By Tom Ziller

– NBA Editor

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Dec 27, 2011 – The San Antonio Spurs began their season avenging their last losses of the 2010-11 season, taking down the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 95-82. Memphis’ offense was awful — that should go without saying, given the point total — with the Grizzlies coughing up 24 turnovers in 96 possessions and hitting just three three-pointers (the latter of which is fairly normal for this club). The turnover problem was widespread. Six Grizzlies, including all five starters, had at least three turnovers in the game. Excepting Marc Gasol (5-6), the Grizzlies’ starting five, usually the bedrock of this team, shot 16-40 from the floor.

San Antonio got a vintage performance from Manu Ginobili, who struggled with injury during last April’s playoff series between these teams. Manu scored 24 points on 7-15 shooting. San Antonio only turned the ball over 13 times, essentially giving the Spurs 11 extra shooting possessions. It’s difficult to lose when you have so many additional opportunities to get the ball up.

For more on the Spurs, visit Pounding The Rock. For more on the Grizzlies, visit Straight Outta Vancouver.

Read More: Manu Ginobili (G – SAN), Memphis Grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs, Dec 26, 2011 8:30 PM EST

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Memphis, Tennessee – The Memphis Grizzlies have re-signed center Marc Gasol to a multi-year contract, Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.

We are very happy to re-sign Marc Gasol, who has been one of the pillars of the Grizzlies franchise since his arrival and a true Memphis basketball player ever since his days at Lausanne, Wallace said. We are excited to keep him as part of our core group of players and to build on what this organization has already achieved for many years to come.

Gasol (7-1, 265) posted 15.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 2.15 blocks in helping lead Memphis through a 13-game run through the 2011 NBA Playoffs, which included a first-round upset of the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs and a seven-game series with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 26-year-old finished second in the league in rebounds per game and third in blocks per game during the postseason.

During the 2010-11 regular season, Gasol averaged 11.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, a career-high 2.5 assists and 1.68 blocks in 81 games (all starts). Teaming with Zach Randolph, Gasol helped Memphis pace the NBA in points in the paint (51.5) for the second consecutive season.

The Barcelona, Spain native holds career averages of 12.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.44 blocks in 32.7 minutes in 232 games (225 starts) over three seasons in Memphis after his draft rights (48th overall in the 2007 NBA Draft) were acquired in a package from the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for older brother Pau Gasol on Feb. 1, 2008. Memphis originally signed Marc on July 9, 2008.

Memphis all-time leader in field goal percentage (.545), Gasol has led the Grizzlies in field goal accuracy and blocked shots in each of his first three NBA seasons. In addition, he already ranks in the top 10 in franchise history in blocks (335, 5th), free throws made (747, 8th), offensive rebounds (563, 8th), defensive rebounds (1,251, 8th) and total rebounds (1,814, 9th).
- Grizzlies.com –
 

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)—The Memphis Grizzlies are coming off their most
successful season in franchise history and still don’t think they are getting
the respect they deserve.

As the players prepared to open camp for the lockout-shortened NBA season
they talked about playing with a chip on their shoulder, the benefits of
continuity and getting Rudy Gay back in the lineup.

They also feel confident that the only uncertainty at this point—the
signing of center Marc Gasol—will be resolved.

Memphis, which had never won a playoff game entering last season, dispatched
the Western Conference’s top-seeded team, the San Antonio Spurs, in six games
and then went to a deciding seventh game against Oklahoma City before being
eliminated.

Now, after waiting longer than expected for the season to start, the
Grizzlies are ready to carry that momentum with a new confidence.

“It’s obvious that as a team, we have a lot of optimism. We feel like we
have a team to make a run at a championship,” point guard Mike Conley said at
Friday’s media availability before the opening of preseason practice. “That’s
always been our goal each year. We’ve got the team. We’ve got Rudy back and he’s
ready to go, and he says he was 100 percent.”

Gay missed the last part of the season and the playoffs after suffering a
shoulder injury in February, leaving the Grizzlies without their second-leading
scorer and third-best rebounder. Gay continually talked about the drive he has
to return and fit into a team that some thought played better when he was out of
the lineup.

“Last year was a great season, but we’re not done there,” Gay said.
“Obviously, I’m hungrier than ever.”

A key factor in the team’s success will be the status of Gasol, who averaged
11.7 points a game and 7.0 rebounders. Gasol is a restricted free agent, and
team management has pledged to make sure Gasol returns, vowing to match any
offer sheet extended to him.

That is in keeping with what forward and leading scorer Zach Randolph was
told when he signed his own new contract with the team last year.

“I hope he’s on the way back now,” Conley said of Gasol, who was not at
the Friday media availability. “He’s our final piece, so I hope that we get him
back.”

But the Memphis players don’t believe their thoughts of their team translate
to others. Conley, Randolph and Gay all shook their heads when asked if the team
had earned the respect throughout the league.

They noted that even though they became an exciting team to watch with a
“grit-and-grind” approach and an unexpected playoff run, they still didn’t get
a Christmas Day showcase game.

“It seems like they are going to always try to keep us down some way,
somehow,” Conley said.

Randolph added: “We take it how it comes, but we’ve got to take care of our
business and hopefully we can get some more games on TV once we get to winning
some games.”

All three players mentioned that the highlight of the season was returning
home after the season-ending loss at Oklahoma City. Despite being eliminated, a
crowd gathered at the Memphis airport to welcome them home and congratulate the
team on the season.

Gay, who was a part of that celebration from the periphery because of his
injury, said he keeps handy a photo he took of the crowd at the airport.

“As a team, we still feel like we have a chip on our shoulder,” Conley
said. “We’re never going to play as if we’re the top team in the league. We are
always playing with something to prove. .We always play that way, and I don’t
think it is going to change.

“We’re still motivated. We’re not satisfied with what we did last season.
We felt like we could have gone further, so we were disappointed, even though
there was a bunch of celebrating going on. This season is hopefully, just
another stepping stone for us.”

They also feel confident that the only uncertainty at this point — the signing of center Marc Gasol — will be resolved.

Memphis, which had never won a playoff game entering last season, dispatched the Western Conference’s top-seeded team, the San Antonio Spurs, in six games and then went to a deciding seventh game against Oklahoma City before being eliminated.

Now, after waiting longer than expected for the season to start, the Grizzlies are ready to carry that momentum with a new confidence.

“It’s obvious that as a team, we have a lot of optimism. We feel like we have a team to make a run at a championship,” point guard Mike Conley said at Friday’s media availability before the opening of preseason practice. “That’s always been our goal each year. We’ve got the team. We’ve got Rudy back and he’s ready to go, and he says he was 100 percent.”

Gay missed the last part of the season and the playoffs after suffering a shoulder injury in February, leaving the Grizzlies without their second-leading scorer and third-best rebounder. Gay continually talked about the drive he has to return and fit into a team that some thought played better when he was out of the lineup.

“Last year was a great season, but we’re not done there,” Gay said. “Obviously, I’m hungrier than ever.”

A key factor in the team’s success will be the status of Gasol, who averaged 11.7 points a game and 7.0 rebounders. Gasol is a restricted free agent, and team management has pledged to make sure Gasol returns, vowing to match any offer sheet extended to him.

That is in keeping with what forward and leading scorer Zach Randolph was told when he signed his own new contract with the team last year.

“I hope he’s on the way back now,” Conley said of Gasol, who was not at the Friday media availability. “He’s our final piece, so I hope that we get him back.”

But the Memphis players don’t believe their thoughts of their team translate to others. Conley, Randolph and Gay all shook their heads when asked if the team had earned the respect throughout the league.

They noted that even though they became an exciting team to watch with a “grit-and-grind” approach and an unexpected playoff run, they still didn’t get a Christmas Day showcase game.

“It seems like they are going to always try to keep us down some way, somehow,” Conley said.

Randolph added: “We take it how it comes, but we’ve got to take care of our business and hopefully we can get some more games on TV once we get to winning some games.”

All three players mentioned that the highlight of the season was returning home after the season-ending loss at Oklahoma City. Despite being eliminated, a crowd gathered at the Memphis airport to welcome them home and congratulate the team on the season.

Gay, who was a part of that celebration from the periphery because of his injury, said he keeps handy a photo he took of the crowd at the airport.

“As a team, we still feel like we have a chip on our shoulder,” Conley said. “We’re never going to play as if we’re the top team in the league. We are always playing with something to prove. .We always play that way, and I don’t think it is going to change.

“We’re still motivated. We’re not satisfied with what we did last season. We felt like we could have gone further, so we were disappointed, even though there was a bunch of celebrating going on. This season is hopefully, just another stepping stone for us.”

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