With the likely impending hire of Penny Hardaway as the head coach at the University of Memphis, the Memphis Grizzlies must find a way to turn things around quickly.
It was not so long ago that the Memphis Grizzlies weren’t the biggest show in their own city.
Before the Grit ‘N’ Grind era, the Memphis Tigers were the face of the city of Memphis. From 2005 to 2009, the John Calipari-coached Tigers were the winningest team in the NCAA, winning a ridiculous 137 games during that time. The Tigers were incredible and memorable. The Memphis Grizzlies, on the other hand, were just an afterthought.
Now, the Grizzlies are in danger of becoming an afterthought once again. And Penny Hardaway may be the person that makes them one.
With the recent news that Penny Hardaway is already preparing a staff to replace Tubby Smith at Memphis, things are sure to change quickly. Though there are questions about whether he will have sustained success, Penny will have success in the short-term.
Think about it: Booster and fan support will immediately skyrocket. Through Team Penny and East High School, Penny already has ties to several major recruits. All in all, the situation for the Tigers will improve dramatically.
And for a Memphis Grizzlies franchise that is already fledgling, the last thing they need to do is become irrelevant within their own city.
The Clock is Ticking
The Grizzlies have done some awesome things over the years. Whether it was deep playoff runs or aiding the community, they have been a consistent force for good. However, everyone knows that deep down, Memphis will always be a Tiger town. History doesn’t lie, and the Tigers will always have more history than the Grizzlies.
What if the Memphis Tigers win 25 games in Penny’s first year, and the Grizzlies are still in the trash heap of the Western Conference? The Grizzlies would be in the same place that they were a decade ago.
So what can the Grizzlies do to ensure that they don’t become second fiddle to the Memphis Tigers?
There is one thing that they must do for sure, and it’s not something that they’ve done well with in the past. They have really got to nail their top pick in the 2018 draft. At the very least, getting a Trae Young or DeAndre Ayton will excite the fan base. But another Hasheem Thabeet would be a disaster, both PR wise and for the future of the franchise.
It will also be important that Mike Conley and Chandler “I’ll play when I feel like it” Parsons return at full strength. As this season has clearly shown, it takes actual NBA players to win NBA games. Color me shocked.
Let me just stress that it’d be great for Memphis to have an amazing Grizzlies team and great Tigers team. The two are not mutually exclusive. However, the Grizzlies will have to do their part to remain relevant in Memphis.