The 1996âÂÂ97 Vancouver Grizzlies season was the second season for the Vancouver Grizzlies in the National Basketball Association. Coming off of finishing with the league's worst record at 15âÂÂ67 in their inaugural season, the Grizzlies received the third overall pick in the 1996 NBA draft, and selected small forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim from the University of California, and also selected power forward Roy Rogers from the University of Alabama with the 22nd overall pick. During the off-season, the team acquired Anthony Peeler and George Lynch from the Los Angeles Lakers, and signed free agents Lee Mayberry and Pete Chilcutt.
However, despite the addition of Abdur-Rahim, Peeler and Lynch, the Grizzlies continued to struggle in their second season, losing their first seven games of the regular season, and then later on posting an eight-game losing streak in January. Head coach Brian Winters was fired after an 8âÂÂ35 start to the season, and was replaced with General Manager Stu Jackson as interim coach. Under Jackson, the Grizzlies held a 9âÂÂ42 record at the All-Star break, suffered a 15-game losing streak between February and March, and then posted a nine-game losing streak between March and April, finishing in last place in the Midwest Division with a league-worst 14âÂÂ68 record, which was their worst record in franchise history.
Abdur-Rahim averaged 18.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, and was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team, while second-year star Bryant Reeves showed improvement averaging 16.2 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, and Peeler provided the team with 14.5 points and 1.5 steals per game, and led them with 128 three-point field goals. In addition, Greg Anthony contributed 9.5 points, 6.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game, while Lynch provided with 8.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game, but only played just 41 games due to an abdominal strain injury. Off the bench, Blue Edwards provided with 7.8 points per game, while second-year guard Lawrence Moten contributed 6.7 points per game, Rogers averaged 6.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and led the team with 2.0 blocks per game, and Mayberry contributed 5.1 points and 4.1 assists per game.
During the NBA All-Star weekend at the Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, Abdur-Rahim and Rogers were both selected for the NBA Rookie Game, as members of the Western Conference Rookie team. Abdur-Rahim scored 17 points as the Western Conference lost to the Eastern Conference, 96âÂÂ91. Abdur-Rahim also finished in third place in Rookie of the Year voting. The Grizzlies finished 17th in the NBA in home-game attendance, with an attendance of 683,442 at General Motors Place during the regular season.
Following the season, Anthony signed as a free agent with the Seattle SuperSonics, while Jackson was fired as head coach, Rogers was traded to the Boston Celtics, and Moten and Eric Mobley were both released to free agency.
The Grizzlies first draft pick was Shareef Abdur-Rahim, which was the third overall pick in the draft.
The Grizzlies would open the season with a seven-game losing streak before earning their first win, as they defeated the Phoenix Suns 92âÂÂ89 in their eighth game. Wins would be few and far between for Vancouver, as they finished the season with a 14âÂÂ68 record, which was one game worse than their expansion season. The Grizzlies also once again finished in last place in the league.
Vancouver would make a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers, as the Grizzlies would acquire Anthony Peeler and George Lynch along with the Lakers second round draft choices in 1997 and 1998 for Vancouver's second round draft choices in 1997 and 1998. Peeler would start 57 games for the Grizzlies in the 1996âÂÂ97 season and finish third in team scoring averaging 14.5 points per game.