Reaction: J.B. Bickerstaff, Grizzlies Share Vision for Next Season
During the Memphis Grizzlies’ introductory press conference for full-time Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff, it was reiterated that this team will not lay down in 2018-19.
On Wednesday, the Memphis Grizzlies introduced J.B. Bickerstaff as the official and full-time Head Coach, which marks the fourth head coach under Robert Pera’s majority ownership.
View the introductory press conference, in its entirety, at the Grizzlies’ official website.
The Memphis Grizzlies’ General Manager, Chris Wallace, first mentioned Mike Conley, followed by Marc Gasol. It is clear that the team is not looking to deal Gasol and is going to continue to build around these two star players.
Wallace is also determined to add a valuable piece this summer via the team’s Mid-Level Exception, in addition to their impending top-five Draft pick. This adds to the belief the team will retain their pick rather than dealing it prior to Draft Day.
Concerning the 2018 NBA Draft, Chris Wallace stated that J.B. Bickerstaff will have a hand in the Draft process and will be a part of the collaboration process in who the team selects with their impending Draft pick. This is excellent to hear, especially considering some poor Draft Day decisions in the franchise’s past.
J.B. Bickerstaff is a class act and made sure to thank everyone that has had a hand in getting him to the head coaching position he now holds within the Memphis Grizzlies franchise. Grizz fans should be thankful they have a coach with an incredible personality, which will pay dividends with the young guys representing the team and the city of Memphis.
As far as playing style goes, J.B. described his expectation, which was pretty simple, but to the point.
"“The mindset of our team has always been and will always be ‘fight.’ The goal every single night is to be the most competitive team on the floor. Be the most unselfish team on the floor.”"
More significant information, from the perspective of how the 60 games of the interim version of J.B. Bickerstaff in 2017-18 showcases what Grizz Nation will see next season:
"“A small percentage of how we played last year will be the way we play going forward. In that situation, with the limited amount of practice time, with the flex of bodies, we tried to simplify it as much as we possibly could. What we did was lay a foundation with how we wanted to go — whether it was an offensive system, a defensive system, the player development. The running start was there. We started laying that groundwork. But as far as on the court, we just saw the beginnings of what our plan is for this group.”"
J.B. got the fans’ perspective involved in the conversation, too.
"“When the fans are watching the game, the first thing that’s going to come to their mind is that they’re going to be proud. They’re going to proud of how unselfish our guys are. They’re going to be proud of how competitive our guys are. From Day One in training camp, that is the mentality that our guys are going to have.”"
The franchise’s expectation is to have a playoff season in 2018-19 because of a healthy roster, along with a few key additions. That thought really is not crazy, given the excellent success Memphis has had in the past when Conley and Gasol are both available. They are All-Star-caliber players — no doubt about it. Plus, the youth development process is one year advanced and will show major signs of improvement.
Bickerstaff and Wallace really are not crazy and were not spouting craziness. Even in the tough Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies truly could become a playoff-eligible club despite suffering a disappointing 22-60 record over the past seven months.
At this point, how could you not like this guy? After watching Wednesday’s press conference, Grizz Nation should be pumped about the upcoming season. Bickerstaff made the audience feel as if “Grit-‘N’-Grind” is alive and well once again. Only time will tell if this will hold true.
Go Grizz!