With about a month and a half gone to the history books since the season changing Pau Gasol trade, the Lakers prepare to face the team that has set them up for a championship run for years to come. Back in February, the Lakers traded Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Marc Gasol, and two first round draft picks for Pau Gasol. The trade was considered lopsided and the team records have proven so as well. The Lakers are competing for the #1 spot in the West, the Grizzlies are competing for the #1 spot on the draft board.

The famous folks at 3 Shades of Blue, who are quite brilliant I might add, have volunteered to answer a few questions for me in regards to the Memphis Grizzlies franchise as they prepare to face the Los Angeles Lakers. Please enjoy and be sure to visit their site for great basketball analysis and commentary.

LA Ball Talk: Pau Gasol was traded for Javaris Crittenton and Kwame Brown, sending shockwaves throughout the league. Kwame hasn’t been playing very much in Memphis, but I’ve noticed that Javaris has logged some good minutes. How has he been looking in a Grizzlies uniform? What kind of potential do you see from him?

3 Shades of Blue: J-Critt has been very hit-or-miss, which is to be expected for any 19-year old rookie, but especially one who switched teams mid-season. I like his athleticism, size and willingness to put his head down and drive to the basket. His shot selection and ballhandling still need plenty of work and he’ll need to work on his defensive fundamentals to earn consistent playing time from Coach Marc Iavaroni. His position in the NBA is most likely at SG, rather than PG as he was projected when drafted. He may be able to develop into a combo guard, but it will require a lot of work on his part, as he has not shown the necessary tools to be a facilitator at the NBA level. I think he can become a solid role player over the next few seasons, but I don’t know that he will ever start for a playoff-level team.

LA Ball Talk: As far as trades go, any word on why Grizzlies management decided to hold on to Mike Miller? He’s a bit older and it seems like his prime is going to pass right as the next generation of players finally find their mojo.

3 Shades of Blue: My sources tell me that the primary reason the front office passed on the myriad of offers they received for the long-haired, long-range bomber is that several season ticket holders flooded them with calls threatening to pass on renewing next season if the Grizzlies traded Miller for pennies on the dollar (i.e. an expiring contract) in the wake of the poorly received Pau Gasol trade. I won’t be surprised to see Miller moved next season or possibly even this off season if the right deal comes along. Mike is too much of a professional to ever demand a trade, but you have to think that for a competitor like him, these past two seasons have been very difficult to deal with.

If they do hang onto him long-term, it will be because they feel they need to retain some veteran leadership on a team that is among the youngest in the league and about to get younger with the addition of at least two rookies in the upcoming offseason.

LA Ball Talk: The Grizzlies visit the Lakers on Friday… will Memphis fans watching the away game be happy to see Pau Gasol or will they shut off the TV because they hold a grudge against him for never taking the Grizzlies as far as the Lakers may go this season?

3 Shades of Blue: Very few Grizzlies’ fans will be happy for Gasol and the success of his new team. First of all, many of them feel betrayed by the fact that Gasol was never able to lead them to postseason success. Secondly, most of those same people feel that Gasol misled them about being a franchise player when he accepted a maximum contract extension. Third, all real Grizzlies’ fans hate the Lakers. Sorry, but that’s just the way it is. Finally, there is the perception that Gasol has played better since the trade than he did prior to being dealt. I haven’t found any actual evidence of this, other than the fact that he smiles a lot more in Los Angeles than he did in Memphis. If smiles = productivity, then I guess those conspiracy theorists have a valid point. Either way, they won’t be turning off the TV because Memphians love to find new ways to make themselves miserable.

LA Ball Talk: How did fans view the job that Jerry West did in Memphis? Did they feel that he came in and accomplished what he was suppose to by turning the team into a playoff team, or are they disappointed that he couldn’t take the team beyond the first round and then called it quits?

3 Shades of Blue: Like most issues in Memphis, the votes are split on this one. Many fans feel that West did a poor job in acquiring talent during his tenure in Memphis and simply rode the players that were here from the previous regime to 3 straight playoff appearances. Others insist that it was the coaching hires that led to the Grizzlies making the postseason, as well as the moves to acquire vital pieces like James Posey, Earl Watson and Bonzi Wells. I suppose that both sides have valid viewpoints, but I still believe that the arrival of Jerry West brought legitimacy to a franchise that had the worst winning percentage in the history of professional sports when he took over. They might have ended the West Era on a down note last season, but don’t forget that the players many are looking to rebuild around now (Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick, Kyle Lowry, Mike Miller) were acquired by West. So will he get credit for them being on the roster as the naysayers gave to his predecessor? Or are they just looking to disparage him because they think he left the job unfinished…..and believe he’s going to take over the foundering Knicks franchise this offseason? That’s something worth contemplating, in my opinion.