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Lance Stephenson will play for the Clippers next season after being dealt west for Matt Barnes and Spencer Hawes. While the “Born Ready” former Pacer struggled mightily in his sole season in Charlotte, he didn’t hesitate to call out his new team for a lack of toughness last year when they squandered a 3-1 lead in the Conference Semifinals to the Rockets.

“I feel like last year they weren’t as tough,” Stephenson told Ben Bolch of the Los Angeles Times. “They needed that guy to get them angry and get everybody mad and get other people scared. I feel like I could add on to that.”

Doc Rivers, the coach and GM who brought Lance aboard, was optimistic about the trade, despite his year in Charlotte. “It’s a risk if you go by one year,” Rivers told Bolch. “But I don’t know if it’s a risk if you go by body of work over his career.”

Stephenson also attempted to explain why he can often come off as a boorish teammate more likely to show up his on-court collaborators rather than take some of the blame for a blown play.

“When I’m on the court, I’ve got that type of energy where it looks like I’m yelling at somebody,” Lance said. “But I feel like when I talk to my teammates, it amps them and makes them work harder.”

We’re not sure what’s more obtuse. The people who claim Stephenson is a HUGE upgrade over Matt Barnes (or even Spencer Hawes, who Doc totally abandoned before throwing him in during the playoffs), or the fact Lance decided to call out his future teammates for a lack of toughness before he’d even suited up for them.

Stephenson shot 17.1 percent from beyond the three-point arc last season. Barnes shot a respectable 36.2 percent before falling off a cliff when the playoffs started. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the two last season.

Yes, he had a higher usage than Barnes. The Clippers two-guard was just needed in a 3&D role with Blake Griffin, Chris Paul and J.J. Redick handling the majority of the offensive load. But let’s not forget just how awful Stephenson was last season.

USA TODAY Sports

It’s worth mentioning Lance was ranked No. 100 (out of 101 shooting guards) in offensive real plus-minus last season. Even worse, he was dead last (No. 101) in WAR (The estimated number of team wins attributable to each player, based on real plus-minus). Barnes, who ESPN listed as a small forward, was ranked No. 15 (out of 86 candidates) in offensive real plus-minus. He was No. 6 at small forward in WAR.

In case you forgot, real plus-minus is a step beyond a player’s regular plus-minus, with surrounding talent taken into account before arriving at a set number. The same could be said for the WAR because it uses real plus-minus to attribute a number of wins to a player.

According to those calculations, Stephenson was the worst shooting guard in the entire Association last year. Barnes, in contrast, was one of the most efficient small forwards. True, the Clippers are a much better team than the Hornets, but that’s why we’re looking at real plus-minus, which takes that divide into account.

Stephenson knows that the Clippers are better, too. Here’s how he reacted when he heard about the trade:

“I was like, ‘What? Are you serious? Like, I’m on the Clippers?’ I was very happy.”

So, why question their toughness? Why did Stephenson lob a grenade into the foxhole he’s about to climb into?

On top of the empirical data denigrating his game, and complimenting Barnes, Stephenson’s belief that the Clippers needed someone to “get everybody mad and get other people scared,” forgets that Barnes is basically the personification of that player.

Matt cursed out James Harden’s mom in the Conference Semifinals, and he’s ebbing closer to a professional on-court troll at this point, but with a better jump shot than Stephenson.

This is a really bad way for Lance to start his tenure in L.A., but if we’re grading on a curve, it’s about par for the course.

(Los Angeles Times)

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The NBA carousel continues to go round and round. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Memphis Grizzlies have reportedly picked up Matt Barnes from the Charlotte Hornets for veteran guard Luke Ridnour. Barnes landed in Charlotte temporarily after the Clippers shed him to bring in Lance Stephenson.

Barnes is the quintessential Grizzly. He’s a tough, hard-nosed defender who doesn’t mind sacrificing his body to prevent a bucket. But, unlike the Memphis teams of yore, he can actually swish shots from deep at a decent clip. His shooting should provide great value for a Grizzlies squad starving from beyond the arc.

Between Zach Randolph and Barnes, the Grizzlies are guaranteed to get into several kerfuffles with opposing teams next year. If the Grizzlies and Clippers face off in the postseason for the umpteenth time, I’m not sure anyone leaves alive. A rivalry featuring Chris Paul, Lance Stephenson, Blake Griffin, Zach Randolph and Matt Barnes should make for great theater.

Memphis is a fitting place for Barnes to end his career as he careens into his late 30s (he turned 35 in March). You can be sure his play will quickly endear him to the Grizzlies fan base.

(ESPN)

Do you need a ringer for an upcoming softball game, but it’s been hard to acquire the services of a Major League Baseball player? We suggest you call a professional athlete from another sport: Memphis Grizzlies guard/forward Matt Barnes.

The former defensive ace for the Los Angeles Clippers took part in Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman’s annual softball game at Safeco Field in Seattle over the weekend. It was a star-studded event, as it featured appearances from Russell Wilson, Jamal Crawford, Marshawn Lynch, Zach LaVine, Nick Young, Charissa Thompson, and even Kevin Durant.

There’s no word on exactly what Barnes did to earn the MVP award – it must have been something really impressive, because Lavine drove in Lynch for the game-winning run, and you’d expect a hometown guy to get the honor in a game like this – but it’s certainly a nice accomplishment. If you have more than three hours to kill and want to watch a celebrity softball game, here’s part one and here’s part two.

(via BallIsLife)

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It’s hard not to love Matt Barnes if you’re an NBA blogger, and it’s also pretty easy to hate him. But he’s had his requisite moment lambasting Dwight Howard, and he’s gone over the line with a peer’s parent; Barnes’ sh*t-eating grin in games always makes us laugh, and he’s also had repeated issues going over the line on Twitter. He’s good copy, basically, and he didn’t disappoint in yesterday’s SportsNation appearance.

When asked about Thunder power forward Serge Ibaka, who he’s had a run-in with before, Barnes said, “Me and Serge can fight right now. I just don’t like him.” He said this before adding that Serge is basically a fake tough guy.

Serge took the comments in stride with this laughing response tweet.

When it’s late July and most of the big-name free agents have been scooped up, this is what we’re left with: A new Memphis Grizzlies role player challenging the Oklahoma City Thunder’s defensive force in the middle to a fight.

For the record, Barnes’ hardscrabble upbringing makes him uniquely suited for these sorts of boasts, and he did smartly add during his Ibaka harangue that the NBA would come down hard on him if he threw the first punch. We do know, though, that Ibaka is 6-foot-10 and 245 pounds, and Barnes is 6-foot-7 and 225. Actually, imagining a rumble between these two is what we’ve been reduced to in July. We’re due a break next month, but this story already has us wishing for the start of the 2015-16 season.

(@SportsNation)

On Tuesday, Matt Barnes appeared to challenge Serge Ibaka to fisticuffs — on national television no less. Ibaka responded through Twitter with a request for an official UFC fight, but the native Spanish-Congolese big man had more to add when TMZ approached him today.

As he says in the video above, winning a championship comes first, but Serge Ibaka would definitely fight Matt Barnes. The two could make a lot of money if they took their battle to the octagon, but I’m sure Adam Silver wouldn’t be so keen on the pugilistic sideshow. Neither of these guys are going to fight, because they both enjoy their money, but watching Barnes get pummeled by a 6-foot-10 Ibaka would be a sight to behold.

Ibaka probably isn’t the only player in the league willing to fight Matt Barnes. The newly acquired Grizzlies wing has made a name for himself by getting under other players’ skin.

Lastly, the greatest part of this video is Dion Waiters chewing his toothpick with a wry look on his face in the background.

(TMZ Sports)

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Matt Barnes no longer plays for the Los Angeles Clippers. Fortunately for the many NBA fans who long for physical, downright nasty play of the 1980s and ’90s, though, the league’s foremost agitator found his way to the Memphis Grizzlies – who just happen to have a rivalry of their own with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Barnes stoked the Grizzlies-Thunder fire earlier last week, offering to fight Serge Ibaka “right now.” OKC’s defensive extraordinaire quickly accepted the invitation, with the caveat that a UFC-style bout would only happen after his team hoists the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

That should have been the end of it, at least until Memphis and Oklahoma City meet on the court in 2015-16. But this is the offseason, when some players just can’t but make waves through the media. From Dan Woike of the Orange County Register, Barnes fanned the flames again during an appearance on The Chris Vernon Show:

Video evidence supports Barnes’ take on interactions between Ibaka and Blake Griffin. But while the first clip is horrifically unsportsmanlike and certainly worthy of immense criticism, the latter seems accidental. Take a look at both incidents for yourself:

Kendrick Perkins clearly pushes Ibaka into Griffin in the second video, right? Then again, it’s not like the Thunder big man deserves benefit of the doubt. He’s definitely earned the “dirty” label.

We’ll never appreciate a war of words like this one. It’s all posturing. Unlike another ridiculous feud between NBA stars, however, at least Barnes and Ibaka’s will have tangible on-court impact going forward. Needless to say, we can’t wait to watch the Grizzlies and Thunder square off come the fall.

[Via DanWoike] [Via FunnyNBAJokes, via G4NBAVideosHD2]

USA TODAY Sports

Matt Barnes is a perfect fit with the Memphis Grizzlies, who he signed with this summer, even if we’re already snoozing at the tired “true grit” refrains surrounding the player and the team. But while Barnes is moving to Memphis, he’s still got a lot of friends back in Los Angeles, including this summer’s free-agency fiasco, DeAndre Jordan.

Barnes and DJ are tight, as anyone who has looked at either’s Instagram knows. Together with Blake Griffin, the three amigos formed a tight-knit group within the Clippers team. But Barnes is so intense, after he signed with the Grizzlies he wanted his old buddy to know he wasn’t going to ease off him just because they’re friends off the court.

By way of the Los Angeles Times, comes Barnes’ jocular threat to his old Clippers teammate:

Matt Barnes recently spent a few days with former Clippers teammate DeAndre Jordan to celebrate Jordan’s 27th birthday, and it wasn’t all backslaps and best-wishes.

Barnes made sure to warn Jordan that things could change between them in the flicker of a cake candle now that Barnes plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.

“I told him, ‘Even though we’re good friends, I’m still going to foul the beep out of you when we play,’ ” Barnes recalled Tuesday during his introductory news conference in Memphis. “That’s just the kind of player I am. There’s no hard feelings.”

Barnes seems to have a solid grasp of the line between adversary and ally even when some people who are close to him do not.

“Basically coming from the enemy and now they’re the enemy,” Barnes said of the Clippers, “my kids are a little confused still. I have twin boys and they’re just like, ‘So, Daddy, do you not like DeAndre, Chris [Paul] and Blake [Griffin] no more?’ And I’m like, ‘No, they’re still my friends, it’s just they’re my enemy when the ball goes up.’ “

This is what a role player like Barnes needs to get up for a contest. He might not be as physically gifted as some of his NBA peers, and certainly not on the Clippers, but the intensity is certainly there. Just ask Kobe.

About that birthday mentioned in the L.A. Times article, Barnes posted a message to DJ on Instagram, and reiterated his threat while alluding to DJ’s free-throw struggles, but also his perseverance (they are friends, after all).

 

“Ima foul the shiotouta you when we play yall.. U gonna hv to earn All That $$ from the foul line against us!! Hahaaa”

So now Barnes is gonna foul the sh*t outta his buddy DJ and fight Serge Ibaka. Never change, Matt.

(Via Los Angeles Times; h/t PBT)

At first, we almost felt bad for Matt Barnes. The Memphis Grizzlies wing certainly hasn’t confirmed that he’s dating Rihanna, and even goes so far as to say that she’s only his “friend.” But given the “Bitch Better Have My Money” superstar’s very public reaction to his suggestive remarks, it’s pretty clear that Barnes crossed the line of relationship etiquette in the video above.

Mere hours after TMZ caught up with the 35-year-old veteran, Rihanna took to Instagram to clarify the real state of her relationship with him – or lack thereof.

“This actually hurt my feelings.”

Yikes. And there goes any chance of us empathizing with one of basketball’s most nefarious instigators. In fact, what’s the only thing less likely than the public siding with Barnes here? By the looks of it, his odds of ever actually dating Rihanna.

Needless to say, Barnes is better off sticking to trash talk with NBA peers than trying to cultivate a relationship with music’s most eligible bachelorette. It will be amusing to see how this turn of events effects him on the court in 2015-2016, too. Remember when Khris Humphries was widely mocked by league followers for his failed marriage to Kim Kardashian?

Considering Rihanna’s feelings were hurt by his brazen, wholly inaccurate comments, we’re definitely hoping opposing fans remember Barnes’ misstep next season.

[Via TMZ, via Rihanna]

Getty/USA Today

We all know what the big moves by contenders were this season. The Spurs brought in LaMarcus Aldridge and somehow managed to convince David West to take an $11 million pay cut, while the Rockets traded for Ty Lawson, giving them one of the league’s most frightening backcourts. But what of the the more low-key moves? Let’s look at some under-the-radar offseason transfers and signings by contenders, which could have a surprisingly high impact on how they perform this season.

Matt Barnes – Memphis Grizzlies

After 13 years in the league, Barnes will finally suit up for the team that originally drafted him. It’s hard not to think of a team and a player more made for each other than Barnes and the Grizz. He’s the quintessential tough guy, and the Grizz are quintessentially a tough-guy team. He’s a clear fit for their mentality, and will likely gain a following right away. More importantly, though, he could help the Grizzlies with their floor-spacing woes. He shot a respectable 36.2 percent from deep last season, and 44.4 percent from the field. Within the Grizzlies system, Barnes will likely be a low-usage player, but he can stretch the floor as a small forward or off-guard, allowing Marc and Z-Bo to do more dirty work in the post. Plus, he can augment an already grimy defense, and has no qualms getting in the face of opponents, even if they’re former teammates.

Mo Williams – Cleveland Cavaliers

Hey look, we all had a brief infatuation with Delly during the Finals. His random 20-point outburst in Game 3 and his intense performance on defense won him many fans. But the reality is, his offensive game is severely limited, and as the series went on, the Warriors quickly realized he wasn’t a scoring threat, applying more and more pressure on LeBron, and easily taking the series. It became clear Cleveland sorely needed a backup point guard, especially considering that injuries have been a concern throughout Kyrie Irving’s career. That’s why bringing Mo back to Cleveland was a huge move. As we saw last year, he’s still a capable scorer, averaging 14.2 points a game (his highest total since his last season with LeBron), and stunning everyone with a 52-point performance during his time in Minnesota. Williams will likely play a Sixth man role, similar to the one he played on the 2011-12 Clippers, but if Kyrie misses any time, the Cavs now know they have a capable, experienced point guard to fill in.

Tiago Splitter – Atlanta Hawks

This one really feels like it should’ve gotten more hype. Splitter was one of the pieces the Spurs had to relinquish in order to clear cap space for Aldridge, but it can’t be understated how much this signing means for the Hawks. First off, it’s hard to think of a better center combination in the league than Al Horford and Splitter. Having a player like Splitter, who could probably start for the half the teams in this league, come off the bench, is an enormous luxury. Additionally, he gives the team some much needed Horford insurance. Al has suffered season-ending injuries in the 2011-12 and the 2013-14 seasons, and as great as he is when healthy, there’s always a lingering concern about his body holding up under the rigors of an NBA regular season. Admittedly, Splitter has been bothered by injuries as well, but just having one of these guys healthy gives the Hawks a solid option at center, and if both can stick around, this team could again sneak up on people next season, even after clinching the No. 1 seed last year.

Josh Smith – Los Angeles Clippers

It’s hard to fully comprehend everything that’s happened with Josh Smith over the past few seasons. For years he was a borderline All-Star in Atlanta, and a key contributor on a perennial playoff team. Then, he went to Detroit and the wheels fell off. The Pistons’ poor spacing was a nightmare, with all of Smith’s worst attributes on full display: the casual indifference to transition defense, the poor shot selection and the on-court attitude. The who imbroglio led the Pistons cutting Smith with 2.5 guaranteed years still left on his contract. Smith rebounded by playing surprisingly well with the Rockets. However, the Clippers appear to be a perfect landing spot for him. Their “lob city” aesthetic is the perfect match for Smith’s athleticism, and by relieving Blake Griffin, he’ll help improve last year’s woeful bench.

Jason Thompson – Golden State Warriors

The Kings, Smith’s team for his entire career, traded him to the Sixers in one of the more obvious cap space dumps of the offseason. Of course, for a team like the Sixers, an experienced vet who has already reached his ceiling made no sense, so they sent him to the Warriors where he can be a rotation guy on one of the best teams in the league. With David Lee departing for Boston, Thompson gives the Warriors a solid backup big who can improve the team’s post presence. Thompson has never been a flashy player, but he’ll likely be quietly effective. Plus, after being trapped on the vast wasteland that is the Sacramento Kings, playing for a coach like Steve Kerr could give him a serious boost.

On Sunday, Rihanna lacked no subtlety in confirming her non-relationship with the Memphis Grizzlies’ Matt Barnes. A few follow-ups resurrect the story. The dispute should have ended when Rihanna immediately denied having even met Barnes, who implied they were at least “friends” who were “just past the crush stage.” Now Barnes’ former L.A. Clippers teammate, Glen Davis, backs up his buddy.

Davis sat down with ESPN’s His & Hers to confirm that Barnes truly knows Rihanna. Speaking to Jemele Hill and Michael Smith, Davis insisted, “He REALLY knows her.” The emphasis in those words is all too obvious, but hey. Maybe Barnes met Rihanna at a party, and she doesn’t even remember the guy.

Meanwhile, Barnes is keeping the dream alive. On The Jim Rome Show, Barnes appears to be confused after Rihanna fired back:

“You live and you learn. When you’re in a situation like this and, you know, you just learn. You just got to keep stuff to yourself obviously. But the way I’m putting it right now, I’m too grown to lie, you know what I mean. It is what it is, I’m going to let this blow by like everything else blows by.”

Barnes says he’s “in a situation,” which makes no sense. If he and Rihanna were dating, he should realize that — whatever the situation was — it’s done. If he’s making up nonsense, he should realize there is no situation. Did Barnes feel slighted by Rihanna’s hashtag game?

“I just smiled. I just smiled, that’s it. What can you do? At the end of the day we’re all grown-ups. Like I said I’m too grown to be lying about stuff but life is life … My upbringing just doesn’t allow me to have that kind of stuff in it. Life, sports whatever it is I’m just about the truth. I’m always going to be me, even if you know sometimes my mouth gets me in trouble. I speak on things I feel passionately about. So love me or hate me I’m going to be me regardless.”

Uh-oh. He used the word “passionately,” which either means he’s sending secret signals to Rih in a mutual game, or he’s deluded. Only two people really know the truth of this situation, and their versions don’t jibe at all. What’s truly tragic is how Barnes appears to have soured Rihanna’s taste for Instagram. Ever since she dropped her message to Barnes, Rih hasn’t posted a thing. This is far from her usual routine of posting several photos per day. So, thanks for that, Barnes.

(via TMZ & The Jim Rome Show)

Matt Barnes has had a rather interesting offseason. First he was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies from the Los Angeles Clippers where he should fit right in with their rough and tumble style of play. He followed that up by being the MVP of a celebrity softball game, getting into a war of words with Serge Ibaka, and trying to claim he was dating Rihanna.

Perhaps the funniest story to come out of all of Barnes’ headlines in recent memory however, was when his son trolled his dad by wearing a Steph Curry jersey to school while his brother wore his dad’s number.

A few months later and Steph Curry was an NBA Champion and MVP, so while you have to respect Carter Barnes for repping his father, Isaiah Barnes didn’t exactly make a bad choice by choosing to wear his Curry gear.

The Barnes’ brothers and their dad recently ran into none other than the MVP himself on vacation and snapped a picture that Barnes posted to Instagram with the caption:

Boys ran into the MVP!!! You know how excited Isaiah was…#Bay2Cabo

Poor Matt Barnes, he isn’t even his son’s’ favorite player. If Isaiah really wants to take his trolling to the next level, maybe he can sneak this game onto the TV and see how long it takes his dad to notice.

Via: Instagram 

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The Memphis Grizzlies are preparing for another long 82-game season of grit and grind basketball by holding their training camp in Santa Barbara, Calif. During the offseason, they brought in Matt Barnes to provide a little outside shooting while preserving the Grizzly ethos. (Barnes was all about that grit n’ grind life before the moniker was ever bestowed on the Grizz.)

On Saturday afternoon, Barnes’ gritty demeanor was on full display in an off-court incident with Knicks head coach Derek Fisher. The New York Post reports Barnes found out that Fisher was romancing his ex-wife, Gloria Govan, at their former home in Los Angeles.

Barnes responded as only Matt Barnes can:

But when Barnes learned that Fisher was at his former home with Gloria, he drove 95 miles to LA to “beat the s–t” out of Fisher, sources said.

“Derek was in Gloria’s back yard with about 10 people having a bonfire on ​​Saturday,” said a source. “Derek’s separated from his wife and there’s a relationship with [Gloria].”

The source added, “Barnes was in Santa Barbara [at Memphis Grizzlies training camp] and heard that Fisher was in his house. He went crazy. He got in his car and went to the house and went after Fisher.”

Another source said, “Someone told Matt that Fisher was at the house and he drove down there — he went over to confront Derek.”

​A source close to Fisher ​confirmed the fight but said, “Matt came after Derek but he only had a few scratches … Derek’s not going to press charges, he’s going to let it go.”

NBA security is currently looking into the incident between the former Laker teammates, and sources tell Shams Charmania at Yahoo Sports that Barnes had known about Fisher and his estranged wife for “over a month.”

This kind of behavior isn’t atypical for Barnes. He spent the entire summer trading verbal jabs with Serge Ibaka about throwing down, but — so far — nothing has actually happened. He also got into a war of words with Rihanna about their relationship, or lack thereof. If there’s ever a situation with a disgruntled woman or throwing down with someone in a bare knuckle test of machismo, Barnes is probably involved.

Barnes and Fisher are plenty familiar with one another due to their stint together on the Los Angeles Lakers. Th first meeting between Knicks and Grizzlies this season won’t be until Jan. 16, but Barnes’ penchant for jawing with opponents will likely be on full display that evening.

Fisher isn’t commenting on the story so far, but he has spoken to the team.

(New York Post; Yahoo)

After a quiet few months, NBA training camps are starting to fire up around the league as coaches and fans get their first glimpse at newly constructed teams. It only took a few days, but the first juicy off-court storyline reared its head when Matt Barnes took a 95 mile journey to fight Knicks head coach Derek Fisher over his estranged wife Gloria Govan.

The details of the bizarre story are beginning to surface, but before we get a clear picture, Twitter has taken it upon themselves to fill in the gaps with plenty of jokes.  Nothing has inspired such lively tweets and memes since the great DeAndre Jordan debacle in July. Matt Barnes committed an insanely stupid and reactionary act; the NBA is officially back.

https://twitter.com/netw3rk/status/651873925744472070

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By now, you’ve heard about the fight involving Matt Barnes and Derek Fisher, two men who claim they were “good friends,” yet brawled because Fisher was allegedly sleeping with Barnes’ ex-wife, Gloria Govan. When the story came out, the details of the story were sketchy, and no one knew what happened outside of a confrontation on Saturday afternoon.

At Thursday’s Grizzlies practice, reporters caught up with Barnes to get his side of the story. According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Barnes says he was going to his ex-wife’s home simply to check on the kids. That’s when the fireworks started.

And here’s where it gets ugly: According to TMZ, Barnes saw Fisher at the house and started to swing, striking the Knicks coach “square in the mouth.”

We’re told Derek fought back and “was holding his own” — until several people, including Gloria, rushed in to try to break it up.

But the fighting didn’t stop until one of Matt’s children came into the backyard and begged the men to stop fighting. We’re told that pretty much ended things.

Yeah, that’s about as awful as it gets. Young children had to watch two grown men (one of whom was their father) fight because somebody was allegedly, maybe doing something with their mother. This has years of therapy written all over it. Hard not to feel lots of compassion for these poor kids.

By the way, NBA security says they are aware of the incident, but as of yet have no comment, though it appears an investigation of some sort is in the works.

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Matt Barnes is no stranger to controversy. His fiery temperament is as much a part of his game as his ability to knock down a corner three. And his recent squabble with current Knicks coach and former teammate Derek Fisher is a reminder that trouble follows him off the court as well. An enforcer by nature, he’s a paragon of the grit-n-grind ethos of his new team, the Memphis Grizzlies, and a lot of his prior issues have stemmed directly from protecting teammates against would-be in-game altercations.

That’s another way of saying that he’s fiercely loyal, which is why it’s somewhat surprising that he harbors such resentment toward his former coach Doc Rivers. Via Shaun Powell of NBA.com:

“I can’t wait to play against Doc Rivers,” he emphasizes.

Doc never wanted me. He couldn’t wait to get rid of me. Doc and I never saw eye to eye. He tried to get me out of there the second he got there, so it wasn’t too surprising to me what happened when things went south.

Barnes doesn’t go into any specifics, so it’s difficult to pinpoint any one incident that might have led to his distaste for the Clippers coach and G.M. As far as his trade was concerned, there were plenty of basketball-related reasons that could account for Rivers’ rationale, any of which might’ve superseded whatever interpersonal problems may or may not have existed.

If Rivers was opposed to his volatility, then Lance Stephenson certainly wouldn’t have been an upgrade in that department. But Barnes is 35, and if Rivers can help Stephenson establish some stability and regain the form that made him one of the league’s brightest young players during his Pacers days, then he might secure a key piece in their rotation for years to come.

Los Angeles will miss Barnes’ three-point shooting – better than 36 percent last season – but those numbers took a nosedive during the playoffs (26 percent). Paul Pierce – the latest in a long line of Rivers’ retreads and, incredibly, the presumed starter at small forward – should help mitigate that.

Still, it’ll be fascinating to see how Barnes enacts his latest beef with Rivers when the Grizzlies play the Clippers on November 9. The two teams have historically had a pretty heated rivalry, with Blake Griffin being one of Memphis’ favorite targets, and now his former personal bodyguard is playing for the other team.

(via NBA.com)

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The 2015-16 NBA Season starts soon, preseason hoops are in full swing, and playoff prognostications have begun in earnest. Since season previews can get bogged down by team-specific minutiae, and we cover every basketball team, we’re providing our readers reasons why you should care about all 30 teams in the Association.

DIME MAG’s 2015-16 NBA Season Previews

They re-signed Marc Gasol, and now they’ve got two years left with him, Zach Randolph, and Tony Allen, but Mike Conley is a free agent next summer, as are Jeff Green and Courtney Lee. The gritty grind crew won’t be around forever, but the max deal for Gasol, particularly the smooth way it transpired — Gasol and agent Arn Tellem didn’t even talk to other teams and owner Robert Pera flew to Barcelona to hack it out with them — is a testament to how beloved he is in Memphis. Plus, it sounds like Conley will be around for the long haul as well.

This group is family, and Memphis the city is just an extension of that brotherhood.

The cheer the Memphis crowd gave Marc Gasol at the end of Game 6 against the Warriors in the second round was one of our fondest memories from the 2015 NBA Playoffs. They weren’t groveling for him to return, either, but acknowledging his preternatural excellence, which is often hidden from the box score, or even stashed offstage from the ball-watching masses.

But Memphis gets what makes Gasol so special and similarly they love how unique the whole team has become in an NBA riddled with pace-and-space runners. They’re a blue-collar group who seems specifically designed in a laboratory for the playoffs. The pace slows, the possessions take on more importance and everyone’s thrust into the grind. No wonder it’s so hard for opposing teams to get through the grindhouse in the spring. This team will be there again in the spring. Even in a conference that seems to get more difficult every year — the Thunder, Pelicans, Rockets, Clippers and Spurs have all improved — we’ll see them in June, even if no one’s really watching during the regular season.

Is Matt Barnes really the perfect fit?

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What is it about Matt Barnes that seems to make him ideal for these Grizzlies? He’s not even their starting small forward — that would be Jeff Green — and seems like the opposite of the no-drama, no-fuss Grizz squad of season’s past. But the 12-year vet has played for nine different teams, and underneath all that macho bullsh*t lies a guy who will do the dirty work. There’s no other way to explain his existence in the Association.

He found his three-point stroke under Don Nelson in Golden State for the 2007 team that upset the Mavs in the first round, and despite his shooting percentage dipping below 30 percent that next season, he was above 31 percent from then on after never shooting better than 22.7 percent on three-pointers in his first three seasons. The last three seasons in LA, his percentage rose each year until a career high 36.2 percent in 2014-15.

Maybe Doc wanted him gone, but he was key ingredient in LA’s first-round upset of the Spurs. (And it was an upset; we can’t remember many people, besides this a**hole, who predicted a Clippers win.) He’ll be the key for the Grizzlies in April and May of 2016, too, just wait.

Maybe he’ll falter a bit in a new situation, but we wouldn’t be surprised if Barnes thrived, especially with a low-key environment like Memphis, where he won’t get distracted by Rihanna. Maybe it’ll go the other way, though.

Maybe Barnes needs the cauldron of discord to thrive. Maybe his pesky defense, clutch shooting from the corners and grade school psych outs only reveal themselves when heated by the embers of chaos. If that’s the case, perhaps he’ll just chow down on a bunch of BBQ, lose that beanpole figure and fall out of the league.

He stands to make $3.5 million this year before his deal is up, but we think he’ll prove himself invaluable once again, but on a team he should’ve been with all along.

If the injury luck breaks right, they typify a team that can swoop in to take advantage

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The Memphis Grizzlies went 56-26 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals in 2013-14. They won 50 games the following year and lost in the first-round of the playoffs after a hard-fought seven games. Last season, Dave Joerger’s team had the West’s third-best record and fell to the eventual champions in the Conference Semifinals after six injury-riddled contests.

But how close has Memphis actually been to winning a title over the past three years? What would have to happen for Marc Gasol and company to hoist a Larry O’Brien Trophy in June? Could they do it alone? Or would it take broader strokes of direct and indirect fortune than those every champion receives?

The consensus on the Grizzlies in recent seasons has been the latter, and rightfully so. There was a brief time toward the beginning of last year when it appeared Memphis might have taken the next step to a status as first-tier contender. Gasol’s newfound aggression and Conley’s steady improvement led Memphis to a 37-12 record in early February, the third-best mark in basketball behind the utterly dominant Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks.

Memphis’ formula certainly suggested that success could be lasting come spring and early summer. It boasted top-nine marks in both offense and defense at the time, and the trade for Jeff Green just a few weeks prior was supposed to alleviate the team’s biggest weakness: a lack of lineup flexibility in the frontcourt.

But the Grizzlies’ longstanding struggles plagued them again down the season’s stretch run, as their solid offensive output suddenly became below-average. They got better on the other end, though, and made quick work of the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round of the playoffs before facing the Warriors.

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Amid so much talk of the reigning champions getting “lucky” for avoiding the Los Angeles Clippers and San Antonio Spurs en route to an Oakland parade, how quickly the basketball world has forgotten that Golden State was down 2-1 to Memphis – and lost the series’ ensuing three games as Tony Allen was limited with or sidelined by a hamstring injury. The Warriors, obviously, deserve all credit in the world for winning a title and exploiting The Grindfather’s offensive ineptitude after they fell behind. But the Grizzlies at least warrant more consideration as potential title-winners in 2015-16 for giving Golden State its best fight, right?

We’re not sure. And that’s totally fine! There are only so many teams in the league buoyed by the sense of belief that comes with a transcendent superstar. LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, and James Harden are names for a reason; players of their caliber are exceedingly rare.

But Memphis still boasts one of the most well-rounded rosters in basketball, not to mention the game’s top two-way center and a point guard capable of elite play on both sides of the ball. If things break their way, this team has the ingredients to win a championship – which is far more than the vast majority of franchises in the league are fortunate enough to say.

Is that circumstance ideal? Of course not. But it’s definitely unique, and has the Grizzlies primed to pounce if injury woes befall multiple contenders and the ball bounces their way when it matters most.

Recall earlier this month, when it was reported that Matt Barnes and Derek Fisher got into a massive fight because Fisher is dating Barnes’ ex-wife, Gloria Govan. According to TMZ, when Barnes found out that Govan and Fisher were spending time together, he “he drove 95 miles to LA to ‘beat the s–t’ out of Fisher.” Barnes has since denied that, saying that he was 15 minutes away and he wanted to go check up on his kids, who “seemed uncomfortable.”

It was a strange situation, but thankfully it seems like it’s all in the past and neither Barnes nor Fisher are dwelling on it. But of course, because sports fans like to bring up the personal lives of athletes any chance they can as a form of smack talk, some Indiana Pacers fans decided to use the incident against Barnes.

While he was shooting free throws during Thursday’s game between Indiana and Memphis, a group of fans busted out a “DER-EK FI-SHER” chant. It didn’t sound like the entire stadium was chanting, but it was a large enough group of fans that you could hear it pretty clearly.

This is a pretty low blow by Indiana fans, but it’s probably safe to say that we should have expected this sooner or later this season.

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Do not feel sorry for Dwight Howard. The Rockets seven-footer has made more than $144 million in on-court earnings alone, and — despite his early-career evangelical emphasis on being a good Christian — has four children with multiple women.

He’s also someone prone to a whole bunch of antagonistic behavior from rival fans and players.

Recently, he got into a back-and-forth with a Clippers fan during Saturday’s 109-105 Rockets win in Los Angeles. The fan called him out for not running the floor hard when Dwight was sitting on the scorers table waiting to go in.

My dad courtside at the clippers game part one pic.twitter.com/UuVlNNNwid

— JenniferRies☀ (@Jennnnifeeerrr) November 8, 2015

Eventually, Howard took the bait, and asked him, “You still mad?” before telling him to “Let it go, man.”

My dad courtside at the clippers game part 2 pic.twitter.com/zOWgFQV0k1

— JenniferRies☀ (@Jennnnifeeerrr) November 8, 2015

This isn’t new for Howard; although, maybe he should listen to his own advice and just let more of these things go.

A fan once told him, “Don’t cry.” So, Dwight invited him out on the court like an enraged eighth grader who just got tagged in the head during dodgeball.

But it’s not just fans who get peeved at Howard. His fellow players — especially his fellow stars, players who usually have each other’s backs in today’s buddy-buddy NBA — have no qualms going after him with verbal grenades during games, and some have even instigated physical confrontations despite Howard’s size.

He’s really turned into the No. 1 persona non grata around the NBA.

Who can forget the time Kevin Garnett — then, still in Brooklyn — head-butting Howard after a loose ball foul on a totally innocuous rebound.

That was before Garnett spent five zany minutes circling Dwight on the Barclays Center court, trying to get another go at him.

Then there was Kevin Durant.

KD routinely called Howard out as a pussy while Durant was in street clothes on the Thunder bench last season.

Then, after the game, KD thought he’d deliver his assessment of Howard directly to his face.

That’s how much Howard’s on-court behavior bothered the normally reticent 2014 NBA MVP.

That’s just the beginning, too.

Matt Barnes is next up to the Howard bashing. During last season’s Western Conference Semifinal, Barnes laid it all out for us to see when he visibly told Howard, “F*ck you, b*tch.”

Even Howard’s former teammates — okay, especially Howard’s former teammates — go after him on the court.

Kobe Bryant called him a soft motherf*cker during a game early last season.

And Kobe actually asked Dwight to come after him during the game.

Once the game was over, Kobe called Dwight a teddy bear, which is definitely a pejorative when Kobe uses it.

And Bean added later that playing with Dwight actually made him appreciate Shaq, which is a pretty clear swipe at the big man, considering Kobe’s infamous beef with Shaq Fu.

But the antipathy towards Howard isn’t relegated to just fans and contemporary players. No, after Howard’s exchange of pleasantries with a sidelined Kevin Durant, Hall of Famer Gary Payton came out and said, “I think he’s disliked by a lot of players.”

Are all of these players and fans just overreacting? It’s happening so consistently, it’s more plausible that Dwight is the problem. This is enough evidence for this sort of irascible on-court reaction to be a Dwight Howard trend. He rubs people the wrong way. Do not feel sorry for Dwight Howard; mostly, he brings this on himself.

(B/R)

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Buckle up, because this story isn’t going away anytime soon. Not as long as people keep asking Matt Barnes about it. He’s never seen a beef he didn’t like and never missed an opportunity to throw shade at his various enemies. He was at it again on Monday during media availability as his new team the Memphis Grizzlies prepares to play his former team the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.

As if there wasn’t already enough drama surrounding his bitter departure from Los Angeles this summer and his very public distaste for Doc Rivers, someone in the scrum had to go and bring up the Derek Fisher thing again, and as is standard operating procedure for Barnes, he didn’t hold anything back.

First, it’s hysterical to think that the Knicks somehow have the New York Post in their back pocket, given how consistently critical the publication has been of the team. His only quasi-legitimate qualm with the Post has to do with what he said was an erroneous report that he drove 95 miles from where the Grizzlies were holding training camp in Santa Barbara to attack Fisher, who had apparently been dating Barnes’ estranged wife, Gloria Govan, one of the stars of the insipid reality series Basketball Wives.

Barnes insists that he was at his home in Marina del Ray, about a 15-minute drive from the beach house Barnes and Govan purchased together in Redondo Beach. Regardless, Barnes is going to court controversy everywhere he goes, but it’ll be interesting to see how things play out on the court when he faces his former team and new arch-rivals.

Grizzlies’ Matt Barnes hits game-winning three-pointer from half court to beat Pistons pic.twitter.com/RbYpaYxhs0

— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) December 10, 2015

For the second time this week, the Memphis Grizzlies stole a win on a last-second desperation shot. Down 92-90 to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night with time winding down, Matt Barnes grabbed a rebound, darted to half-court, and somewhat rushed the final shot but sunk it anyway to give the Grizzlies the one-point win. There was one second remaining on the clock, but the Pistons were unable to convert on their final attempt. It was the Grizzlies’ first lead since they were up 43-42 in the third quarter.

Barnes had just eight points in the game on 3-of-7 from the field and 2-of-4 from downtown but grabbed 11 boards and dished out three assists. Zach Randolph led the way in scoring for Memphis with a huge double-double — 21 points and 16 rebounds on 10-of-18 shooting — while Marc Gasol added 19 points, 12 rebounds, four assists, a pair of blocks and a steal of 50 percent from the floor.

Andre Drummond had another monster performance for the Pistons as he posted 18 points and 19 rebounds, to go along with two assists and three steals. Reggie Jackson added 18 points, seven assists, three rebounds and a pair of steals and Detroit moved to 12-10 on the season.