Chris Dodson Articles - Page 3

Entering his second NBA season with the aggressively moving Memphis Grizzlies, Zach Edey is no stranger to making bold statements. The 7-foot-4 powerhouse, who turned heads in his rookie year with gritty rebounding and efficient scoring inside, showed up to Media Day with more than just refined footwork and added muscle. Edey also arrived with […]

In the high-stakes poker game of NBA free agency, the Memphis Grizzlies entered the offseason holding a limited hand. With their financial resources rightly prioritized towards securing franchise cornerstone Jaren Jackson Jr., the front office was relegated to operating as a “room team,” possessing just one significant tool: the room exception. It was with this modest […]

NBA Media Days would be nothing without a few clichés and backslapping before the season starts. Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies were no exception. When pressed on how owner Robert Pera’s ballooning fortune influences the willingness to flirt with the NBA’s punishing luxury tax, EVP/GM Zach Kleiman masterfully sidestepped the specifics while heaping praise on the […]

When Monty McCutchen, the NBA’s Senior Vice President of Referee Development and Training, discusses what separates good referees from great ones, he doesn’t focus on rulebook knowledge or positioning fundamentals. Instead, the legendary referee with NBA Finals appearances repeatedly returns to a single concept: processing power. It’s a revealing choice of terminology borrowed from computer […]

Amid the relentless intensity of NBA games, where razor-thin margins and heated rivalries amplify every whistle, accountability stands as the unsung hero of top-tier refereeing. It is an undeniable necessity as few roles face more scrutiny than the game’s officials. Every decision is dissected in real-time by thousands in attendance and millions watching at home. […]

In his younger days, Monty McCutchen, now the Senior Vice President and Head of Referee Development & Training for the NBA, had few prospects for a professional basketball career. Money was tight for his family and the junior college playing days were all but over, but he was driven to attend a referee camp to […]

Fans scrutinizing every whistle and non-call has always been just a fact of life in basketball. Unfortunately, the ridiculous rhetoric is only getting worse in the NBA’s replay review era. Thankfully, the NBA and WNBA’s approach to officiating development has undergone a significant transformation under the leadership of Vice President of Referee Development and Training […]

Another NBA regular season is just around the corner and the Memphis Grizzlies were stirring up the excitement during Media Day. Of course, much like the Nike Ja 3 is perhaps the most sought-after sneaker currently on the market, Ja Morant was a man in demand before training camp opened. Just look at a WNBA […]

Tuomas Iisalo’s Memphis Grizzlies face a challenging start to the 2025-26 NBA season with key frontcourt players Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Edey, and Brandon Clarke sidelined due to injury. While their absence is a significant setback for the team’s playoff aspirations, EVP/GM Zach Kleiman’s front office found inexpensive offseason additions that could prove crucial in […]

An office phone rings, the news breaks, and a season’s trajectory shifts in an instant. For Tuomas Iisalo’s regrouping Memphis Grizzlies, the summer of 2025 was a chorus of such alerts, each one carrying a blow to the rotations. Turf toe surgery for All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr.. A re-aggravated ankle for promising rookie Zach Edey. […]

The Memphis Grizzlies made one of the most underrated signings of the 2025 free agency period when they secured Ty Jerome on a three-year, $28 million deal. While the basketball world focused on blockbuster trades and max contracts, EVP/GM Zach Kleiman landed what could be the missing piece in the Grind City championship puzzle. Playing […]

Few things grind an NBA game to a halt like a lengthy replay review. Fans groan, players pace, and momentum evaporates as officials huddle around monitors to dissect split-second plays. However, after observing the NBA Referee Preseason Camp hosted by the NBA League Operations department, it’s clear they are on the cusp of a technological […]

Small-market NBA team cycles are often the same: develop talent, enjoy a brief contention window, and then watch as financial realities force a rebuild. However, the Memphis Grizzlies could break that mold as Robert Pera has the power to shatter that glass ceiling with a sledgehammer. A perfect storm of extraordinary wealth growth, locked-in star […]

For decades, the NBA huddle has been a sacred, impenetrable space. Fans see the intense faces, the nodding heads, occasional scuffles, and the final break; the actual substance of the plays, adjustments, and raw emotion has been left completely to the imagination. That is about to change thanks to NBC‘s “On the Bench” segment, which […]

A void has lingered over the Crescent City like a phantom limb, a persistent ache of what once was when Chris Paul was directing traffic on Poydras Street’s main court. The New Orleans Pelicans have wandered through a point guard wilderness for the last 14 seasons, cycling through temporary solutions not quite up to the […]

The Memphis Grizzlies were riding high last season, flirting with a top-four seed through the NBA All-Star break. Then the slide down the standings began. High expectations paired with the wasting of that early success led to the amplification of lingering frustrations. Taylor Jenkins was eventually relieved of the head coaching duties and so Tuomas […]

In the sporting and gambling worlds, opportunity is everything. Although large market media narratives and marquee names often dominate NBA award conversations, the smartest players know to look for value in overlooked situations. All of that can be found with Scotty Pippen Jr. and Tuomas Iisalo’s made-over Memphis Grizzlies this season. EVP/GM Zach Kleiman’s latest […]

Early-season tinkering in the NBA is not just fun for the fans; it is essential to front offices in identifying gaps before the trade deadline. That is especially true for the Memphis Grizzlies as the franchise enters the 2025-26 season with Ja Morant’s first new head coach and fresh questions about their identity under Tuomas […]

Jake Retzlaff’s first game as Jon Sumrall’s starting quarterback told two stories simultaneously. Tulane football cruising to a convincing victory over Northwestern, with Retzlaff contributing 113 rushing yards and avoiding turnovers in his debut, was the fairytale start. An 18-of-31 passing performance left plenty of room for improvement, though. Several missed connections with Green Wave […]

As Ja Morant prepares for a scoring title chase kind of comeback season, the Memphis Grizzlies superstar is not just bringing his explosive court presence back to the FedExForum. No, the 25-year-old phenom is bringing an arsenal of fresh Nike Ja 3 colorways that are as bold, rugged, and fearless as Morant’s playing style. With […]

The most successful franchises aren’t just built on superstar talent; they’re constructed through savvy, low-risk maneuvers on the margins of the roster. That is why EVP/GM Zach Kleiman has been both shooting for the moon and scraping the bottom of the barrel in search of overlooked value. Getting a home run haul for Desmond Bane is […]

In a league increasingly zigging toward dominant perimeter play and switch-everything defense, the Memphis Grizzlies zagged in the 2024 NBA Draft. EVP/GM Zach Kleiman bet that Zach Edey’s unparalleled collegiate dominance and gargantuan size could translate into a transformative NBA skill set next to Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. However, with a unique pick […]

Defending champs Spain are in a precarious position as the 2025 FIBA EuroBasket group stage winds down. Fresh off their 2022 glory, Spain are teetering on the edge of an early exit, needing a win over Giannis Antetokounpo’s Greece to earn a spot in the Round of 16. However, Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama is […]

The re-prioritized Memphis Grizzlies pulled off one of the most surprising trades of the 2025 offseason when they shipped Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and a bundle of first-round picks. While the draft capital rightfully grabbed headlines, it’s Caldwell-Pope’s role as a versatile win insurance policy that […]

The 2025 college football season kicked off with a bang, and nowhere was the drama more pronounced than in the Group of Five (G5) battle for the coveted automatic berth in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. Forget the Texas-Ohio State showdown. While preseason favorites like Boise State entered the year with high expectations, Jon […]

A franchise cornerstone suddenly departing is often met with uncertainty and angst. When the Memphis Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane, a homegrown star and one of the NBA’s premier shooters, to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and a haul of four unprotected first-round picks, EVP/GM Zach Kleiman signaled a profound shift in the […]

The Memphis Grizzlies have made franchise-altering changes heading into the 2025-26 season. Trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic was just one of many moves made to get the most out of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.’s potential. The pivotal decisions from EVP Zach Kleiman began at the coaching ranks in March, with Tuomas […]

A decision by Memphis Grizzlies EVP/GM Zach Kleiman to remove Taylor Jenkins and promote Tuomas Iisalo to head coach on March 28, 2025, was one of the most dramatic late-season moves in recent NBA history. Jenkins, a former NBA Coach of the Year winner, won more basketball games on Beale Street than anyone before hitting […]

Basketball diehards are now counting down the days and weeks rather than months for the return of meaningful games at all levels. Players are gathering for cardio-based chemistry building ahead of training camp. As for the league in general, the 2025-26 NBA schedule release offered the first real glimpse into the routes every team must […]

It can be hard to pinpoint over the smell of freshly cut football fields, but true hardwood fans are already taking in the small wafts of basketball trickling into the sporting conversation. The release of the 2025-26 NBA schedule not only added to that anticipation but also added clarity to organizational expectations to a certain […]

For Zach Kleiman’s rebooted Grit-and-Grind Memphis Grizzlies and GG Jackson, the NBA Summer League grind sessions represented opportunities far more valuable than only on-court repetitions. Coming off a frustrating sophomore campaign derailed by injury, the 20-year-old is still working to be included in the franchise’s long-term plans alongside Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. As […]

Zach Kleiman’s Memphis Grizzlies are entering uncharted territory under new head coach Tuomas Iisalo, but the Finnish tactician is not abandoning the franchise’s Grit-and-Grind DNA. In fact, Iisalo is evolving it in a way that still works with a Three Six Mafia album. After a summer of intensive development through both Salt Lake City and […]

The Brooklyn Nets showed some promising glimpses for a franchise in transition during Las Vegas Summer League action, yet there were obvious growing pains. Among the young players navigating this developmental stage, rookie Danny Wolf stands out not just for his potential but for his realistic understanding of the challenges that lie ahead. However, one […]

With just weeks until NBA training camps ramp up, fans of the hard-running Chicago Bulls are gradually getting comfortable with a “special” point guard running the second unit. Japan National Team star Yuki Kawamura is still learning the NBA‘s native language after all, both figuratively and literally. However, at least one big name around the […]

Ja Morant’s regrouping Memphis Grizzlies are heading into 2025 Las Vegas NBA Summer League action with a clear opportunity to evaluate key pieces for the upcoming season, Tuomas Iisalo included. The Finnish coach was thrown into the fire as a first-year assistant, being elevated to the lead chair with less than two weeks remaining before […]

The Memphis Grizzlies wasted no time in the opening hours of NBA Free Agency. EVP Zach Kleiman inked both Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama to multi-year deals, making a massive financial commitment and statement about the franchise’s championship aspirations. Securing two pivotal pieces with substantial contract extensions is an all-in commitment to building around […]

The Memphis Grizzlies made headlines by locking up Jaren Jackson Jr. with a five-year, $240 million maximum contract extension to open the NBA Free Agency frenzy. Almost immediately, some criticism began flowing from the national media. Too much money. Too much risk. Too much commitment to a player who hasn’t proven he can stay healthy. […]

Some analysts were surprised when Commissioner Adam Silver announced the Memphis Grizzlies traded up to select Cedric Coward in the 2025 NBA Draft. The soon-to-be 22-year-old only played six games at Washington State last season, after all, with much of the college tape coming from the NCAA Division III level. However, EVP Zach Kleiman’s organization […]

With trade market surveying being near complete, the Memphis Grizzlies are getting serious about the 2025 NBA Draft. After weeks of only looking at prospects with slim second-round hopes, EVP Zach Kleiman has called in a few lottery talents. Asa Newell tops the charts as a frontcourt option. The team also flew in wings Cedric […]