Guys, Kevin Love seems to have had a good workout with the Griz yesterday as did our homeboy, Joey Dorsey. The general thought locally is we should try and trade up with Miami for Mike Miller and Kyle Lowery to get Beasely. After reading about Love's workout, I wouldn't be heartbroken if we got him. I like his attitude and his overall skill set. Here is what our local rag had to say about yesterday:
Love, Dorsey impress at Griz workout
By Ronald Tillery (Contact)
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Monday, June 9, 2008
Kevin Love sought redemption with Memphis in front of him.
Joey Dorsey wanted to reach new heights. Period.
UCLA forward Kevin Love is among the players the Grizzlies are considering with their first pick in this month's NBA draft.
For Love and Dorsey: Mission accomplished.
Love, projected to be selected in the upper half of the draft lottery, emerged as the top participant, while Dorsey more than held his own in producing the second-best workout among four big men.
The six-player session also included centers DeAndre Jordan (Texas A&M) and JaVale McGee (Nevada), and guards Kyle Weaver (Washington State) and Jeremy Pargo (Gonzaga).
The focus, though, was on the big men, and Love asserted himself as an above-average passer, perimeter shooter, post scorer and athlete who has enough lateral quickness to avoid being a defensive liability.
?He?s gotten himself into great shape since the (Final Four) loss to the Tigers,? Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace said. ?He?s working out well. He got good measurements at the Orlando Pre-Draft Camp. His athleticism is better than expected. He?s going to do fine in the NBA and go in the upper half of the lottery.?
Love immediately shed 15 pounds after the NCAA tournament, and the training proved worthwhile during impressive full-court, three-on-three and one-on-one exercises.
?I wanted to get quicker,? Love said, ?because I?m going to have to play (power forward) in the NBA. I?ll be able to guard (centers) because of my size, but I have to be able to step out on the perimeter and use my quickness. I wanted to show I had the lateral quickness.?
Love displayed excellent shooting from mid-range and ended the workout by burying seven of 10 from beyond the NBA 3-point arc.
Whereas some lottery players rejected the notion of working against so-called lower prospects, Love embraced the idea to prove his stock.
?I?m a competitive guy. It doesn?t matter who I go against,? Love said. ?Going one against none isn?t my style. I like to bang. I wanted to play against length. JaVale and DeAndre are pretty big guys, and I scored against them a bunch of times. I?m going to have to play against guys that size at the next level, and that?s just something I had to show.?
While McGee was active and determined, Jordan had the most difficult workout among the big men. He underwhelmed greatly in endurance, defense and low-post scoring. Jordan missed a dunk and shot an air ball free throw.
The best matchups involved Love and/or Dorsey.
Love?s finest moments came against each of his bigger opponents, as he proving to be virtually impossible to guard in the post. During a one-minute drill in which players had to sprint baseline to baseline while stopping and shooting from the elbow, Love connected on five straight shots. The Grizzlies? staff required seven made shots during that span, and Love converted nine.
Dorsey only sank three baskets during that drill. But, with University of Memphis men?s basketball coach John Calipari watching, Dorsey impressed with his defense and sometimes stunning shot-making in competitive situations.
Dorsey?s fine moments happened when he dunked over a Love block attempt in a three-on-two, full-court exercise, caught a pass in the post and whirled to the basket for a score over Love, and routinely outsmarted Jordan on both ends of the court.
?I want to show everybody I can play with the top guys offensively and on defense, as well,? Dorsey said. ?I?ve put in a lot of work in the gym. I just want to play in the NBA.?
Dorsey and Love were the only big men not visibly tired during the slightly more than an hour session.
?Joey can play in the NBA,? Wallace said. ?He can be a rebounder, defender and energy guy. I think the draft is going to treat Joey much better than people would have thought at the beginning of the season.?
Love seconded that prediction.
?He?s hungry,? Love said of Dorsey. ?He?s a banger. I thought he had a great workout. He hit a bunch of shots and had a pretty nice touch. He actually showed a jump shot. He?ll definitely make a team. He?s big enough and solid.?
Dorsey said he?s worked with NBA players Rudy Gay and Carmelo Anthony in an attempt to make certain he?s seen in a different light.
?I?m getting word that, ?Joey, you might be drafted in the first round because of your defense.? I?m like, ?Wait until they see my offense,?? Dorsey said. ?With that, I think I can move up.?
