(My Sportsbook) - After winning a franchise-best 23 games in their first season in Memphis, the Grizzlies, and more specifically owner Michael Heisley, weren't satisfied. General manager Billy Knight was fired and replaced by Jerry West, who now has the title of president of basketball operations.

West gives the franchise instant credibility. Since their first year in the NBA, the Grizzlies have been best known for bad draft picks and dumb business decisions -- most notably the obscene contract bestowed upon Bryant "Big Country" Reeves. "The Logo" almost instantly erased that entire losing reputation when he arrived. Of course, West's hiring will only be a temporary fix if the Grizzlies don't improve.

Last year, Memphis sported the Rookie of the Year, Pau Gasol. At first, the Spanish import had a hard time getting used to the more physical style of ball played Stateside. As the games wore on, he proved to be a quick study.

"I thought about bringing Pau along slowly, because you don't want things to go wrong and for him to lose confidence," coach Sidney Lowe said. "Then he started doing things, gaining more confidence and he convinced me he was able to do it."

Before the season ended, Gasol had established himself as the Grizzlies' go-to guy.

On Draft night, the Grizzlies added Drew Gooden, a strong forward from Kansas. Gooden will add some muscle to Memphis' frontcourt. He had more than 1500 points, 900 rebounds, 100 blocks and 100 steals during his collegiate career.

With Gasol, Gooden and Shane Battier in the fold, there's little question the Grizzlies are establishing a solid young core to build around.

FRONTCOURT:

Starter Lorenzen Wright (6-11, 240) is coming off an injury-plagued season. The Grizzlies are hoping he can stay healthy and give them some quality minutes in the pivot. If Wright goes down, reserve backup Tony Massenburg (6-9, 250) doesn't mind mixing it up inside. Wright is a high-energy player that and was able to hustle his way to 12.0 points and 9.4 rebounds a game last season. Massenburg is not as gifted a scorer, as he averaged 5.5 points with 4.4 rebounds. On defense, Wright, isn't quite strong enough to defend true centers, while Massenburg is too slow to get the job done. Given this dilemma, Memphis may opt to go small often, using three forwards.

When Memphis goes small Gasol, Battier and Gooden can all be on the floor at the same time. This will get these players the minutes they need to continue their development.

Gasol exceeded expectations last season, averaging 17.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. His jump hook was lethal, and he was able to make the adjustment to the more physical style of play. He added eight pounds of muscle over the summer, but he's still to slight to bang inside. The decisions Memphis makes in the frontcourt will all revolve around putting Gasol in situations where he can succeed.

Battier probably will begin the season as the starter at small forward. Anything can happen to alter this plan. If Gooden shows promise, he could end up in the starting lineup. Battier could then end up as a sixth man, or maybe even starting in the backcourt if injuries strike again.

GUARDS:

Memphis had its projected starting backcourt together for a grand total of four games last season due to injury. Jason Williams will start at point guard this season for the Grizzlies. Memphis wants to run and get out fast on the break, which will be Williams' primary responsibility. His numbers have not been bad over the past couple of seasons, but this year he'll have to show more restraint with his three-point attempts. Memphis simply has too many quality scoring options for Lowe to tolerate Williams chucking up long-range bombs -- especially early in the shot clock.

Michael Dickerson, who was supposed to start at the shooting guard spot last season, was hampered by a stress fracture near the groin area. This gave Battier a chance to play every night, and he shined. Now, Dickerson will return forcing Battier to the small forward spot.

Dickerson averaged a career-best 18.2 points three year ago in Vancouver. Memphis really needs better outside shooting than it had last season when its 30.7 percent accuracy from behind the arc ranked 28th out of the 29 NBA teams. Of course, that number is due in large part to Williams' indiscretion. He hoisted up 430 three-point attempts. This year, things should be different.

BENCH:

Stromile Swift will clearly be coming off the bench this season. He's been a bit enigmatic thus far, ranging from spectacular to awful on the court. He's strong around the rim, but he needs to round out his game and be more team-oriented. Swift has yet to prove he can play defense, which will probably lead to either a trade or a spot on the end of the bench if it doesn't change.

Rookie Robert Archibald is a tough, hard-nosed player that is adaptable to just about any system. If Swift isn't traded, Archibald may have to prove he can play center if he wants to get on the floor.

Brevin Knight is a solid reserve point guard that plays very strong defense for a guy his size (5-10). Also coming off the pine in Memphis' backcourt is Wesley Person. Person gives the Grizzlies a true three-point threat off the bench.

OUTLOOK:

The Grizzlies are still a few years away from the postseason, but more improvement is likely in store. If the team stays relatively injury-free, a 35-win season is not out of the question.