The Grizzlies did not disclose terms Tuesday of Bickerstaff’s new deal. He will be introduced at a news conference Wednesday.
Bickerstaff was the associate head coach when Memphis fired David Fizdale in late November of his second season. Guard Mike Conley had season-ending surgery to repair his left heel and Achilles tendon, and the Grizzlies finished the season at 22-60 for the second-worst record in the NBA behind only Phoenix.
They had to win their regular season home finale to avoid the worst record since relocating to Memphis for the 2001-02 season. But they should wind up with their highest draft pick since 2009.
”J.B. did an admirable job as interim head coach last season in what was a challenging set of circumstances,” general manager Chris Wallace said in a statement. ”J.B. has connected with our players and earned their respect throughout his time in Memphis, and we have been pleased with his role in developing our young players. We are excited to see him coach with a full offseason and a healthy roster next season.”
This will be the first time Bickerstaff has been hired as head coach without an interim tag. He finished the 2015-16 season as the interim coach in Houston after Kevin McHale was fired, and he went 37-34 with the Rockets. Bickerstaff said at the end of the season that he had been discussing his future with management and wanted to return.
”I feel like we have started something,” he said. ”We have started to build a culture. You want to be part of a group that you like. I think there’s going to be a tremendous bump next year, health permitting. I would love to be a part of it.”
Conley is expected back healthy Riley Nash Jersey , and the Grizzlies still have center Marc Gasol with a handful of young players like Dillon Brooks who got plenty of playing time under Bickerstaff.
Bickerstaff also was an assistant coach with Minnesota between 2007 and 2011 and worked for his father, Bernie, with the Charlotte Bobcats between 2004 and 2007. He was director of operations for the University of Minnesota men’s basketball team after playing two seasons. He started his college career at Oregon State.
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The Padres bullpen has stepped up to fill a hole in San Diego’s rotation.
Eric Hosmer homered, San Diego’s bullpen took a perfect game into the sixth inning and the Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Tuesday night for their 10th win in 14 games.
This was the third bullpen game for San Diego this season, all since left-hander Joey Lucchesi went down with a right hip strain.
”These guys are all built to kind of grind through a lineup one time or cruise through a lineup or attack a lineup one time through,” Padres manager Andy Green said. ”They’re all built for nine batters pretty easily or 10 batters so it just makes sense to give them those types of pieces of a lineup for a first time through and keep hitters uncomfortable. I like it.”
Padres reliever Matt Strahm started the bullpen game and retired nine batters on 36 pitches, including four strikeouts. Adam Cimber (3-2) retired the next six with two strikeouts before Harrison Bader broke up the perfect game with an infield single in the sixth. Bader was promptly erased in a double play.
”In that situation Vladislav Namestnikov Jersey , I know on a bullpen day, me coming in the fourth inning I’m probably looked at to get at least a few (innings),” Cimber said. ”You still take it one hitter at a time.”
Strahm, a lefty, and Cimber, a submarine righty, make a stark contrast for opposing hitters.
”It’s the opposite end of the spectrum Mathieu Perreault Jersey ,” Strahm said. ”He’s down on the right and I’m up on the left. It’s a good combo to come in.”
The Padres’ nine-man bullpen makes the starter-by-committee approach effective. Green said he plans to go with it again Sunday.
”We’ve got seven arms available,” Green said. ”I’m going to guess that’s more arms available than almost every team in major league baseball, so it’s not putting the stress on our bullpen that a lot of people presume it is.”
Brad Hand pitched the ninth for his 20th save.
Hosmer drove the first pitch of the fourth inning to center field to give the Padres a 1-0 lead. It was his second home run in three games.
A.J. Ellis tacked on two more with a two-out hit in the fourth. The Cardinals challenged the safe call on the second run, but replay showed the Freddy Galvis beat catcher Yadier Molina’s tag at home plate.
”Basically the first strike you see you want to be aggressive,” Ellis said. ”I found a pitch to find a hole on.”
Cardinals starter Miles Mikolas (7-2) struck out five in six innings and walked none. He has walked one or less in all seven of his home starts this season, but St. Louis still lost for the second time in three games.
”I felt like my stuff was pretty good today,” Mikolas said. ”I made some pretty good pitches. I think the ball Hosmer hit was a decent pitch.”
Marcell Ozuna’s RBI single snapped the Padres’ shutout bid in the seventh. Ozuna has driven in five runs in his last four games.
”I thought our offense did a pretty good job of getting some things rolling toward the end of the game David Krejci Jersey ,” Bader said. ”Just today, it just showed up a little too late.”
TRAINING ROOM
Padres: OF Franchy Cordero (right forearm strain) took batting practice and hopes to begin a rehab in a couple of days.
Cardinals: RHP Matt Bowman (right hand blisters) gave up a run in two innings Monday at Triple-A Memphis and could be activated by the end of the week.
UP NEXT
Cardinals RHP Luke Weaver (3-5, 4.35 ERA) will get the start in the series finale against the Padres and LHP Eric Lauer (2-4, 6.64 ERA) on Wednesday at 7:15 CDT. Weaver has not allowed a run in 12 innings (two career starts) against San Diego. Lauer gave up six runs in 2 1/3 innings against St. Louis on May 11.
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