A season that opened with such promise for the Grizzlies wound up as one of the franchise’s worst since moving to Memphis.

The Grizzlies couldn’t have started better than 5-1 Cole Beasley Jersey , sitting near the top of the Western Conference standings with a pair of early wins over the Houston Rockets and a home victory over the Golden State Warriors. By the end, the Grizzlies’ hopes of an eighth straight postseason appearance turned to hopefully landing a top two pick in June’s NBA draft.

When the injuries started, most notably what wound up a season-ending left heel-Achilles tendon injury to point guard Mike Conley, the season imploded. And kept getting worse through multiple double-digit losing streaks. The first long slide cost coach David Fizdale his job after a short tenure and leaving interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff at the helm.

The change didn’t help as the Grizzlies lost 19 straight between early February and mid-March – the longest skid since the team moved to Memphis in 2001.

”It’s been a challenging year, obviously,” center Marc Gasol said.

Asked if he had ever endured a 19-game skid, Dillon Brooks, a rookie from Oregon, said, ”There’s not enough games in college to go through a losing streak like that.”

Actually, there are.

But rock bottom for the Grizzlies came with the largest defeat in franchise history came with a 61-point loss in Charlotte in late March.

”It’s been difficult Alex Erickson Jersey ,” Bickerstaff said. ”It wasn’t what we expected when we sat down over the summer and put our plan together and went through training camp. So, there’s always that shock value.”

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Some things looking at the Grizzlies’ season and the future:

RARELY THIS BAD IN MEMPHIS: The Grizzlies’ win over Detroit in their home finale – their 22nd of the season – kept Memphis from notching the worst record since the team moved to Memphis for the 2001-02 season. The Grizzlies had two other seasons with 22 wins since relocating. So how did the Grizzlies deal with all the losses? ”Red wine helps at night,” Gasol said.

BICKERSTAFF BACK? Bickerstaff was associated head coach when Fizdale was fired in late-November. Bickerstaff says he has discussed his future with management and would like to return next season. ”I feel like we have started something,” he said. ”We have started to build a culture. You want to be part of a group that you like. I think there’s going to be a tremendous bump next year, health permitting. I would love to be a part of it.”

OWNERSHIP RESOLUTION: One huge offseason concern was answered this week when majority owner Robert Pera said he would retain controlling interest. Minority partners Steve Kaplan and Robert Straus had invoked a buy-sell option in November. That forced Pera to buy out the shares of the other two or sell his interest to them. Pera told select season-ticket holders Monday he was retaining control of the Grizzlies, a move that should provide stability this offseason for Bickerstaff, front office personnel and the draft.

DRAFT PICKS: Memphis hasn’t capitalized on draft choices often even when blessed with a high choice. The franchise picked Hasheem Thabeet with the No. 2 pick in 2009, a player who never lived up to his potential. Beyond that, the best first-round choice has been Conley, the fourth overall choice in 2007. The Grizzlies did get serviceable play from a pair of second-round picks last summer in Brooks and Ivan Rabb out of California when forced into greater roles by injuries.

INJURIES: Not only did Conley get hurt, but replacements such as Andrew Harrison and Mario Chalmers also suffered injuries. Chandler Parsons played in only 36 games missing 32 games with various knee problems and not counting the nights of Memphis simply sat him for ”rest.”

The strangest situation involved Tyreke Evans Kevin White Jersey , Memphis’ offensive threat when shut down before the trade deadline in anticipation of a deal involving the guard and his expiring contract. But the Grizzlies never consummated a deal. Evans returned for six more games, and has not been with the team for ”personal reasons” since scoring 16 points in the 61-point loss at Charlotte on March 22.

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A year ago at this time, the Los Angeles Chargers‘ lives were still unsettled amid the upheaval of their franchise relocation season. Some were still looking for houses, and others needed to get kids into school.

When Philip Rivers and his teammates reported to the same sunny spot Saturday for the first practice their second training camp in Orange County, pretty much everyone was feeling perfectly at home.

”Now it’s just football,” Rivers said. ”There’s not as much wondering about schedules and what the practice field was going to be like. There’s not as much of that uncertainty. It’s all football now. There’s definitely a level of comfort that I think we have now and we can just put our focus on the field.”

A year after leaving San Diego, the Chargers are eager to take another shot at living up to their enormous potential. Although they already lost two key players to injuries before training camp even began, the Bolts are aware they’re still a popular pick to be a playoff team and likely even a Super Bowl contender.

Those are nothing less than the Chargers’ own internal expectations, and they’re much more interested in proving themselves right.

”We just want to be the team we know we can be,” running back Melvin Gordon said. ”Yeah, expectations are high Malik Jackson Jersey , but we make them higher than other people make them.”

The 36-year-old Rivers has started every game for the Chargers since 2006, and he realizes he has fewer and fewer shots at reaching his first Super Bowl. He won the AFC West and appeared in playoff games during each of his first four seasons as a starter, but the Bolts have made the playoffs just once since that run ended in 2009.

Rivers understands the excitement around the Chargers after their 9-3 finish to last season. He even welcomes it.

”It’s interesting, because it’s been a while,” Rivers said. ”I’ve been on some teams here that had those expectations, and we went out and did it year after year there for a while. It’s been a long time, though. There aren’t many guys that have been through that on this team. … We know there are a lot of expectations outside. We have those same expectations on the inside.”

The Chargers return with remarkable continuity from last season’s team, with veteran center Mike Pouncey joining a largely unchanged offense and rookie safety Derwin James moving into a solid defense. Their biggest personnel losses happened recently, and did nothing to shake the Chargers’ reputation for soul-crushing injury problems: tight end Hunter Henry was lost for the season in May, and former Pro Bowl cornerback Jason Verrett tore his Achilles tendon Friday in a conditioning test.

The coaching staff also stayed essentially intact, with second-year head coach Anthony Lynn keeping coordinators Ken Whisenhunt and Gus Bradley. Lynn said he feels more confident as a head coach after getting through his first year in good form – and even finishing up his college degree along the way.

”I definitely feel a little bit more comfortable knowing what to expect Ronald Leary Jersey , not moving and not living out of boxes, knowing where we’re going to training camp, and (having a) similar coaching staff and players,” Lynn said.

Although the stands at Jack Hammett Sports Complex were filled with an estimated 7,000 fans for the first practice, the Chargers realize they’ve still got plenty of work to do if they hope to win over the Los Angeles marketplace in the coming years – particularly with the Los Angeles Rams looking like a potential Super Bowl team as well. Fielding a winning team this fall would be the most potent way to do it, the Bolts players and coaches agree.

But after four consecutive non-playoff seasons, and after the challenges of their relocation year, the Chargers are grateful to settle in for a few weeks of training camp with their thoughts on nothing bigger than the next practice or scrimmage.

Rivers even had a catchphrase for it: ”Enjoy the boring.”

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