Earl Watson Sparks the Grizzlies’ Engine
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The Play. If NBA fans didn’t recognize the superlative talents of Earl Watson before The Play occurred, word quickly spread about the Memphis Grizzlies’ third-year guard throughout the league almost overnight.
When the Grizzlies hosted the Dallas Mavericks on February 14 last season, Mavericks 7-6 center Shawn Bradley suddenly found himself with the ball underneath the Grizzlies’ hoop, completely undefended. He likely saw the 6-1 Watson streaking towards him in the lane and probably thought little of it. Watson made him pay dearly for the miscalculation.
Watson somehow had made it all the way back downcourt, took off from halfway between the free throw line and the basket, went up the entire 10 feet, and rejected Bradley’s layup into the cheap seats. Watson’s feat stunned the Pyramid crowd who went wild and later others worldwide when the play was shown repeatedly on ESPN SportsCenter as one of the Top 10 Plays of the Year in hoops. He became an instant folk hero.
Who says Watson can’t meet a challenge, no matter how big? The scrappy point guard has emerged as the sparkplug of the Grizzlies’ vaunted second unit that includes Wesley Person, Shane Battier, Bo Outlaw and Lorenzen Wright to comprise one of the best group of reserves in the NBA. Under Head Coach Hubie Brown’s system, two distinct teams of five play together during the game. For most NBA teams, their second unit has one goal: "Don’t mess up." For the Grizzlies, the second unit is more than simply backups to provide some rest for the starters, they are expected to make things happen.
"The coaches expect defense out of us, and expect us to dictate the flow of the game by setting a tone and creating electricity," says Watson. "We want to get easy baskets, and really be exciting for the fans to watch."
Mission accomplished. Watson may not be as flashy as his counterpart, starting guard Jason Williams, but he has the potential to do great things and serves as the spark that ignites the second unit engine.
"Earl has made tremendous improvement. He is the ultimate competitor, tough and hard-nosed," said Grizzlies President of Business Operations Jerry. "Coaches and teammates love him, and we expect big things from Earl this year."
Watson has earned West’s kudos with a mentally tough approach to play. He went to college at UCLA, where he became a starter almost immediately, which is rare for point guards because it’s considered the most difficult position to play. He started in all games over four seasons and led one of the nation’s elite programs to the NCAA Tournament. However, he was overshadowed by superstar teammate Baron Davis; and Watson slipped to the second round of the 2001 NBA Draft before being selected by the Seattle SuperSonics.
Watson spent his rookie year learning and improving under the tutelage of All-Star veteran guard Gary Payton. Their practice battles became stuff of legend. However, the Sonics left Watson off their active roster in the playoffs and the door swung open for the Grizzlies. That summer, West scooped him up in free agency, and after a year with the Grizzlies, he decided to trade veteran backup Brevin Knight to make room for Watson as the undisputed number two point guard.
Watson has taken full advantage of his opportunity in Memphis, leading a second unit that is quickly raising eyebrows around the league, while doing it with his signature subdued style. Watson says the unit is filled with competitive players, guys who make things happen.
"It’s too early to tell where we (the second unit) rank in the league, we have to gain some consistency, that’s the main thing," Watson says. "But I’m sure by the All-Star break, we’ll know where we rank."
With Watson art the helm, expect it to be pretty high – even sailing over the tallest players in the league.
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