Hardaway hosting camps in June
One of the reasons the University of Memphis hired to lead its men's basketball program is his outstanding knowledge of the game. And now local youngsters will have a chance to benefit from some of the same instruction the Tigers will be receiving.
Hardaway has announced a series of camps that will run from June 5-28 on campus.
First up is a team camp June 5-6 for high school age boys teams. The event will take place at the Finch Center, the Student Recreation and Fitness Center and the Laurie-Walton Family Basketball Center. Cost is $250 for three games or $500 for six.
Two day camps for boys aged 8 to 17 will take place at the Finch Center and the Student Recreation and Fitness Center on June 11-14 and June 25-28. Cost is $250 and is open to players of all ability levels and will feature instruction from Hardaway and his staff.
Penny Hardaway
zlies had the second-best chance of winning the No. 1 pick in the draft and were guaranteed to pick no lower than No. 5 .
They wound up falling to No. 4, which is too bad, because No. 1 or No. 2 would have been nice. But does it follow that they would have been better off winning a few more meaningless games?
Dallas won two more meaningless games than the Grizzlies and will be picking No. 5. Orlando won three more meaningless games than the Grizzlies and will be picking No. 6. Would that be better than picking No. 4?
Oh, and the team that figured out a way to lose one more game than the Grizzlies has the first pick in the draft.
So, no, the fact that the Grizzlies wound up with the No. 4 pick does not invalidate the team’s look-to-the-future approach to the last third of the season.
What should Grizzlies draft night be like?
What it will do — and this is unfortunate — is make it harder for the franchise to build enthusiasm for the coming year.
Lottery night is now seen as a disappointment. As further evidence that nothing goes right for this team. And no matter who the Grizzlies draft at No. 4, that player won’t generate the buzz of the players picked at No. 1 or No. 2.
Indeed, my best guess is that however disappointed fans feel about lottery night right now, they’ll be that much more disappointed about draft night when it is done. Why? Let’s assume Deandre Ayton, Luka Doncic and Marvin Bagley are gone before the Grizzlies pick. The people’s choice for the No. 4 pick will then likely be Missouri small forward Michael Porter Jr. (because he was a high school phenom) or possibly Oklahoma point guard Trae Young (because he’s electrifying).
The Grizzlies will take a pass on both of those players in favor of Michigan State big man Jaren Jackson Jr.
Again, this is just my current guess. It may change as the draft process rolls on. But can’t you already imagine the backlash if the Grizzlies pick another Michigan State project, one who finished with five fouls, three turnovers and not a single point against Stony Brook?
This does not mean the Grizzlies shouldn’t take Jackson, of course. They should take whomever they think is going to be the best player over the long haul. Knicks fans booed the pick of Kristaps Porzingis on draft night. Then they saw him play.
But so far, this offseason isn’t exactly the momentum boost the Grizzlies wanted. And not because they did anything wrong. It wasn’t karma that got the Grizzlies Tuesday night. It was a less mystical force called math.