The trade fallout is still settling for the three teams involved. Jose Calderon is the most likely to appear in his new uniform this evening; media reports in Toronto suggest that Rudy Gay won’t arrive until late afternoon and will definitely not make his Raptors debut until Sunday. Memphis has three desperately-needed new players standing by, hoping that Gay passes his physical (to make the deal official) before their 8:00 EST tipoff.
Tonight, there’s another Sheridan Hoops Freeroll for our loyal readers, with $300 cash in the prize pool and $100 for the winner. It’s fun to play, and the price is right, but with over 1,000 entries last Friday, and over 600 hundred already this week, it’s not easy to win. I’ll share my picks later this morning in the DraftStreet Diary.
January 31 Game Recaps
DAL @ GSW: No Stephen Curry, no problem. David Lee just missed a triple-double (15 PTS, 20 REB, 9 AST) and Klay Thompson scored 27 points as the Warriors held off the stubborn Mavericks. Just as he was getting fully confident on his rebuilt knee, Dirk Nowitzki pulled an adductor muscle, so Shawn Marion (18 PTS, 17 REB) and O.J. Mayo (25 PTS, 6 AST, 5 REB) had to shoulder the offensive load for Dallas. Carl Landry (10 PTS, 6 REB in 19 minutes) returned from a shoulder injury and Harrison Barnes (12 PTS, 5 AST, 4 REB in 38:45) showed no sign of a sore knee. Jarrett Jack (13 PTS, 9 AST, 4 REB) did a good job in Curry’s spot and Andrew Bogut (8 PTS, 5 REB, 3 BLK) played 25 minutes as he gradually gets back into shape.
MEM @ OKC: After opening up a 10-point first-quarter lead and extending it to 24 by halftime, the Thunder showed some mercy to the shorthanded Grizzlies. 6’4” Tony Allen (8 PTS, 9 REB) started at SF against Kevin Durant (27 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST) and Jerryd Bayless (23 PTS, 6 AST) was the starting SG, leaving the Memphis bench woefully thin in both quantity and quality. Mike Conley (17 PTS, 4 AST, 3 REB, 3 STL) did his best on a tender ankle to slow down Russell Westbrook (21 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST) but the Oklahoma City reserves combined for a 40-16 advantage. Zach Randolph, who criticized the new Grizzlies management even before the trade, missed his first ten shots and finished 4-17; he did grab 19 rebounds but is an unhappy camper.