Music City Sports Report NBA Restart Guide
All the info you need on the local prospects in the bubble and the Grizzlies.
Welcome to the Music City Sports Report.
The NBA is finally back on Thursday with a TNT doubleheader featuring the Utah Jazz taking on the New Orleans Pelicans and the battle of LA between the Clippers and the Lakers. Three of the four teams have local ties. Let’s take a look at those players, plus the other local products across the league, and what to expect from the Grizzlies in the bubble action!
Which Local Products Will Be in the Bubble?
Tennessee
Grant Williams - Boston Celtics
Josh Richardson - Philadelphia 76ers
Tobias Harris - Philadelphia 76ers
Admiral Schofield - Washington Wizards
Memphis
Jeremiah Martin - Brooklyn Nets (Also from Mitchell HS)
Will Barton - Denver Nuggets
Tennessee State
Robert Covington - Houston Rockets
Vanderbilt
DeMarre Carroll - Houston Rockets
Lipscomb
Garrison Mathews - Washington Wizards (Franklin HS)
Other Local Products
JJ Redick - New Orleans Pelicans (From Cookeville)
Marc Gasol - Toronto Raptors (Lausanne Collegiate School)
Chris Chiozza - Brooklyn Nets (White Station)
Antonius Cleveland - Dallas Mavericks (From Memphis)
Jonathan Williams - Washington Wizards (Southwind HS)
Lou Williams - Los Angeles Clippers (Born in Memphis)
Corey Brewer - Sacramemto Kings (Portland HS)
Nickeil Alexander-Walker - New Orleans Pelicans (Hamilton Heights Christian Academy)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander - Los Angeles Clippers (Hamilton Heights Christian Academy)
Which Local Products Won’t Be in the Bubble?
Vanderbilt
Damian Jones - Atlanta Hawks
Luke Kornet - Chicago Bulls
Darius Garland - Cleveland Cavaliers (Brentwood Academy)
Tennessee
Jordan Bone - Detroit Pistons (Ensworth)
Jordan McRae - Detroit Pistons
Memphis
Thaddeus Young - Chicago Bulls (Mitchell HS)
Derrick Rose - Detroit Pistons
Belmont
Dylan Windler - Cleveland Cavaliers
Others
Skal Labissiere - Atlanta Hawks (Lausanne Collegiate School)
What to expect from the Grizzlies?
The Grizzlies enter the bubble 3.5 games up on their main competition for the eighth and final seed in the Western playoff bracket. However, if that mark does not change, there will be a play-in tournament for the final spot. To make up for discrepancies in games played (and because they want more Zion), the NBA implemented a rule where the ninth seed being within four games of eighth causes a two-team play-in tournament. The higher seeded team would only need to win once, while the lower-seeded team would have to win two games.
The rest of the teams in competition for that final spot, the Kings, Spurs, and especially the Suns, probably don’t stand a real shot. But the Pelicans and the newly-healthy Blazers do. And if the Grizzlies were to survive five teams gunning for their spot, they’d have the reward of facing the Lakers and LeBron James.
Unfortunately, one piece will be missing from the Grizzlies playoff run. Newly-acquired Justise Winslow, hoping to play his first game with the team, was injured during practice and is now out for the remainder of the season. A lot of people, myself included, were excited for his debut.
Any other notable Grizzlies bubble ventures?
The awards should be announced sometime soonish. The Grizz are pushing for infectious star Ja Morant to (rightly) win Rookie of the Year over phenom Zion Williamson. No shots to Zion, he just hasn’t played enough games. And Ja has been unbelievable during the Grizz surprising push for the playoffs. Also, check out this wild dunk he threw down in practice in Orlando.
For more Grizzlies content from the bubble, check out this piece from The Undefeated on the camp Morant held at his home in Memphis and this Q&A between the NBA’s Sekou Smith and Grind City Media’s Lang Whitaker.
And don’t worry, I’ve got a Preds Playoff Primer coming for next week’s issue. Stay tuned!
Links
Roman Josi was named a Norris Trophy finalist, the award handed out to the NHL’s top defender.
Nashville’s very own Mookie Betts signed a massive 12-year, 356 million contract extension with the Dodgers.
Shoutout to Memphis native Cindy Parlow Cone on becoming the first female president of the US Soccer Federation.
The ASUN and OVC each made statements about fall sports affecting Lipscomb, Belmont, TSU, UT Martin, Austin Peay, and Tennessee Tech: the ASUN will not play until at least Sept. 18, and the OVC will delay until Sept 17 while making women’s soccer and volleyball conference only.
Drone footage of the first day of construction on the new Nashville SC stadium. NSC was fully healthy and back training this week. The MLS is planning on resuming its regular season on August 22. Drake Hills breaks down how NSC missing the MLS is Back Tournament will affect their schedule.
Belmont men’s basketball leading scorer Adam Kunkel is transferring to Xavier.
Belmont softball has a new head coach: Laura Matthews.
The Titans released six players prior to Tuesday’s official first day of training camp, none of which were notable.
The Leaf Chronicle reported the Austin Peay football situation as clarifying information has started to come out. The Govs also added a slew of transfers, including a pair from Penn State and Mississippi State.
Western Michigan grad transfer Jordan Walker is joining the Lady Vols hoops squad.
Broadway Sports, Nashville’s newest sports outlet, put out a ton of content in their first week live. Here is one of the many threads they made of their opening-week content.
Not exactly sports, but Nashville writer Jordan Ritter Conn, who produces some of the best longform content in the country including many sports-focused stories, released his first book titled The Road from Raqqa. The subject of the book is a local restaurant owner.
I profiled UT Martin WBB’s Chelsey Perry, who is set to be one of the best mid-major players in the country this season, for The Next.