Day Two of Tumbles Rumbles view of Grizzlies training camp will look at how Rudy Gay is taking the lead for the Grizzlies this season, Coach Marc Iavaronis opinion of Hamed Ehadadi 's (218-C-85, agency: Agency No 10) progress thus far and a few other observations from todays practice.
Leader of the Pack
Coming into training camp it was likely who the leader of this Grizzlies team is going to be. By the second day it has been confirmed.
Day Two of Tumbles Rumbles view of Grizzlies training camp will look at how Rudy Gay is taking the lead for the Grizzlies this season, Coach Marc Iavaronis opinion of Hamed Ehadadi 's (218-C-85, agency: Agency No 10) progress thus far and a few other observations from todays practice.
Leader of the Pack
Coming into training camp it was likely who the leader of this Grizzlies team is going to be. By the second day it has been confirmed. Everyone in the gym now knows who the leader of the pack is.
Mr. Rudy Gay, please step forward.
Gay, whose scoring average jumped to 20.1 points in his second season from the 10.8 points that he averaged during his rookie season, is ready to lead this Grizzlies squad from the opening tip of the 2008-09 season. Last year I was just doing what I was asked to do, Gay said. That was my role then, but now Ill have a little bit different role on this team as more of a leader.
As a rookie Gay finished third in the NBA Rookie of the Year voting, but was surrounded by veterans like Pau Gasol, Mike Miller and Damon Stoudemire, so he was not looked upon to do much more than take advantage of his abundant athletic talent.
Gays second year in the league saw him make a real impact as the future of the team, as his averages spiked across the board, but during the season in flux that was the 2007-08 Grizzlies campaign, the 6-8 forward was not clearly defined as the voice of the team in the locker room.
His time has now arrived.
'He wants to be a leader. He is more vocal', Grizzlies Head Coach Marc Iavaroni said.
Coming into camp Gay knew that he would be looked to again to score in bunches for the Grizzlies, but he also realized that he would have to work on more than just putting the ball in the basket to help the Grizzlies realize their potential.
During the offseason I think that I fine-tuned everything that I could, Gay said. I think that the best players work on everything, not just one thing.
His coach agrees that Gay is looking to be a force on both sides of the ball this season.
'I think that he is taking more pride in his team defense', Iavaroni said. 'He has always been someone who could stop people individually, and I think that he is becoming more disciplined there. Hes not taking so many gambles and reaching'.
With Gays commitment to excellence on both sides of the ball, if his teammates follow his lead according to plan, the Grizzlies will take a step towards returning to the playoffs this season.
'We always want to add on to what weve done, and with these new guys we are going to get to show what weve got', Gay said.
Haddadi Watch
'I know that a bunch of our readers at Tumbles Rumbles are wondering how Hamed Haddadi has faired thus far other than the fact that I saw him bury a sixteen footer and noticing that he has enormous hands when he was handling the ball, I'm going to let Coach Iavaroni tell the story of how Hamed is doing'.
Grizzlies Head Coach Marc Iavaroni on why the Grizzlies wanted Hamed Haddadi His size and his talent. His potential. You cant teach size. He is very big. Hes got nice hands. Hes got good footwork. Hes got good lateral movement. He showed a willingness to play physically in Salt Lake at the Rocky Mountain Revue and that translated into success at the Olympic Games. You have to be a tough guy to lead everyone in rebounding there. You have to be a tough guy to block a lot of shots. We like toughness on the front line and we thought that he fit that mold.
On when he first heard of Haddadi... Our pro scout Gordan Chiesa saw him in the Rocky Mountain Revue and he immediately called Chris Wallace and told him about him, and to his credit, Mike Heisley got involved and said that we should go after him and show a commitment to him financially with a contract, and he didnt forget that when other teams got involved. We liked that about him because it speaks highly of him and his family.
On the biggest challenge to Haddadi in coming to America... I think that hell want to pick up the language as quickly as possible. Culturally its probably very different from Tehran. I think that once he gets over that and starts making friends it will become easier and easier for him.
On what will it take for Haddadis rookie year to be considered a success... I think that right now it would be to be a part of the rotation. Being on the court and playing important minutes when the score is close I think will help him. Hes going to have to earn that.
Rumbles Training Camp Rumblings
Here are a few interesting tidbits that I collected from todays practice
The Grizzlies closed practice with a full on scrimmage that was had referees calling fouls, etc. From the looks of things the starting lineup after day one is Conley and Mayo at the guards, Gay and Hakim at the forward positions and Marc Gasol in the middle the second team consisted of Kyle Lowry and Marko Jaric in the backcourt, Antoine Walker and Greg Buckner at the forwards and Darko Milicic at center Mayo was consistently knocking down long jumpers during the scrimmage he has a really smooth, high stroke
Mike Conley was getting into the lane with ease dropped a couple of Tony Parker-esque floaters in the lane if he can do this consistently this season he could be a major threat this season
Coach Iavaroni to rookie Darrell Arthur after the recent national champion lined up for a free-throw incorrectly I know you did that in Kansas, but we are in Memphis now.
With all the guards that the Grizzlies have on this roster (specifically Conley, Jaric, Lowry, Crittenton, Mayo) this team shouldnt have too many problems handling pressure, and even though they are young, they should be able to keep the turnovers to a minimum
Iranian basketball star Hamed Ehadadi (218-C-85, agency: Agency No 10) has arrived in the United States to take part in the NBA club Memphis Grizzlies' training camp, Press TV reported.
According to the NBA club's official website, Haddadi arrived at Memphis International Airport on Friday. As a reminder, he signed contract with the Grizzlies in late August.
The 23-year-old Haddadi was greeted by many people.
Iranian basketball star Hamed Ehadadi (218-C-85, agency: Agency No 10) has arrived in the United States to take part in the NBA club Memphis Grizzlies' training camp, Press TV reported.
According to the NBA club's official website, Haddadi arrived at Memphis International Airport on Friday. As a reminder, he signed contract with the Grizzlies in late August.
The 23-year-old Haddadi was greeted by many people. The most important ones were the Grizzlies General Manager and Vice President of Basketball Operations Chris Wallace, Director of Player Personnel Tony Barone, Sr., and Director of Scouting Tony Barone, Jr.
Haddadi averaged 16.6 points, 11.2 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in the five games he played for Iran in the Beijing Olympic Games.
The Grizzlies training camp will begin on Tuesday, Sep. 30.
Courtesy of http://www.iranmania.com
Iran quits wheelchair basketball
by Eurobasket News - Sep 13, 2008
Iran's wheelchair basketball team has forfeited against the United States and avoided meeting Israel by withdrawing from the Paralympic Games.
An Iranian official denied the move was politically motivated.
Iran and the United States have no diplomatic relations and the US government has led efforts to challenge Iran's nuclear program.
The winner of the US-Iran match would have gone on to meet the winner of
Israel-Canada.
Iran's wheelchair basketball team has forfeited against the United States and avoided meeting Israel by withdrawing from the Paralympic Games.
An Iranian official denied the move was politically motivated.
Iran and the United States have no diplomatic relations and the US government has led efforts to challenge Iran's nuclear program.
The winner of the US-Iran match would have gone on to meet the winner of Israel-Canada.
Uneasy politics
Iran severed diplomatic relations with Israel after the 1979 Iranian revolution, and does not recognize Israel as a country.
An Iranian official said the forfeit was prompted by the game being brought forward from 11:15 am to 9 am.
'The main reason is ... some change suddenly in the time of the match,' said the official, a member of Iran's delegation in Beijing who refused to give his name because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The game was to have aired live on Iranian television, and many Iranians in China had bought tickets.
Time change blamed
'This sudden change has made a lot of problem for us,' the Iran official said.
'(Because of) the problems this causes for the delegation, this team decided not to participate in the game.'
The US team received notice of the time change about 24 hours before the match, said Jeannine Hansen, a spokeswoman for the American delegation.
Flexible schedule
Teams were told before the Paralympics that competition times could change for television broadcasts or other reasons, she said.
'We agreed to the time change for the game with Iran, but we weren't given a specific reason,' she said.
The International Paralympic Committee said Iran withdrew because the team was unhappy about 'the draw proposed for the crossover round and subsequent schedule.'
Unfortunate decision
The statement by the committee said the IPC and the International Wheelchair Basketball Association 'regret this decision taken by Iran and the disruption caused to the tournament.'
The statement did not mention any possible penalties upon Iran.
It was not clear why Iran's delegation and the IPC gave different reasons for the withdrawal.
The IPC could not be reached for further comment; the mobile phone for spokeswoman Steffi Klein rang unanswered.
Previous form
There had been other recent examples of Iran representatives pulling out of Olympic events involving Israel.
At the Beijing Olympics last month, Iranian swimmer Mohammad Alirezaei pulled out of a 100-meter breaststroke heat that included an Israeli competitor, citing illness.
The International Olympic Committee said no violation had been found.
'We take both the athlete and the national Olympic committee at their word on this,' spokeswoman Giselle Davies said then.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Iran's judo world champion and gold medal favourite Arash Miresmaeili did not compete against an Israeli opponent, publicly stating it was for political reasons.
Iranian government officials were quoted in state media as congratulating him for doing so.
Courtesy of http://www.aljazeera.net/
Iran wheelchair basketball beats Sweden
by Eurobasket News - Sep 9, 2008
The Iranian men's wheelchair basketball team has beaten Sweden 92 to 66 at the USTB Gymnasium in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.
Iran's Hussein Haidari scored 26 points and gave seven assists. European champion Sweden's Joachim Gustavsson posted 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Iran started the Paralympics with an easy 73-62 victory over South Africa on Sunday. Alireza Ahmadi, who plays in the Italian League, led the team with 24 points. At the same time he had 10 more assists.
The Iranian men's wheelchair basketball team has beaten Sweden 92 to 66 at the USTB Gymnasium in the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games.
Iran's Hussein Haidari scored 26 points and gave seven assists. European champion Sweden's Joachim Gustavsson posted 11 points and 13 rebounds.
Iran started the Paralympics with an easy 73-62 victory over South Africa on Sunday. Alireza Ahmadi, who plays in the Italian League, led the team with 24 points. At the same time he had 10 more assists.
Iran's wheelchair basketball team will play against Japan on Tuesday.
Courtesy of http://www.iranmania.com
Iran U18 triumphs at home!
by Eurobasket News - Sep 5, 2008
Iran U18- Kazakhstan U18 95:76
Iran U18 triumphs at home at FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Men. In the Final game the team overcame strong Kazakhstan U18 95:76. Azadi Stadium crowd was gladly satisfied with their juniors effort. Mehdi Shirjang led the winners with 24 points. Farbod Farman netted 18, Ramin Honarmand scored 12 and Mohammad Amjad added 11. Alexander Tyutyunik, Anton Arsenyev and Artyom Skornyakov posted 18 each in defeat and Obirzak Akhmet had 11.
Iran U18- Kazakhstan U18 95:76
Iran U18 triumphs at home at FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Men. In the Final game the team overcame strong Kazakhstan U18 95:76. Azadi Stadium crowd was gladly satisfied with their juniors effort. Mehdi Shirjang led the winners with 24 points. Farbod Farman netted 18, Ramin Honarmand scored 12 and Mohammad Amjad added 11. Alexander Tyutyunik, Anton Arsenyev and Artyom Skornyakov posted 18 each in defeat and Obirzak Akhmet had 11. Both Iran and Kazakhstan had already qualified for the FIBA U19 World Championship for Men in New Zealand next year. Both squads realized the importance of the game and tried hard from the very beginning. Iran managed to take 25:19 ahead at the end of the first quarter. The second quarter was fatal for the guests that trialed 24:35 in the middle of it. Moreover Iran pushed the tempo and increased to 59:37 going into the changing rooms and never looked back. The score after the third period was 81:58 that already at that time gave Iran the confidence in a win. The hosts did not stop and won the Final 95:76. It was a great organization and the spectators enjoyed the win of their local team!
Iran U18: Mehdi Shirjang 24, Farbod Farman 18, Ramin Honarmand 12, Mohammad Amjad 11 Kazakhstan U18: Alexander Tyutyunik 18, Anton Arsenyev 18, Artyom Skornyakov 18, Obirzak Akhmet 11
The hosts of FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Men advance to the Final
by Eurobasket News - Sep 4, 2008
Iran U18-Syria U18 80:78
Iran U18 will try to satisfy the local fans in Tehran in FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Men Final. The team crawled into it after a tough semifinal win over Syria U18. The latter surprised everyone entering the semifinals and could ask for more. Farbod Farman powered his way to grab the rebound, convert under the board and took Iran into the final with an 80:78 win. Mohammed Hasanzadeh led the winners with 27 points and 24 rebounds.
Iran U18-Syria U18 80:78
Iran U18 will try to satisfy the local fans in Tehran in FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Men Final. The team crawled into it after a tough semifinal win over Syria U18. The latter surprised everyone entering the semifinals and could ask for more. Farbod Farman powered his way to grab the rebound, convert under the board and took Iran into the final with an 80:78 win. Mohammed Hasanzadeh led the winners with 27 points and 24 rebounds. Farbod Farman netted 17 and made 16 boards, while Mehdi Shrijang scored 10. Samer Bawadekji finished the game with 22 points in defeat and Alaa Al Sebaay posted 15. Iran booked a berth in the FIBA U19 World Championship for Men in New Zealand next year. Both teams stayed close in the first period and as a result the guests took only 23:21 advantage. Iran bounced back and could go on the break leading 6 points. In the third period Syria climbed to three points gap and trailed entering the last period. In a back-to-back battle Iran benefit from the game to enter the Finals. Farbod Farman converted under the board and took Iran into the final with an 80:78 win. Iran will face Kazakhstan in the Asian Under-18 championship tomorrow.
Iran U18: Mohammed Hasanzadeh 27+24 rebs, Farbod Farman 17+16 rebs, Mehdi Shrijang 10 Syria U18: Samer Bawadekji 22, Alaa Al Sebaay 15
Iran U18 loses the first, remains hot for the Gold
by Eurobasket News - Sep 3, 2008
Philippines U18-Iran U18 85:84
There are no undefeated teams left in FIBA Asia U18 Championship for Men. Philippines beat Iran 85:84 but did not change the situation in Group 2. Trailing almost in the whole game the guests won it due to the last period. Ryan Garcia (178-F) paced the winners with 19 points. Matthew Wright nailed 13, while Frank Golla scored 10. Farbod Farman top-scored for the hosts with 19 Mandammad Hasanzadeh added 17.
