In the perfect timing department, today is the day for Griz previews. In case you missed it, a familiar face will be roaming the court for the Memphis Grizzlies, even if his new coach isn't all that impressed.
Memphis Grizzlies Preview, 2010-2011 - Straight Outta Vancouver
Owner Michael Heisley and GM Chris Wallace also gave a decent sized contract to Boston Celtics swingman and defensive specialist Tony Allen. Allen will hopefully shore up the Grizz defense, especially when O.J. Mayo is matched up against bigger scoring guards. Still it's not clear how the minutes will play out, since another offseason development was Mayo's failure at the point guard position in Summer League.
Speaking of familiar faces, you might recognize a certain blogger over on 3 Shades of Blue trying to give them some idea of what to expect from Tony:
What Tony Allen Brings to the Team | 3 Shades of Blue
3SOB: Just how likely will Tony Allen be able to single-handedly stop a hot scorer?
JC: I don't think anyone single handedly stops hot scorers, and certainly not the best ones in the league. But if you are looking to annoy the other team's scorers and make them work for their buckets, you could do a lot worse.
3SOB: Memphis is rather weak at PG, especially back up PG. Should the fans here expect Tony to be able to fill in as a backup PG or is that not his game?
JC: Only if you like heartburn. He's filled in at point guard in the past and it was always an adventure. His signature move was dribbling the ball off his knee. He's a decent ball handler, but he gets flustered and goes a little haywire if pressed with any regularity. He also has no feel for setting up the offense. If he's filling in at the point, you just hope he gets the ball over half court and hands it to your best scorer.