La Bomba Posted January 25, 2010 Report Share Posted January 25, 2010 (edited) Thabeet appeared confident. The No. 2 overall pick from the 2009 NBA draft was aggressively making an impact on the game. And it wasn't just that Thabeet tied a career high with nine rebounds to go with four blocks on a night he seemed to swat away twice as many shots. It was the manner in which Thabeet controlled the paint. Thabeet attacked the opposition's shots at the rim instead of offering his usual delayed reaction. He also maintained good rebounding position for the 23 minutes he logged. The Grizzlies want an encore performance, and Thabeet wants badly to deliver. "It's up to me to stay focused and not let that one game allow me to get laid back. I have to get better," Thabeet said Sunday as the Griz prepared to host the Orlando Magic tonight in FedExForum. Memphis has won a franchise-record 10 straight games at home. Can the Griz get solid production from Thabeet in back-to-back contests? Thabeet's teammates have tried to keep him pumped up. Zach Randolph was the first person to greet Thabeet when the final horn sounded on the Grizzlies' win over the Thunder. Randolph stopped Thabeet on the court. The veteran forward pounded his hand into Thabeet's chest as he spoke. "I told him 'That's what you're here for. That's what you're going to get paid to do,' " Randolph said. "He just has to control that paint. He doesn't have to score the basketball. He just has to do what he did the last game. It's the best I've ever seen him play." http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/jan/25/grizzlies-big-man-stepping-up-game/ Edited January 25, 2010 by La Bomba Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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