Mike Conley organizes team workouts for Memphis Grizzlies - NBA Update
The Memphis Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley got hold of a number of teammates for informal team practice sessions and the player plans to arrange more in the future. The Grizzlies player gathered in a local gym in Memphis for
the practice.
The NBA locked out the players on July 1st after failing to get a new CBA in place. The lockout means that no NBA players can use team facilities for training. They can also not have contact with any NBA or team official,
nor can they train with the coaches of NBA franchises.
The lockout is dragging on as the players and owners continue to spar over the terms of a new lockout. In the meanwhile, the start of the season draws ever so closer. Formal NBA training camps start in October and around this time
of the year many players start to take practice up a notch in preparation.
Because of the uncertainty of the NBA lockout, many players have decided to take it upon themselves to arrange team gatherings and practices. In Memphis, point guard Mike Conley took the responsibility. Point guards in the NBA
are looked upon as leaders of the team and Conley was able to gather some prominent members of his team.
These included star forward Zach Randolph, Rudy g*y, Tony Allen, O.J. Mayo, Xavier Henry and Sam Young. Some other players are set to join in soon.
Mike spoke about the practice in a recent interview,
“I’ve been prepared all summer to do this,” Conley said. “It’s my job as the point guard. I want to be one of the leaders on the team. And guys did a great job of keeping their word and coming in on time ready to work. We found
a good week when everybody could come back to Memphis and get some work in. We’re going to do it again going forward.”
"Guys really see it once we get back together," Conley said. "When we saw each other, everybody was excited and everybody had a lot of energy. We really enjoy each other's company."
One of the players not likely to join the rest of his teammates soon is Marc Gasol. The Spanish centre had a breakout season last year and was an integral part of the Grizzlies strong run in the playoffs. He is currently with the
Spain National Men’s Basketball team which is taking part in the EuroBasket tournament in Lithuania.
The Memphis Grizzlies caused a stir last season with their strong displays in the playoffs. They beat the San Antonio Spurs, who had the best record in the West, in the first round. It was the first time in franchise history that
the team went into the 2nd round of the playoffs and Memphis will be looking to build on that come next season.
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