(Sports Network) - In order to boost tickets sales and have some sort of relevance in the NBA this season, the Memphis Grizzlies brought in controversial guard Allen Iverson for the 2009-10 season.

Iverson is in the twilight of his career and the organization hopes he has one more productive campaign left in his 6-0, 165-pound frame to help the Grizzlies finish with a respectable record, something that hasn't happened since their last postseason appearance in 2005-06, when they went 49-33 and lost in the opening round of the playoffs. That was the last time Memphis had a record above the .500 mark.

The former No. 1 overall pick back in 1996 by Philadelphia, Iverson, who will certainly increase merchandise production, is coming off a rough few years with Denver and Detroit after his lengthy marriage with the 76ers fell apart at the seams. The four-time NBA scoring champion and 10-time NBA All-Star hopes to rejuvenate his career with the young Grizzlies and provide some leadership and hard work this organization has been lacking in the past.

However, those plans will have to be put on hold after it was learned that the future Hall of Fame guard will be out the next few weeks with a partially torn left hamstring. An MRI revealed the severity of the problem, which occurred during Memphis' training camp in Birmingham, Alabama.

Grizzlies head coach Lionel Hollins has many other players to rely on in last year's leading scorer in Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, Darrell Arthur and Mike Conley. Hollins, who was named the Grizzlies' head coach for the third time in the franchise's short history back in January, was also the team's interim coach during the 1999-2000 and 2004-05 seasons. Hollins hopes to do a better job than former full-time general Marc Iavaroni after he guided the club to a paltry 11-30 record before losing his job. In two seasons with Memphis, Iavaroni had an overall record of 33-90.

There's only so much a coach can do to motivate his players, and Hollins hopes this season some new faces will change the losing atmosphere. One in particular is Zach Randolph. The oft-criticized big man is surrounded by young players and must not set a bad example like he has in the past. He will help rookie center Hasheem Thabeet, the second overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, after he signed a multi-year contract in July.

Thabeet left the University of Connecticut after his junior season, when he averaged 13.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and an eye-popping 4.2 blocks per game while earning co-Big East Player of the Year honors. Thabeet may be the key to Memphis in its quest for the first playoff win in team history.

2008-09 Results: 24-58, Fifth-place Southwest

ADDITIONS: G Allen Iverson, F Zach Randolph, C Hasheem Thabeet, F DeMarre Carroll, F Sam Young, G Mike Taylor, G Marcus Williams

SUBTRACTIONS: F Hakim Warrick, F/C Darko Milicic, F Darius Miles, F Quinton Ross, G Greg Buckner

PROJECTED STARTING FIVE:

PG- Allen Iverson SG- O.J. Mayo SF- Rudy Gay PF- Zach Randolph C- Marc Gasol

KEY RESERVES: Mike Conley, Hasheem Thabeet, Darrell Arthur, Sam Young, DeMarre Carroll

FRONTCOURT: Marc Gasol is apparently in the best shape of his life after an extensive summer workout that shed 25 to 30 pounds off his 7-0 frame. Gasol averaged 11.9 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game last season, and will team up down low with Randolph.

Randolph split last season with the Knicks and Clippers, and posted 20.8 points, 10.1 boards and 2.1 assists a game last season. Randolph, who has career averages of 16.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in 506 career games, was shipped to Memphis from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for forward/guard Quentin Richardson. He has had off the court problems in his career, and hopefully an attitude adjustment will bring better days in Memphis. Randolph is arguably the most talented big man in Memphis since Pau Gasol.

Rookie Thabeet must pick the brains of Gasol and Randolph so he can excel at this level right away. Thabeet won't start but is certainly a vital piece of the future of this organization. Fellow rookie forwards Carroll and Young are also learning and will contribute to Memphis' frontcourt.

BACKCOURT: Iverson, the 2000-01 NBA Most Valuable Player, ranks second among active players in career scoring behind Shaquille O'Neal and is 16th in NBA history with 23,983 career points through 13 NBA seasons. The Answer will bring star power the likes of which Memphis hasn't seen since the Grizzlies relocated from Vancouver in the 2001-02 season. Iverson said so himself that he doesn't want to come off the bench and hopes his hamstring will be healed in time for the season opener versus his old Pistons teammates on October 28. For Memphis' sake, Iverson has to prove he is still a productive player.

Gay added some bulk in the offseason to his high-flying physique and led Memphis with 18.9 points per game, while averaging 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists. Gay is entering his fourth season out of Connecticut. Mayo is coming off a solid rookie campaign in which he finished second on the team with 18.5 points per game, and is expected to have an even better year in 2009-10. The young shooting guard will learn a lot playing alongside Iverson.

BENCH: Conley has the potential to be a starter in this league and may even crack the lineup by mid-season. Conley's shooting needs to improve, but his ball handling skills are top notch. He averaged 10.9 points, 4.3 assists and 3.4 rebounds in all 82 regular season games last year.

The Grizzlies signed guard Marcus Williams in the summer and are loaded with big men on the bench in Darrell Arthur, Steven Hunter, and rookies Thabeet, Carroll and Young. Guard/forward Marko Jaric may be the odd man out when the season tips off with Memphis' surplus of guards.

COACHING: Hollins is entering his first season as full-time head coach, and there's no doubt he will be inheriting a more improved Memphis squad. With Iverson bringing his NBA experience and veteran presence to the team, the Grizzlies hope to avoid the basement in the Southwest Division for a fourth consecutive season. Hollins just has to make sure Iverson stays the course with the team and does not create any distractions in the development of the younger players. Defense will be the key for Hollins, who also must keep Randolph happy since he's known for sinking teams in the past.

STEVE SCHWARZ'S FANTASY FOCUS: Like Oklahoma City and the Clippers, this team has plenty of "fantasy-worthy" players, but can't win basketball games. The addition of Iverson won't help either. Gasol (11.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg), Gay (18.9 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Randolph (20.8 ppg, 10.1 rpg with the Clippers) and Mayo (18.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 3.2 apg) all have value, though if Iverson insists on shooting too much they'll all slip a bit.

OUTLOOK: Even though Memphis will miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season it will have a much-improved team from the previous years. Iverson may bring in all the headlines with his style and attitude, but Mayo, Gay and Gasol are the foundation for the future. Mayo is a few years away from being an All-Star and will learn a lot from Iverson, while Gasol will get help inside from Randolph. Picking Thabeet was also a brilliant move to boost productivity down low. There are a lot of young scorers Hollins has at his disposal, and many different egos he needs working together to keep the Grizzlies from sinking early and fast. Memphis will most likely finish last in the Southwest again since it has no shot at trumping Dallas, Houston or San Antonio, but will have fun doing it. New Orleans is no push over either. The Grizzlies are not a contender right now and need a few more years of hard work for that distinction.





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