 24 games \u2014 21 starts \u2014 he\u2019s had a very convincing audition as a future rotation player, averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals while converting 43.6 per cent from the three-point line. He was only 25-for-96 from deep over his first two seasons. <\/p>\n
Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo broke into a big grin when I asked about Prosper pre-game, praising his commitment to improvement, his positional versatility on both ends of the floor and his emergence as \u201ca real sharpshooter behind the line.\u201d <\/p>\n
Prosper was ruled out with back soreness Friday night, but a truer diagnosis might be: ‘he\u2019s playing too well.’ The Grizzlies have 25 wins and are in a tight race for the sixth-best lottery odds with Dallas and New Orleans. Playing a hot-shooting Prosper was too risky.<\/p>\n
When I spoke with Prosper before the game, he said the transition he\u2019s made in his game and his shooting, in particular, has been more mental than physical. \u201cIt\u2019s nothing technical,\u201d the six-foot-seven wing said. \u201cI think it\u2019s more a mindset and belief that you don\u2019t care if you make or miss.<\/p>\n
“A lot of players in this league, they get caught up too much in their percentage or them missing a shot. I\u2019ve done so much work (mentally) to believe that no matter what if I go 1-for-5 or 4-for-5, I am still a great shooter. That\u2019s the difference between really good shooters or an average or below average shooter, that the next shot they get they\u2019re going to make it, no matter what happened in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n
I\u2019m told the Raptors might do something with it when the team gets back to Toronto on Monday. The interesting wrinkle is that if the Raptors signed someone on Monday, April 6, there wouldn\u2019t be 10 days left in the season.<\/p>\n
So, if it is a 10-day signing, the lucky person would only get the pro-rated amount through the last day of the regular season on April 12. Or less if the Raptors wanted to sign one of their two-way players \u2014 let\u2019s say Canadian AJ Lawson, who now seems to be a regular in Rajakovic\u2019s rotation \u2014 to a standard NBA contract so he would be eligible for the playoff roster. <\/p>\n
Lawson is trying to take it all in stride. He\u2019s had Temple in his ear, reminding Lawson that it took him four years and time spent with six organizations before he got his first guaranteed deal. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt just gives me hope and encouragement just to keep believing and keep going,\u201d said Lawson, who had eight points, three rebounds and two steals in 12 minutes against the Grizzlies. <\/p>\n
Was he aware that Rajakovic had said on Wednesday that he was deserving of a standard NBA deal? Yes, but Lawson said he had to keep it in perspective. \u201cIt\u2019s good to hear that people are seeing the work that I\u2019m putting in,\u201d he said. \u201cBut have to keep it even keel and just be AJ Lawson every time I\u2019m out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Raptors usually have a morning shootaround when they\u2019re on the road, unless they are playing on the second night of a back-to-back or it\u2019s an early start like Sunday afternoon in Boston. <\/p>\n
But on Friday morning, the Raptors had the option to sleep in, although they could come to the arena to get some shots up if they chose. No one wanted to use fatigue as a reason for their poor showing against Sacramento on Wednesday, but it was a factor. <\/p>\n
The Raptors were on the West Coast last week, played at 8 p.m. on Friday in their first game back and played back-to-back 8 p.m. starts on Tuesday and Wednesday to conclude a four-game-in-six-night stretch and six games in nine days.<\/p>\n
\u201cEnergy is everything for us,\u201d said Rajakovic. \u201cWe got to find the energy to close these games.\u201d <\/p>\n
One of the players who did go over early to get some shots up was Immanuel Quickley, who missed his seventh straight game with plantar fasciitis in his right foot.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s going to be slowly progressing,\u201d said Rajakovic.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MEMPHIS \u2014 One of the worst trades in NBA history played out on July 3, 2001, when the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":697332,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3770],"tags":[7,6,681,680,476,3820],"class_list":{"0":"post-697331","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-toronto-raptors","8":"tag-basketball","9":"tag-nba","10":"tag-raptors","11":"tag-toronto","12":"tag-toronto-raptors","13":"tag-torontoraptors"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116344900429598111","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/697331","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=697331"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/697331\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/697332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=697331"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=697331"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=697331"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}