2006-2007 Finish: 50-32

What went well

Though GM Deckard claims he has the formula to win it all (he hasn't yet), the Grizzlies have the bragging rights of claiming they have made the playoffs each of the five seasons the Austrian GM has been running the show. This year proved no exception as the Grizz busted into the Western Conference semis after repeated past first round exits.

GM Deckard made it a priority to improve this season and he has proven himself to be one of the most cutthroat GMs in the business. He banished star Mike Miller to Miami for the up-and-coming Jameer Nelson at the end of the prior season. His gamble paid-off as Nelson is now one of the most-vaunted point guards in the game. He also sent off town favorite Pau Gasol for Chris Bosh. In that swap of the stars, the Grizzlies gained 23-year-old with some serious upside.

The trading continued into the new season. Newly re-signed Ricky Davis, going into his fourth season as Grizzly, got sent to the Bulls for Brad Miller and Mickael Pietrus. Youngsters Ersan Ilyasova and Maurice Ager were sent to the Wizards for Matt Bonner.

Many in the league soon took notice of GM Deckard's tactics and some decried them as 'shady.' What they saw was the accruel of as many draft picks as possible. But what the other GM worried about was the precedent set when the Grizzlies signed free agent Al Harrington to a maximum contract (that he didn't deserve) and sent him away to a 'mark,' like GM James and the hapless Seattle Sonics.

With so many draft picks coming in and out Memphis, GM Deckard was a popular GM to call. In fact, six of his seven 06/07 trades involved picks. Finally, GM Deckard raised eyebrows again as he traded some picks and seven GM points to Sacramento for Stephen Jackson. Once again, GMs worried about the future of trading with this outlandish move.

But what about what happened on the court? The Grizzlies played good ball, finished above .500 and exited the playoffs early. This seems to be the pattern for GM Deckard lately. Hopefully he will find the formula soon.

What didn't

Though they barely dispatched the upstart Clippers 4-3 in the first round, they went toe-to-toe with the Spurs in the next round. Though the series ultimately ended in loss, the Grizzlies proved they could stir it up with a contender like San Antonio. Perhaps what sufferd most was GM Deckard's reputation around the league. GMs are now wary to deal with him and many of them are relieved that he won't have $15 million to blow on one free agent in the fall. The Grizzly bench didn't get the job done with injuries(Bonner,Shavik Randolph) and underproduction (Marvin Williams and Kwame Brown) eating up valuable cap space and doing little.

Star

- Chris Bosh, PF-

GM Deckard rarely makes a deal that isn't in his favor and he knew he was getting a star-in-the-making when he traded Gasol to Washington. Rebounding from a season ended early by injury, Bosh is the real thing. He averaged 16.7 and 11.5 while being surrounded by players like the trigger-happy (and very good) Nelson and Pietrus. Bosh should continue to get better and better as GM Deckard sees his gamble pay off some serious dividends.

Goat

-Kwame Brown, FC –

This former number one pick has done nothing but disappoint. When Memphis traded with the Suns in February 2006, they had hoped that they would be receiving a player with some serious upside. True, they ditched Steve Francis and Calvin Booth in the trade, but Brown has turned out to be just as bad. He played in only 40 games last season, starting in seven. He averaged only 4.2 points and pulled down 4.4 boards. This is a long fall from the guy named Defensive Player and Most Improved of the Year in 2003. A lot of this could be blamed on injury and Brown hopefully will re-join the Grizz fully healthy, but GM Deckard needs to make plans if he goes down again.

Looking to the future

The Grizzlies have two big salary decisions to make when the season begins. Bosh will almost certainly sign a juicy extension while Miller is more of a question mark. If he does return, Miller will command more than $10 million next year. He did battle foot injuries last season, but Memphis needs to decide if that $10 million would be better used shoring up the bench. The rest of the lineup is in good shape with Matt Harpring, S-Jax and Nelson all playing good ball.

Pietrus, on the other hand, could bring some drama into Memphis. A restricted free agent, Pietrus has lost his starting job. There are rumblings out of his camp that he will demand a trade when the seasons begins. Apart from the point guard Jose Calderon, the rest of the Grizzly bench could use an upgrade. There are still hopes pinned on Williams, but if his play last season was any indicator, he could be a bust.

So what happened with all those draft picks? The Grizzlies actually had a very modest day. They ended up with the ninth selection and chose Florida center Joakim Noah. The sophomore brings energy, strong passing and defense to the team. Though his jump shot is not there, he will be an immediate contributor to this squad and perhaps a replacement for the expensive Miller. Also selected was small forward Alando Tucker. This Wisconsin senior may or may not turn into a solid player but he is a hard baller with some nice leaping skills.