January 6
Memphis Commercial Appeal
columnist Geoff Calkins
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It was still in the first half of the Grizzlies' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves last week when O.J. Mayo rose to throw down an emphatic reverse dunk. "Oh, yeah," called a fan from the stands at the Target Center in Minneapolis. "We didn't need that here, did we?" It was the sound of pain, ladies and gentlemen. The sound of woe-is-us. And -- here's the really wonderful part -- it was coming from the other guys for a change. The other guys were fretting about the one that got away. The other guys were wondering what could have been. "If only O. J. Mayo had ended up in Minnesota ... " Instead, he ended up here. "Fortune smiled on us," said Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace. "We ..."
December 15
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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O.J. Mayo brought a little extra baggage to the arena Sunday afternoon. The Grizzlies' rookie guard had etched in his mind Chicago guard Ben Gordon's 18-point first-quarter outburst last Friday night. And Griz coach Marc Iavaroni wouldn't let Mayo forget with the Miami Heat and the NBA's leading scorer, Dwyane Wade, set to invade FedExForum. Mayo's response? It wasn't sheepish. Mayo unpacked an intense defensive effort and 28 points, guiding the Griz to their fourth straight victory with a 102-86 victory over the Heat on Sunday afternoon. "Ben Gordon got the best of me," Mayo said. "I wanted to have a good response. I wanted to make this game about my defense." Mayo was equally effective ..."
December 2
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo, who averaged 21.9 points per game in the season's first month, was named the league's T-Mobile Western Conference rookie of the month, the NBA announced today. Picked third in the 2008 NBA Draft and traded to the Grizzlies on draft night, Mayo compiled the highest scoring average for a first-year player in his first month since Allen Iverson's 23.4 ppg in 1996-97. Mayo ranks in the top 10 among rookies in scoring average, minutes, assists, steals, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage."
November 6
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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Grizzlies rookie O.J. Mayo celebrated his 21st birthday Wednesday in low-key fashion. The guard, taken third overall in the NBA draft, didn't deviate from his normal game-day routine as the Griz prepared to take on the Sacramento Kings. Just another day at work for the USC product who impresses everyone in the organization with his maturity. Griz coach Marc Iavaroni is pleased with Mayo on the court, saying the 6-4 combo guard's transition to the NBA is going as well as can be expected. Mayo scored 28 points Wednesday night in the Grizzlies' 100-95 loss. Iavaroni said it shouldn't be lost that Mayo essentially is filling big shoes left by veteran sharpshooter Mike Miller. The Griz ..."
October 14
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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O.J. Mayo tries to never leave the practice court without making roughly 200 extra shots. For the first time this preseason, it seemed as though he made that many in a game. The Grizzlies' rookie experienced an offensive breakthrough Monday night, tossing in a game-high 26 points, including six 3-pointers as the Grizzlies beat the Indiana Pacers, 103-95, during preseason action in FedExForum. Mayo, the highly touted rookie taken third in the draft and then traded to Memphis, turned in his most assertive performance yet. He looked to score and he delivered mostly along the perimeter. "When Mike Miller and Juan Carlos Navarro were shooting well, we were a pretty good offensive team," Griz ..."
October 6
Memphis Commercial Appeal
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He often talks barely above a whisper. O.J. Mayo clearly wants his game to speak at a high volume. And the Grizzlies like the tone from their 6-5 rookie guard after one week of training camp. He arrives early and stays late. His competitive spirit never needs booster cables. Mayo is making a smooth transition so far. "He's shown everything he's shown before," Griz head coach Marc Iavaroni said, referring to Mayo's offseason work. "He's tremendous competitor. He pays a lot of attention to defense. He's got a balanced game. He's learning that he can be an assassin in this league." That Mayo isn't trying to do too much is perhaps his best characteristic. He's delivered the wow factor at times ..."