Chris Dodson Articles - Page 5

The Memphis Grizzlies need no reminders of how thin their margin for error is without Ja Morant. Analytics, film, and the standings have delivered the message every night that the All-Star has missed over the past few years. Fourteen games into a season they thought would reestablish their place in the Western Conference hierarchy, Tuomas […]

The clock is ticking toward the NBA’s trade deadline, and for Tuomas Iisalo’s banged-up Memphis Grizzlies, this season’s calculus is uniquely complex. With the specter of Ja Morant’s injury-riddled availability and long-term commitment levels hanging over every decision, President of Basketball Operations Zach Kleiman operates in a space between present and future. What the Grizzlies […]

The Memphis Grizzlies expected turbulence this fall, but not a full-on identity crisis. Fourteen games into Tuomas Iisalo’s first season, with a 4-10 start and Ja Morant sidelined, the offense has sputtered into predictable, stagnant patterns. The silver lining has been the rise of the 24-year-old Spanish forward whose blend of size, touch, and feel […]

The promise of a new era for the Memphis Grizzlies has been tempered by a familiar sting. After months of envisioning a triumphant return to Western Conference contention, the first 14 games have been sobering for Tuomas Iisalo’s Memphis Grizzlies. A familiar, gut-wrenching reality set in early, as evidenced by the 4-10 start. Then the […]

Hope has flickered like a faulty scoreboard for far too long in the Smoothie King Center, so the New Orleans Pelicans made a not-so-bold pivot to James Borrego. Joe Dumars had little choice after being given the green light by team governor Gayle Benson. A decision to fire Willie Green did not hinge on a […]

In the wake of a catastrophic 2-10 start, the New Orleans Pelicans have moved on from Willie Green. EVP Joe Dumars could no longer ignore the Smoothie King Center’s sour vibes lingering past the decision to skip the coach’s pregame introduction. A four-game losing streak to start the season, characterized by the usual defensive lapses […]

The New Orleans Pelicans’ injury woes continue to cast a long shadow over their early-season struggles. As has become almost routine, under-fire coach Willie Green offered updates on Zion Williamson and Jordan Poole before a November 12 matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers. Unfortunately for fans looking for good news, Green’s statements did little to […]

As the seemingly stuck-in-last-place New Orleans Pelicans prepare to embark on a brutal five-game homestand, the temperature around Willie Green’s office chair has risen from warm to scorching hot. Understandably so, given a 2-8 start to the season and the body language being displayed by the locker room. However, despite growing external pressure, organizational sources […]

Fans looking for any positive signs from the Memphis Grizzlies were left with only a silver lining on Veterans’ Day. A 133-120 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden was a pretty sour bite from the Big Apple, as was the injury update on Brandon Clarke. However, Tuomas Iisalo did provide a […]

Just one game into the 2025-26 season, Willie Green found himself addressing a painfully familiar narrative with resigned acceptance. The embattled New Orleans Pelicans coach, standing before reporters after Zion Williamson’s squad was taunted by Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies, delivered the same message repeated throughout his tenure. It was expected since Kevon Looney, Karlo Matkovic, […]

For a new coach in the NBA, the first few games are a Rorschach test of potential. Fans of Ja Morant’s finger-pointing Memphis Grizzlies are still trying to get a full grasp on what kind of picture Tuomas Iisalo is trying to paint though. An Opening Night triumph against the New Orleans Pelicans ignited the FedExForum […]

The opening moments of an NBA game can often reveal a team’s intentions. For the family-focused New Orleans Pelicans, their starting defensive strategy in the season opener sent a clear message: Zion Williamson is being asked to lead on both ends of the court. On the second play of the game, the All-Star forward blitzed to […]

For an NBA rookie, the initial whirlwind of preseason games, new cities, and facing off against childhood idols can be overwhelming. For New Orleans Pelicans new go-to guard Jeremiah Fears, the antidote to that chaos has been a simple, powerful constant: family. Over a dozen family members gathered in Memphis to watch the 19-year-old’s NBA […]

Allen Iverson’s shadow looms large over basketball’s pantheon, a six-foot-flat blur of cornrows, crossovers, and unyielding heart that redefined the scoring guard position. Two decades later, another undersized assassin with a penchant for pull-ups steps into that lineage, not by imitation, but by inheritance. At least that is how the New Orleans Pelicans hope things […]

It takes a lot to push through the professional mask athletes wear on game night. However, a shout following pregame warmups would stick with Zion Williamson’s New Orleans Pelicans until long after the final buzzer. For just a few seconds before facing Ja Morant’s trash-talking Memphis Grizzlies, the night belonged to a simple, good-natured moment. […]

The FedEx Forum’s Grind City fans were all grins as Tuomas Iisalo’s first NBA Opening Night win was winding down. However, the night needed a capping moment to keep the conversations buzzing around Beale Street. Thankfully, with mere seconds separating Zion Williamson’s new-look New Orleans Pelicans from a frustrating, season-opening loss, Ja Morant decided to […]

The NBA preseason is where potential is auditioned and theories are tested under the bright lights. For Ja Morant’s new-look, injury-riddled Memphis Grizzlies, the first two acts of this preview have been less about the final score amid on 0-2 start. No, these five exhibition games are more about Jaylen Wells, Santi Aldama, and Cam […]

In the high-octane ecosystem of the NBA, every superstar needs a protector. For Ja Morant’s run-and-gun Memphis Grizzlies, that role is not a reluctant duty. Few have answered since Steven Adams left town, but the team’s newest two-way forward sounds ready for the challenge. PJ Hall accepted the new facts of life with a grin, […]

In the NBA, motivation can come from many places. For some, it is a championship ring. For others, an All-Star nod and a max contract. Practically every player keeps certain slights in mind as fuel to the fire though. While GG Jackson II is not dwelling on the past, he is not forgetting it either. […]

For some NBA players, basketball is a job. For a cool customer like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, it remains a lifelong love affair that began in childhood and continues to grow stronger with each passing season. Now suiting up for the Memphis Grizzlies, the two-time NBA champion is bringing more than just pedigree to the locker room. […]

The path from casual fan to professional basketball player often begins with a spark of inspiration, and for Memphis Grizzlies rookie Cedric Coward, that spark was ignited by the late, great Kobe Bryant. However, the 22-year-old’s basketball journey didn’t start on a court. His hoops curiosity was actually piqued on a couch, sitting beside his […]

For most NBA players, the offseason is a time for rest, individual skill work, and preparing for the grind ahead. For beloved Memphis Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer, that preparation included a unique and meaningful trip back to his roots. Along with brothers Pat (Golden State Warriors) and Will, the Spencer Brothers Foundation launched a charitable […]

The NBA’s push toward global expansion has slowly moved from aspiration to reality. Commissioner Adam Silver has long championed international growth, and now teams are experiencing what that vision looks like in practice. For Tuomas Iisalo’s regrouped Memphis Grizzlies, that future arrives this January with games in London and Berlin. However, Santi Aldama already knows […]

Player development isn’t always confined to the weight room and the practice court in the NBA. Sometimes, it’s found behind the wheel of a vintage car with a stubborn steering wheel and brakes that demand pure strength. At least that is how the Memphis Grizzlies sold a vintage idea to Jaylen Wells. The All-Rookie wonder […]

As Tuomas Iisalo’s Memphis Grizzlies kick off their training camp, the air is thick with competition, camaraderie, and a palpable sense of urgency. After a rollercoaster 2024-25 season that saw the team navigate a late-season coaching change and playoff heartbreak, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.’s Grizzlies are embracing a fresh start. At the heart […]

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 […]