--The Grizzlies have six wins this month, which eclipsed their highest win total of any month last season. They are 6-8, besting the five wins they had in November 2007, January 2008 and March 2008. They have two more games this month.
--Now that Steve Francis has passed his physical, there's a chance he'll be in a Grizzlies uniform Monday or Tuesday when the Griz have back-to-back games at Minnesota, then at home against the Suns. "He's a veteran," Griz coach Marc Iavaroni said of Francis. "He's a guy who can score the ball when he's right. He has the ability to make others better with penetration. He's a tough cover."
The Grizzlies will greet Francis with open arms.
"I used to watch him growing up, and there's a lot he can teach us," Griz forward Rudy Gay said.
Backup point guard Mike Conley agreed with Gay.
"It was a good pickup," Conley said. "He's a veteran, a guy that can still play. He can really help us out both on the court and for support. He's been around this league and can teach us a lot of things about the game."
--The Grizzlies welcomed back rookie Hamed Haddadi from the NBDL's Dakota Wizards. Haddadi, a 7-foot-2 center from Iran, played in 11 games with Dakota. He averaged 6.0 points and 5.9 rebounds along with 1.55 blocked shots in 17.7 minutes.
Iavaroni said the D-League experience helped get Haddadi in better condition.
"He ran a lot more," Iavaroni said. "It's obviously a running league, a smaller man's league. He got more minutes. We're counting on him to be lighter on his feet and probably more confident overall."
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I really feel like this team has a special bond. Even when we lose, this team really cares about its performance." -- Coach Marc Iavaroni.
