July 6, 2016, Las Vegas, NV -- After an Independence Day flight from Memphis and two days of double-session practices, the Memphis Grizzlies are starting to sharpen their focus in advance of their Summer League opener Friday against D-League Select at 5:30 pm CT.
Grizzlies.com will share exclusive content from Las Vegas for the duration of the Grizzlies’ stay. Fans can look forward to blog posts, Twitter updates and a podcast with radio voice Eric Hasseltine as well as exclusive video and interviews with Grizzlies players and coaches.
The Grizzlies will play three preliminary games: the Friday game vs. D-League Select, a 7 pm CT matchup with Denver on Saturday and a 3 pm CT game against Milwaukee. The Las Vegas Summer League culminates in a tournament that gets underway on July 13. Every team in Vegas is guaranteed a minimum of five games.
There are numerous storylines worth tracking:
- The Grizzlies will be coached by head coach David Fizdale, who has already put his stamp on this roster with detailed practice sessions, not unlike lesson plans whose goal is for each player to get a little bit better each workout.
- The return to Summer League action by JaMychal Green, who had a spectacular, albeit brief, run in last year’s Orlando Summer League.
- A look at a potential future Memphis backcourt featuring last year’s draft pick Andrew Harrison and this year’s 17th overall selection Wade Baldwin IV.
- The former Memphis Tigers – Shaq Goodwin and D.J. Stephens – who are part of the Grizzlies Summer League roster.
- The return to Beale Street Blue of Alex Stepheson who was one of the record-setting 28 players to wear the bear last season.
- A brand new coaching staff featuring two former head coaches: J.B. Bickerstaff and Keith Smart as well as rising coaching star Nick Van Exel and holdover Adam Mazarei who moves from the player development and scouting effort into a bench role on Fizdale’s staff
With all that said, what to expect from this group of Grizzlies in Vegas? Summer League is a quantity unto itself where some players excel, only to fall short in actual NBA play while others serve notice that they will be forces in the NBA. That’s why one of the most frequent caveats offered when a player does something wondrous in Vegas is, “yeah, but it’s Summer League.”
However, these two weeks in Las Vegas are a vital laboratory for Fizdale and his staff as they set about establishing a culture around this team and nurturing young talent. The final game results aren’t as important as the process – a process that is taking shape under clear blue skies and triple-digit temperatures in the Nevada desert. -- Pete Pranica
Follow Grizzlies TV Play-By-Play Announcer, Pete Pranica on Twitter @petepranica and stay tuned as Pete shares his perspective on the Grizzlies' performance at 2016 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas right here on Grizzlies.com.