Hooped Up

Memphis Grizzlies keep their cool, rally past Chicago Bulls, 105-96
Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins called for time with his team trailing by 17 points in the second quarter, and tried to simply remain calm. He didn’t want panic to set in. Forward Zach Randolph said his message was intended to be more like banging the snooze button on an alarm clock.

“You’ve just got to wake up,” Randolph said after amassing 31 points and 18 rebounds to help the Grizzlies rally for a 105-96 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night in the United Center.

Randolph wasn’t the only Grizzlies player who heard the alarm. Each member of the starting unit got going at different points as the Griz extended their franchise-record road winning streak to six games.
Commercial Appeal

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Much like every single album that has come out in the last 10 years, the 2010 all-star reserves list has been leaked and Yahoo! Sports has obtained the list to be reveled Thursday night in their NBA logo sports mug.

The Eastern Conference reserves include Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo from the Boston Celtics, Toronto’s Chris Bosh, Charlotte’s Gerald Wallace, Chicago’s Derrick Rose and Atlanta’s Joe Johnson and Al Horford.

The Western Conference reserves include Utah’s Deron Williams, New Orleans’ Chris Paul, Los Angeles Pau Gasol, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki , Zach Randolph from Memphis and Brandon Roy from the Portland Trail Blazers.

David Lee, Carlos Boozer, Marc Gasol, Josh Smith, Chris Kaman, Monta Ellis and Chauncey Bilups will all have to wait for next season.

H/N Yahoo! Sports

I’ve watched this video about ten times since morning and I can see that number getting into the twenties before midnight. Hats off to the digital wizards in the Memphis Grizzlies front office.

Another van glorious season of NBA basketball is about to begin and Hooped Up does a quick and dirty preview of all 30 clubs.

This summer the Grizzlies took a leap towards respectably by grabbing Allen Iverson, but unfortunately they also grabbed Zach Randolph too. Will those two moves balance out into some kinda crazy win formula? The Grizzlies sure hope so. Read More »

The Grizzlies have a nonbinding agreement in place with the Los Angeles Clippers for a trade that would swap recently acquired guard Quentin Richardson for forward Zach Randolph, NBA sources confirmed late Wednesday night.

The deal cannot become official until next week due to rules under the league’s collective bargaining agreement. Also at play is the unpredictable nature of Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who nixed a draft-night trade the Grizzlies proposed in an attempt to acquire Randolph.

Commercial Appeal

While insiders contend the organization remains undeterred in its efforts to consummate a trade for Los Angeles Clippers forward Zach Randolph, there are several other options the Griz can now consider in hopes of bolstering their frontline. Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley is determined to bring to Memphis a high-caliber power forward, making that his priority this offseason, less than two years after gift-wrapping Pau Gasol to the Los Angeles Lakers. That player must fit the criteria, though, of being young, productive and reasonably priced.

Memphis Commercial Appeal

Early this morning Zach Randolph was thrown in jail after he was booked for DUI. 

“Hours after the Clip Squad went down to the Lakers last night, Clipper power forward Zach Randolph was pulled over by California Highway Patrol officers on the 405 Freeway when they spotted Randolph’s white Rolls Royce weaving in and out of his lane at around 2:25 AM.

Cops say when they approached the car, they “noticed an odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from within the vehicle” and proceeded to perform some field tests on the 6′9,” 255 pound 27-year-old. Randolph failed those and was arrested for DUI.”

According to TMZ, he has now been released from jail.

Via TMZ

Bowie was a decent player when he was healthy, which was rare; when he retired in 1995, he held the NBA record for most games missed during a career. With Oden struggling to become fit enough to make it onto the court, and revealing himself to be something less than the second coming of Shaquille O’Neal when he does play, there is an apprehension here among once-stung Blazers fans that a mistake made a quarter-century ago again is being played out. Exacerbating the situation is the star turn being taken by Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant, whom the Blazers considered taking with the top overall pick in 2007 before they decided on Oden. Durant is the league’s fourth-leading scorer, averaging 26 points, and is making his case as Jordan Lite. And, yes, he is well aware that some impatient fans are comparing him to Bowie. “People say that all the time,” he shrugged. “I don’t worry about it. I mean, what can I do about it? I just have to keep on playing and move on.”
Philadelphia Inquirer

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The LA Clippers got killed ta death last night 100 – 140 by the sans Terry Porter version of the Phoenix Suns and it was so bad, babies cried.

But the something that people are talking about, is south paw Zach Randolph decking Louis Amundson. At first, this play looks normal because unless you’re trying to score 61 points at the Garden, rebounding is kinda normal in basketball.

But, all of a sudden Randolph goes Circus Bear and starts swinging at Amundson for no reason.

Watching this video a day after the incident it’s now clear to me! Zach Randolph can see the future and knew the Suns were going to “throw da Clippers a beatin” and was mega pissed in advance for the blow out about to happen. He was pre-pissed!

Either that or he just hates ponytails.

Via NBA Fanhouse

UPDATE: Zach Randolph has been suspended two games without pay for striking Louis Amundson of the Phoenix Suns in the face.

Randolph went down but, it sounds like he won’t be out for long. In other news, I’m dreading the crazy shoppers I must face soon.

“Zach Randolph limped off the court and didn’t return, getting treatment and an X-ray. The Clippers called it a bruised left knee and Coach Mike Dunleavy later described the injury as a sprained knee and termed it good news that the X-ray was negative. On Tuesday, the Clippers said that Randolph did not get an MRI exam. That also would be considered good news. But these are the Clippers, long-standing holders of bad karma. Until Randolph takes the court in practice or Sunday against Dallas can anyone be assured that Randolph, and his knee, are completely fine?”

LA Times