05/06           06/07             07/08        08/09
Chris Webber    $19,125,000    $20,718,750  	$22,312,500
Steven Hunter   $2,800,000      $3,024,000  	$3,248,000     $3,472,000    $3,696,000
Allan Houston    $19,125,000    $20,718,750
Stephon Marbury $16,453,125   $18,281,250       $20,109,375  $21,937,500
Eddie Jones   	$14,560,000  $15,680,000
Maurice Taylor  $9,100,000    $9,750,000
Eddy Curry 	11,000,000    11,000,000	11,000,000    11,000,000	11,000,000
Mike Miller	$6,750,000    $7,500,000	$8,250,000   $9,000,000	        $9,750,000
Shandon Anderson $6,733,000    $7,244,000
Jamal Crawford   $6,480,000    $7,200,000       7,920,000   $8,640,000   $9,360,000   $10,080,000
Malik Rose       $6,008,750     $6,555,000      7,101,250
Channing Frye	$2,162,880    $2,325,000        2,487,240   $3,163,769    $4,264,760
Nate Robinson	$1,102,680     $1,185,480       1,268,160   $2,020,178    $2,911,077
David Lee	$861,360        $926,040        990,600      $1,788,033   $2,682,049   
Qyntel Woods 	2,000,000       2,000,000    	2,000,000    2,000,000	
Jackie Butler 	1,500,000       1,500,000	1,500,000    1,500,000
                                 135               87.8         63  

Posted by TMS:

i want to see KMart dunking on RJ in a Knicks' uniform next season.

Grizzlies president Jerry West accepted blame, divvied some out and then promised a different approach.
Accountable and somber, West stood Wednesday on the FedExForum practice court, and said the real victims of the Grizzlies' playoff misery are the owners and fans.

In a wide-ranging interview with local media, West maintained that majority owner Michael Heisley deserves better because the team suffers greatly in three areas.
The Grizzlies somehow disconnected from the fans. The franchise continues to lose significant amounts of money (insiders report more than $40 million).

Plus, everyone -- from management to coaches to players -- didn't reach their potential when it mattered most.

"I question myself more than I do our players," West said. "The burden falls on me. It doesn't fall on the coaches. It falls on me. Obviously, I'm not doing something right, either. ... We need to do something different. That's for sure."

The Griz were swept from the postseason for the third straight season following a Game 4 loss Monday to the Dallas Mavericks. The Grizzlies' 0-12 all-time playoff record is an odd and frustrating NBA mark for futility.

West said it appeared the Mavs were amused by their dominance in the series.

"I don't like to be laughed at," said West, who later added that he's not interested in a roster overhaul. Key players simply must raise their game.

"Last year, we imploded. This year we didn't implode but we didn't do the little things necessary to win (playoff) games," West said. "Our better players have to play at a higher level. And they did not."

Presumably, West spoke of Pau Gasol and Mike Miller -- both of whom were noticeably passive throughout the series. West wouldn't offer specifics about offseason strategy to improve the team because he hadn't yet met with coach Mike Fratello.

He indicated, however, that finding a fierce rebounder is atop the to-do list.

"You can't just go out and make (major) changes every year. Sooner or later, it's not going to work," West said. "There are areas we need to address, and we're going to try and do that."

When asked if Fratello would return, West gave his coach a vote of confidence.

"I would never think that I wouldn't support them 100 percent going forward," West said. "We've got a hard-working coaching staff here."

Fratello appeared taken aback by questions about his employment status.

"I intend to be here," Fratello said. "I have another year on my contract. I intend to be back to fulfill my obligation."

West, though, implied a change in philosophy might be necessary.

As a spectator, West often thought about style of play and developing younger players such as Hakim Warrick, Dahntay Jones and Lawrence Roberts.

Fratello's handle on both issues drew mixed reviews.

"All you have are hopes and expectations for some of the things you want implemented on the court and for our players to find a way to win some games during the playoffs and we didn't see that," West said, later adding: "We have to find a way to connect with our fans. Do we change the way we play? Or do we keep changing players faces, which I don't think gets it done. We have to establish something concrete here."

Change is what the paying customers apparently want.

Neither home playoff game sold out. The announced attendance for Game 4 was 15,104, well below the sellout figure of 18,119.

Game 3 drew more than 17,000.

"Somewhere along the way we've disconnected from our fans," West said. "People in this town like basketball and they're sophisticated. Even though we haven't been able to attract the amount of fans we'd like to attract, I thought our crowd in Game 3 was tremendous. They didn't want us to lose. They tried to help us win."

Perhaps the strongest message delivered as the Griz packed their belongings and headed for an uncertain summer was West's request for patience.

"To our fans," West said, "please don't give up on us. We're going to do everything we can this summer to make this team better, knowing that we have to watch the dollars we spend a lot more carefully around here."

-- Ronald Tillery: 529-2353