Mayo - NAISE

Sorry, but my small brain always reverts to the movie "An Officer and a Gentleman" when thinking of O.J. Mayo. So after getting past that, here are my thoughts on our gifted shooter, O.J. Mayo.

O.J. is, in my opinion, the biggest question mark on the roster. We all know he can shoot the lights out, yet he is a bench player, for the most part. He made an effort to play defense in the playoffs, but was sloppy at best. He twice made the papers last season because of displays of poor character. I've been following the NBA since the late '70's and have seen a lot of O.J. Mayo's. They enter the league with a lot of promise, only to slowly fade, get traded, and then are forgotten. Only Coach Hollins and G.M. Chris Wallace know how he will be helping the team, if at all, next season. The "almost trade" to Indiana told me that they had seen enough. The Grizzlies, as a team, found that precious ingredient needed to be a contender last season, and that is heart. Did O.J. also find it in himself? I honestly don't know. As I am writting this I am hoping that he is working his butt off at this very minute, to be a better player and more importantly, a better teammate to the other Grizzlies. I like O.J. Mayo. I want him to be here next season, but only as a dedicated player and teammate. If the Grizzlies sign Gasol, which most believe they will, this team should be playoff bound for many seasons. Will O.J. be a part of this? My gut tells me that O.J. will be traded before camp begins. I hope it is the cold pizza I just ate, but I don't think so.