The Grizzlies drew 14th in the NBA draft lottery last night, as they had a 97.6% chance of doing. With the pick out of the top 6, Memphis conveyed it to the Boston Celtics, fulfilling the leftover obligation from the Jeff Green trade what seems like many years ago.
The Golden State Warriors got the number-two pick. Analysts said they would look to shop the pick in a trade for players in the same general age bracket as Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, so they can get into win-now mode. Let me run a little somethin’ by ya here…
Steph is a point guard. Klay is a shooting guard. Their other superstar, Draymond Green, can play a variety of positions but is mainly a power forward. Center, therefore, is one of their needs. They need a competent veteran who can step in, do work, and contribute 12/10 and some solid D on any given night, who doesn’t feel the need to be one of the top scoring options and who’s around 30.
So, imagine this… Golden State gets Jonas Valanciunas. Memphis gets number-two 2020 draft pick James “Big Ticket” Wiseman, along with assets to balance the salaries. Both teams get an age-appropriate center. Plus, even with the talent of Ja, Jaren, Brandon, and Big Ticket, an inexperienced team like the Grizzlies could easily fall into the 2021 lottery and acquire another key piece in a deep draft class.
Probably won’t happen. Fun to think about though.
Dog owners Downtown rejoice.. the Mud Island dog park is reopening. However, please avoid bringing shared items such as toys. Bring prepared to bring your own waste bags (you could always order the Poo Trap) and possibly take them with you if receptacles are not available. Of course, you should expect to wear masks and practice social distancing at all times. Good ol’ local government, making dog parks as inconvenient for dogs at it has made restaurants for humans.
Pontotoc Lounge has re-opened. Its hours are 4-10 PM. Pontotoc is licensed as a restaurant, so yes, it can be open, although you can’t sit at the bar, stay more than two hours, blah blah blah. Daniel and the Junior Power Rangers have been working on the place for months and I hear they have done a fantastic job.
Memphis 901 FC has an away game tomorrow at 6:30 at Birmingham Legion FC. Watch on CW30.
The Daily Memphian has coverage of the all-night demonstration in Navy Park last night to save the post office.
The DM reports that Ryan Trimm’s restaurant group has exercised an option in their contract with Hotel Indigo to close 3rd & Court Diner. COVID-19 simply created a situation in which the diner couldn’t depend on area businesses to send foot traffic their way.
DJ Siphne Aaye performs a set online today from noon to 1, broadcast from Health Sciences Park.
We could have a tropical storm, Laura, taking aim at the area around Thursday of next week.
Out of time before work. Apologies if typos. I didn’t catch Joe Biden’s nomination acceptance speech last night, but let’s face it, if he gave the speech entirely in Klingon while standing on his head and wearing a pink tutu, I’d still consider him more sane than our current president.
I haven’t treated myself to a nice dinner in quite a while, so I think I’ll hit Pontotoc Lounge this afternoon to see what they’ve done with the place. They open at 4 and I’ll probably go not long after, although if anyone wants to meet up I could be convinced to push that time back. Back tomorrow with more news.