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The Memphis Grizzlies selected Xavier Henry with the 12th pick of the draft.  He's still unsigned.  Rookie salaries are set by the CBA, but teams may offer anywhere between 80% to 120% of that set value.  Since the CBA has gone into place, every rookie but one has gotten 120% of the set value guaranteed.  The Grizzlies are trying to tie the "extra" 20% to performance bonuses.

There is such a thing as fiscal sanity.  I respect that, particularly with the travails the Hornets have gone through the last couple years while trying to find it.  This, however, qualifies as fiscal insanity.  I don't care if it seems reasonable to tie what could be deemed as 'extra' salary to incentives.  If every rookie that enters the league gets the maximum salary they are able to get, then it's not extra salary, it's a fair salary.

There are studies about this phenomenon.  If you offer one brother $1.00 to do a very simple chore, and then offer the other brother only fifty cents, despite the fact that the chore is simple, and probably not even worth that much, they will refuse to do it.  Fairness.

So here's a fair deal I'd love to see:  The Hornets call up Memphis and offer next year's first round pick for Xavier Henry.  Hell, then toss in the million dollars the Grizzlies are trying to save with the maneuver.  That's right, we're talking about 1 million dollars, spread out over four years.  I'm not about to begrudge Henry, with his sweet shot and oozing potential, the same amount of cap space that we paid Devin Brown.  Are  you?

This is exactly the sort of thing the Hornets should be doing as they build for the future.  Henry's already an exceptional shooter and shows good potential as a defender.  He could easily form a young, dynamic three-guard rotation with Paul and Thornton - all of whom can shoot with range, and if Henry develops, drive and score.

According to Wikipedia, which obviously is the end-all source on everything, the Hornets don't have a rival. That makes me remarkably sad considering the deep seeded mild anger that I feel toward opposing ball clubs. If we don't have a rival, how will anyone know which games matter most at the beginning of the season? Sure every game matters, but there is something to be said for manufacturing drama, especially on a sports blog.

Since the dawn of sports, long term rivalries have existed for a number of reasons, including...

• The two teams that are competing have fan bases that are in close geographical proximity to one another, often leading for fans to root for one or the other.
• The teams are thrust into competing in crucial games year after year in which only one can prevail
• Both teams have an excellent player whose accomplishments for whatever reason are always compared to those of another team's excellent player.
• They are a great marketing tool for teams to entice fans to come to the arena, even if a season isn't going quite as planned.
  
• The media needs stuff to write about, and the fans want a reason to care more.
  

Frankly I don't want to start a discussion about who Hornets fans like the least, but that's exactly what needs to happen to determine a rival. Lot's of teams have angered the Bees over the years, and it's time fans let them know exactly how they feel.

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The Hornets are in Memphis this evening to take on the Grizzlies, both teams lottery-bound and trying to keep their heads held high in the last two weeks of the season. Game tips at 7 Central.

The Grizzlies are 38-36 on the season, 22-16 at home and have lost three straight, the last two in overtime. Chip Crain from 3 Shades of Blue tells us how it is:

It’s simple with the Grizzlies. Let them get a big lead and watch them blow it down the stretch. There is no such thing as an easy win for the least experienced team in the NBA and one of the youngest as well.

Memphis has blown double digit leads in games 16 times this season - including an 11 pt lead with just over 4 minutes remaining against Dallas Wednesday night -  and ended up losing the game. No telling how many more times they lost a double digit lead only to come back and win in the end. If the Grizzlies had just gone 8-8 in those 16 games they would be safely in the playoffs this season.

The problem isn’t the starting five which is strong all around but the bench which doesn’t have one reliable scorer in the lot. Ronnie Brewer was acquired to strengthen the bench and instead has missed 14 of the 17 games he could have played in due to a sore hammy. The other main bench players are Marcus Williams, rookies Sam Young, Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll and second year player Darrell Arthur. The only one with any real game experience is Williams who washed out of the NBA last season and was found playing ball in Puerto Rico. The starters have been healthy this season which has allowed the Grizzlies to flirt with a .500 season but if the team had to deal with the injuries the Hornets have suffered through the season would have been another disaster.

The Hornets have beaten the Grizzlies home and away this season, but lost the last meeting, 100-104, a month ago in New Orleans. Mike Conley and Darren Collison battled hard in that one, while Zach Randolph delivered 23 and 11 for the Grizzlies and Marcus Thornton poured in 24 for the Hornets.

Numbers:

Pace: Grizzlies 96.0 (9th), Hornets 94.6 (17th)
Offensive Efficiency: Grizzlies 105.1 (12th), Hornets 104.9 (15th)
Defensive Efficiency: Grizzlies 106.9 (21st), Hornets 107.1 (23rd)

Linkage:

• Lagniappe: A must-watch Collison/Thornton vid
  
• Rival bloggers: 3 Shades of Blue (THN)

(Many thanks to Dariusz for today's banner featuring David West. Be sure to check out more of Dariusz's designs in our Wallpapers vault.)

That was a tough game to swallow.  The Hornets had a solid lead with 5 minutes to go, they had Rudy Gay barking at the referees, and earning a tech, and it seemed like they momentarily relaxed.  One minute later the score was tied.  Then the Hornets were down, and then Posey got a vital rebound with 8 seconds left, turned . . . and led a fastbreak towards the sideline with his head down.  Turnover.  Game.

Wow.

At this point in the season, losses like that are deadly to the Hornets' playoff chances.  Like Niall said in the comments post-game, I'm sure the team will keep fighting, but the margin for error is vanishing quickly.

Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton

Thornton and Collison were fully what we've come to expect and love during the game.  High energy and lots of stat-stuffing.  Thornton, in particular, was an offensive firestorm tonight.  24 points on 16 shots in 32 minutes.  His first play upon entering the game was a sneaky strip of a rebound from Gasol.

That said, both players showed all game long that they could be abused defensively.  In the first half, the Grizzlies posted Collison 6 times - and they resulted in 1 basket, 4 free throws, 2 hockey assists, and one missed shot.  They then did the same thing to Thornton when he came in, posting him with Mayo and Young.  Thornton held his own against Mayo, but Young was muscling him all over the court.  He went 3/3 with an assist during that stretch.

Of course, Thornton was infinitely better than Morris Peterson, who practiced waving at Mayo's shots all night long - from about ten feet away.

David West

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Things are a little bleak for the Hornets heading into tonight's showdown with the visiting Memphis Grizzlies. New Orleans has lost four of its last five, falling four games behind the Blazers for the last playoff spot in the West. John Hollinger's machinery is giving the Bees less than a five percent chance of making the postseason, and they play seven of nine on the road starting Friday.

The Grizzlies have similar troubles. At 30-30, they're just a half game behind the Hornets in the standings, but have lost 11 of their last 16. Their only recent success has come on the road, where they've won four straight (Raptors, Nets, Wizards, Knicks).

The Hornets will be glad to get Darius Songaila back from injury tonight, since the Grizzlies are tough inside: Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol combine to average about 36 points and 21 rebounds per game. The Grizzlies are also second in the NBA in rebound rate.

The Hornets lead the season series 2-0, having beat the Grizzlies twice by narrow margins in January. In the first game, James Posey was the hero after dropping the winning layup with one second left. Second time around, Darren Collison dished a franchise rookie record 18 assists and came up big in overtime to seal the deal. You can bet the Grizzlies haven't forgotten those heartbreakers.

Memphis will be without Ronnie Brewer tonight. Due to a hamstring injury, he's played just 12 minutes for the Grizzlies since coming over from Utah at the trade deadline.

Game tips at 7 Central.

Numbers:

Pace: Grizzlies 95.6 (12th), Hornets 94.6 (19th)
Offensive Efficiency: Grizzlies 104.8 (12th), Hornets 104.5 (13th)
Defensive Efficiency: Grizzlies 107.1 (23rd), Hornets 105.7 (19th)

Linkage:

• Lagniappe: Marks be blogging, Thornton a force, and behind the scenes with the Hornets' broadcast team
  
• Standings: Hornets four games back of Portland for the 8th spot. The Blazers host the Pacers at 9 Central.
  
• Rival bloggers: 3 Shades of Blue (THN)

(Many thanks to Dariusz for today's banner featuring Marcus Thornton. Be sure to check out more of Dariusz's designs in our Wallpapers vault.)