
DRAFT PICKS:
Hasheem Thabeet, C, 7-3, Connecticut (first round) -- Blocked 417 shots in three seasons at UConn. Still raw offensively, but can do enough on the offensive boards to contribute points to the lineup. DeMarre Carroll, F, 6-8, Missouri (first round) -- Averaged 16.6 points as a first-team All-Big 12 selection. A sheer blood, guts and sweat guy who simply outworks a lot of his opponents.
Sam Young, F, 6-7, Pittsburgh (second round) -- Could be underrated second round steal. Not only played in a a school-record 143 consecutive games and finished as Pitt's fourth all-time leading scorer (1,884 points), but can score inside and out.
FREE AGENT FOCUS: Quinton Ross and Hakim Warrick are the primary free agents. Ross is unrestricted and Warrick is restricted. The Grizzlies will make a hard run at re-signing Warrick, who has been a steady inside scorer off the bench. He could get mid-level money, and would be worth about a $5 million investment. Besides, he's a four-year veteran and the Grizzlies' oldest player. No one in the Grizzlies locker room is as well-liked and respected as Warrick.
PLAYER NEWS:
--Expect the Griz to extend a qualifying offer to Hakim Warrick, making him a restricted free agent as of July 1. "We put a great deal of value on Hakim," Griz GM Chris Wallace said. "He's been here four years. He was one of the more potent bench scorers in the league last year."
--The main reason the Grizzlies drafted DeMarre Carroll and Sam Young was toughness. "These guys are tough and they can defend," Wallace said. "Missouri and Pitt are tough, hard-working programs. We needed to get tougher as a team. That was a big issue for us, and I thing we've done that."
Carroll knows exactly what his role is, and he plans to fill it.
"I'm a valuable asset because I can bring so much energy to the game," Carroll said. "It's a common thing in the NBA now with Birdman (Chris Andersen) in Denver and Carl Landry (Houston). I can come off the bench and bring energy."
MEDICAL WATCH:
No injuries to report.