S60 Memphis Grizzlies: From Broad Street to Beale Street

[K-100]

Old habits are hard to break.

Four score and seven seasons ago, I ran up the largest tax bill in league history all the way to my first-ever championship with the Philadelphia 76ers. I have no regrets about going all-in that season even though the past six seasons in tax jail were pretty damn boring. But as I earned those final points to pay off my debts last season, I started planning what I was going to do now that I could compete again. But before I could start prepping for S60, I packed my bags, loaded the U-Haul, and headed down south 500 miles to Memphis. My favorite team IRL was finally open for business so it was an easy decision to make the jump.

It also didn't hurt to see that the Grizzlies had ~$200M in cap space heading into this past offseason. But when the trade market dried up I decided there was only one way to make some noise in the league immediately. Spend. Spend. And spend some more.

And boy did I spend in RFA...

7/23/2049 Grizzlies Sign PF Chief Kickingstallionsims for $231,087,868 over 4 years
7/23/2049 Grizzlies Sign PF Anas Mahmoud for $231,087,868 over 4 years (via S&T with the Boston Celtics)
7/23/2049 Grizzlies Sign C Brian Loos for $231,087,868 over 4 years (via S&T with the Brooklyn Nets)
7/23/2049 Grizzlies Sign SF Alphonse Morelock for $231,087,868 over 4 years (via S&T with the Houston Rockets)

Happy trails to Jeff Van Gundy, Kalin Lucas, and some 2050 draft capital. Hello to your new Memphis Grizzlies.

Like I said before, old habits are hard to break. Even though the overall haul was not as balanced as I'd like, I am happy with how the offseason turned out. I'll be looking to tinker with this build this season and next offseason to find ways to add some more talent to the backcourt. In the meantime, I will need to be creative to get all of these giants meaningful minutes, but I am excited to see their defensive potential. Bluff City is now Block City. Overall, for the first time since my title run, I am actually looking forward to the upcoming season.

Welcome to the 901. The new era of Grit and Grind begins now.

[Xist2Inspire]

Random Reporter: You mentioned how, um, unbalanced your roster is. Given that, how much are you expecting out of rookie Chris Lansing this season?

[digiskunk]

Blake Boner, TLC: It would be a massive understatement to say you had a busy off-season. Out of all the players you signed, who do you think was the most important? Moreover, which player is the best at math?

[garbageman]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: If you hadn't been able to land anyone in RFA, how would you have approached UFA?

[K-100]

Random Reporter: You mentioned how, um, unbalanced your roster is. Given that, how much are you expecting out of rookie Chris Lansing this season?

Not much. Chris is still miffed his request to transition and become Sarah was vetoed by Commissioner Mamba. Rest assured our lawyers are preparing to file a lawsuit against the league. But Chris remains a consummate professional. He will come off the bench in year 1 and should get enough minutes to qualify for the rookie game at the All-Star Break and crack an All-Rookie team at the season's end.

[greepleairport]

Has Chris considered changing his name to, say, I dunno... A'ja Wilson? Sue Bird? Britney Griner? Just a thought...

You went nuts in RFA. What the heck dude? You JUST paid off your bill. Thought you might be interested in playing again for, I dunno, more than the next 4-5 seasons...

[K-100]

Blake Boner, TLC: It would be a massive understatement to say you had a busy off-season. Out of all the players you signed, who do you think was the most important? Moreover, which player is the best at math?

Brian Loos is the most important acquisition this offseason. He is the glue to hold this team's identity together. Loos can do it all on the defensive end and will quickly become a fan favorite here in Memphis for his blue-collar work ethic.

Surprisingly, Alphonse Morelock is the best at mathematics. He was planning to major in Aerospace Technology at Middle Tennessee State before deciding to declare for the draft. It was actually fitting the Houston Rockets drafted him #1 because he got the opportunity to intern at the Johnson Space Center during his offseasons. I was surprised he decided to bolt from Houston but we talked about his commitment to education during his visit in the offseason. He wants to finish his coursework at MTSU and pursue a career at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama after his playing days are over. I know Morelock talks about the upcoming Artemis Launch all the time during the morning shootarounds. He just cant get enough of this space shit.

[K-100]

Has Chris considered changing his name to, say, I dunno... A'ja Wilson? Sue Bird? Britney Griner? Just a thought...

You went nuts in RFA. What the heck dude? You JUST paid off your bill. Thought you might be interested in playing again for, I dunno, more than the next 4-5 seasons...

Chris followed the rules when he filed his application for a name change. Sarah was a high school basketball player, and the Grizzlies front office provided the appropriate documentation to show we respected the privilege of naming rights and were acting in good faith. But the powers that be decided that rules are for schmucks and denied my player's right to identify as Sarah. Suffice it to say I am disappointed. But PBSL also has its own commercial interests to consider so I understand why Mamba kowtowed to public pressure. It is just a damn shame that the players who are the backbone of this league have to suffer because leadership is afraid of how it will be perceived by some so-called fans of the game. Alas, this is a pending legal matter so I will leave it at that for now.

Re: RFA, it's funny, right? Truth be told, the tax bill is not too crazy right now so I'm not worried. It will be a little tough to maneuver the cap but I'll be flexible on moving a piece or two if the right deal comes along, especially after the moratorium ends at the conclusion of the next RFA period. I want Memphis to know I will put an entertaining product on the court every night. All I ask in return is a commitment to support the team and believe in our philosophy. If that promise costs me a little extra every offseason, so be it.

[K-100]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: If you hadn't been able to land anyone in RFA, how would you have approached UFA?

Tossed a few max deals at Kai Jones, Manley, and Schiff. I'd have also thrown a few offers in the $30-35M range for players like Suggs, Kispert, and Raph Gordon. If the maxes hit, great. If the midlevel bids hit, cool too. If everything missed, I'd have hunkered down and tanked my way for a shot at the #1 pick this season.

[jlmarines]

Justin Bieber, teremana.com; Welcome to Memphis. You send a shock wave leaving Philly. In fact there's rumors among other GMs, you have a reputation of "giving up" when things get "hard". I mean there's rumors that you had chest pain and decided to leave Philly for better health care.

Other rumors, you are like the Florida Marlins. Win a championship and disappear forever.

What's your expectation for this year. Do plan in making a run in the playoffs?

Sent from my moto g(7) supra using Tapatalk

[AngryBanana]

Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: Do you plan to use players like David Bowers, who had a really good preseason to get some guard depth, or do you have a plan to incorporate him into your lineup given his ability?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[K-100]

Justin Bieber, teremana.com; Welcome to Memphis. You send a shock wave leaving Philly. In fact there's rumors among other GMs, you have a reputation of "giving up" when things get "hard". I mean there's rumors that you had chest pain and decided to leave Philly for better health care.

Other rumors, you are like the Florida Marlins. Win a championship and disappear forever.

What's your expectation for this year? Do plan in making a run in the playoffs?

Q1 - If sticking around and paying off a debt of 474 points is "giving up" when things get "hard" then yeah, you are 100% right Justin.

Q2 - I just want to give every city a title. But the Marlins won twice so I still have some work to do.

Q3 - I expect the team to be a worthwhile opponent for most of the league on any given night. I think we can play some tough defense and at least pull off some surprising wins if the game plan is executed properly. I don't expect to make too much noise in the playoffs this season, but I will be disappointed if we miss the postseason entirely.

[K-100]

Chet Youbetcha, Dimmadome News: Do you plan to use players like David Bowers, who had a really good preseason to get some guard depth, or do you have a plan to incorporate him into your lineup given his ability?

Yeah, I could see myself trying to cash in David Bower if another team is looking for a strong big. But for now, Bower will be my starting SG in sim 1

[digiskunk]

Blake Boner, TLC: It would be a massive understatement to say you had a busy off-season. Out of all the players you signed, who do you think was the most important? Moreover, which player is the best at math?

Surprisingly, Alphonse Morelock is the best at mathematics. He was planning to major in Aerospace Technology at Middle Tennessee State before deciding to declare for the draft. It was actually fitting the Houston Rockets drafted him #1 because he got the opportunity to intern at the Johnson Space Center during his offseasons. I was surprised he decided to bolt from Houston but we talked about his commitment to education during his visit in the offseason. He wants to finish his coursework at MTSU and pursue a career at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama after his playing days are over. I know Morelock talks about the upcoming Artemis Launch all the time during the morning shootarounds. He just cant get enough of this space shit.

I love it. Perfect response.