Heisley hoping Griz fans patient
The Grizzlies are one game off from last season's pace record-wise, but owner Michael Heisley is hoping his customers understand there is a method to the madness.
Heisley's franchise unveiled an aggressive season-ticket renewal strategy last week with hopes that it can stifle a dwindling fan base due to disappointing results on the court over the past two seasons.
No one seems more disappointed than Heisley, who also comes off as staunchly committed to seeing the Griz through an uninspiring period.
"I think the guys are trying," Heisley said. "It's a rough situation. But we've got a good core of players. We've got two really good point guards. And before the last two years we didn't have a point guard for the future. We hope the fans will come out and support us during this period.
"Hey, I hoped the team would have done better but they haven't. I'm disappointed. I was more disappointed in the first half with Pau Gasol. I'm not as disappointed in the second half because I knew this would happen without Pau."
The Griz own a 2-17 record since Pau Gasol was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers last month. Heading into its game tonight with the Charlotte Bobcats, Memphis has lost four straight games and 19 of the past 21 overall. That painful stretch includes 17 consecutive road losses, and the Griz haven't beaten a team with a winning record in three months.
"What we're trying to do is build a team around our young players," Heisley said. "We got to a certain level with the team we had and didn't get any further. We're rebuilding and if we're going to do that we need to have draft choices and cap room. A year ago people weren't happy about the trade with (Shane) Battier for (Rudy) Gay. What happened? A year passed and Rudy got a lot better. Now, we've got to be able to make the right move at the right time for the right player.
"It remains to be seen how the fans will take this. But we're confident we'll have a very exciting team next year. Once you start rebuilding, you have to do it, you can't go halfway. You have to go all the way."
The Griz have one of the youngest rotations in the NBA. Memphis is the only NBA team with seven players 25 years old or younger logging at least 14 minutes per game.
Partly because of their young and inexperienced product, the Griz recently offered great incentives to keep their fans.
The Griz will seek season-ticket renewals for the 2008-09 season with a "True Loyalty" campaign aimed at recognizing a fan's long-standing partnership with the team.
That means more access, additional perks and a choice of extraordinary gifts with the expressed goal of retaining 80 percent of current season-ticket holders and perhaps reclaiming the franchise's high mark of 11,000-plus.
No ticket prices will increase next season. In fact, 4,500 seat prices will decrease, making it more affordable for season-ticket holders to upgrade. To attract new customers, the Griz will offer 6,000 Terrace Level season tickets at $10 per game for next season. That's in addition to the 500 $5 season tickets they already offer.
"We're going to be very aggressive on our pricing structure," Heisley said. "We're not looking for revenue. We're looking to get fans in the seats."
Tip-ins: The "Marc Iavaroni Show" will air this week on a different day. Normally produced on Thursdays, the Grizzlies' coach's show will air Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. due to WHBQ (560-AM) radio broadcasts of NCAA Tournament games. ... The Grizzlies Dance Team squares off against the Sonics Dancers in the NBA Dance Team Bracket today on NBA.com. The single-elimination tournament will crown the fans' favorite dance team. The final round of voting takes place April 2-3, with the winner being announced April 4.
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