As we continue this series on the last rebuild, the Memphis Grizzlies saw a star emerge in the 2008-09 season. He later became a cornerstone for years.
In the 2008 NBA draft, the Memphis Grizzlies completed the biggest blockbuster deal of the night when they shipped Kevin Love — their original pick — to Minnesota for OJ Mayo.
At the time, Mayo was considered a basketball prodigy. Some considered him the next LeBron. He was a dynamic scoring combo guard with a silky-smooth handle, a beautiful jumper and a killer demeanor.
In addition, the Grizzlies were about to cash in on two of their assets from the Pau Gasol deal. They used their pick from the Lakers in a trade to acquire Kansas forward Darell Arthur. He was a versatile forward capable of guarding either the 3 or the 4. He also possessed above-average athleticism and a nice mid-range game.
The Grizzlies were also about to see what baby Gasol was all about. Marc Gasol made his NBA debut in the 2008-09 season. He was essentially considered a filler in the deal, but there was mystery behind him. Everyone heard he was the more aggressive Gasol, but was he just as good — or better — than Pau?
Of all the years in the rebuild, the 2008-09 season might have been the most fun as the Grizzlies flashed a promising future.
Season recap
The Grizzlies didn’t start out too hot, only winning three of their 10 games. However, rookie OJ Mayo was en fuego.
In his first month of the season, he averaged 21.1 points on 38.9 percent shooting from deep, 4.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists.
He simply took the NBA from storm and garnered praise from around the league.
As the mystery piece from the Pau Gasol deal, Marc Gasol surprised many people, averaging 11.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists.
The most surprising aspect of this season was the underwhelming coaching under Marc Iavaroni. Even with the young core of Mayo, Conley, Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol, Iavaroni didn’t show any promise with the young core. Once seen as one of the most promising assistants in the league, he busted in Memphis and lost his job mid-season.
Once he was fired, long-time assistant Lionel Hollins was named the interim coach, and his performance made him an immediate consideration for the permanent position.
Though they only only won two more games than the season before, the Grizzlies showed promise. Rudy Gay (18.9 PPG, 5.1 RPG) and OJ Mayo (18.5 PPG on 38.4 percent shooting from deep) flashed upside as a dynamic 1-2 scoring punch. Mike Conley took another step into becoming a starting point guard in the league, averaging 10.3 points and 4.3 assists. Marc Gasol also showed that he was more than a filler in the Pau Gasol deal.
OJ Mayo might have been the star that season, but the real star was Marc Gasol — as he flashed the potential to be one of the better centers in the league, and not just Pau’s little brother.
This season was essentially a time where the losses were close to gone and better times were ahead.
Lessons to learn
- Keep the original pick
Yes, OJ Mayo might have been the star immediately. However, Kevin Love was the answer for the long haul. Granted, they might not have acquired Zach Randolph — which could’ve changed the trajectory of this franchise. Kevin Love was clearly a better player as he’s been a perennial All-Star and a 20-10 threat every night. A Gasol-Love-Conley trio would’ve been an ideal core by now, but we’ll never know because of a draft night trade.
Also, none of the supporting players in the deal were on a level near Mike Miller. The Grizzlies would’ve been a much better position if they would’ve kept Love and Miller over Mayo.
- Don’t trade potential
The Grizzlies traded away Kyle Lowry for Adonal Foyle and a first-round pick. Yes, they had Mike Conley, but they should’ve held onto Lowry longer. If they were to have kept him, they could’ve cashed him — or Conley — out for better assets. Instead they gave him up for essentially nothing.
Next: Throwback to Pau Gasol deal
Tune in next week as we discuss the closing stages of the rebuild process.