By sameerhp@hotmail.com - "Go Grizzlies, Go Tigers"

So things finally changed in Memphis! First came the hiring of Hubie after a 0-8 start and then, after patiently waiting for 5 games, Hubie got a win in his 6th. It seems like the grizzlies might have improved in certain defensive categories, but there is a key area that they are still fragile, which is REBOUNDING!

How many times have we heard coached in this league go ga-ga over how rebounding lost us the game or they got too many second chance points or they outscored us in the paint. If we look at the situation of the grizzlies, their "so-called" big men have failed to come up with big rebounding numbers. Swift is playing in a position where he will be outplayed by bigger and bulkier centers, and Pau Gasol is too busy whining to the officials. Lorenzen has had his big night once in a year only to be sunk deep in the bench for the rest of the year. So what we need is someone who can crash the boards and score at the same time. Where do we find this guy? Right here in Memphis!

Before Memphis became an NBA city, the only ball known was university of Memphis tiger ball. The city loved its Tigers and was # 2 in the country in attendance. If you remember from last year, a big Tiger went undrafted. Yeah I am talking about Kelly Wise. The guy from Florida who played for 4 years at Memphis. The same Kelly Wise who was the leader in Conference USA in double doubles. The same Kelly Wise who could not play down the stretch due to a knee injury as a result of which the Tigers had to be satisfied with an NIT championship. The same Kelly Wise who worked hard day in and day out under John Caliperi and drew praise from coaches all over the country.

So, why did this kid not get drafted? The rumor floating around was his knees were not strong enough. But, that is not the truth. If you would ask someone in Memphis they would tell you about his effort and ethic in the 4 years he was there. This guy was a threat in the post, a wall on defense and a vacuum on the boards. He played center/forward and could do the same at the pro level. He knows what it takes to hustle and has shown it over the years.

Then, shouldn't Jerry West give this a thought? Last year, Lorenzen Wright was brought in only because he was a local produce. Elliot Perry was signed for a 10-day contract only to get the crowd excited. And Jerry has always said that he does everything with the fans in consideration. If the Sonics could put Reggie Evans, an undrafted rookie in the starting 5, isn't Memphis the perfect fit for Kelly Wise?

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