West expects maturity, experience to help Grizzlies

“We want to win some playoff games,” West said as he welcomed Eddie Jones, Bobby Jackson and Damon Stoudamire to Memphis.

The three NBA veterans join the Grizzlies in the team’s biggest one-blow roster shake-up since the franchise moved from Vancouver four years ago.

While making the additions, Memphis traded away three players — Jason Williams, Bonzi Wells and James Posey — who often stood out as team leaders but clashed at times with coach Mike Fratello and his staff.

Stromile Swift, whose production for the Grizzlies was also spotty, is gone, too, after signing with Houston as a free agent.

While saying he meant nothing derogatory about “those people,” West went on to describe the newest Grizzlies as “three of the nicest, first-class, humble, hard-working people you’d ever want to meet.”

“We personally think we have better players, and it’s that simple,” West said. “But more important, we have some leadership here now that will be a lot different than we’ve had before.”

Fratello said he expects a change in the Grizzlies’ overall attitude.

“We have character here. We have professionalism,” he said.

Jackson came to Memphis in a swap that sent Wells to Sacramento, while Jones came from Miami as part of a five-team trading deal, the biggest in league archives. Stoudamire joined the Grizzles as a free agent after eight years at Portland.

“The first line of offense and defense begins in our backcourt,” West said. “If you’re going to go somewhere in the playoffs, you’ve really got to be stable in your backcourt, and we think we’ve added some stability.”

The Grizzlies went to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 2004 and returned again last season. But they were swept both times, first by San Antonio and then by Phoenix.

“I watched Memphis in the playoffs the last couple of years and the only thing it seemed like this team was lacking was experience,” Stoudamire said. “That’s a big part of the playoffs. I don’t think people really understand that regular-season basketball and playoff-season basketball are totally different.”

Fratello said he hasn’t decided yet whether Stoudamire or Jackson will replace Williams at point guard.

“I’ve talked to both of them briefly about this. When we come into camp, I have no preconceived ideas on how it will work out, how it falls into place,” Fratello said. “However, I do know this. They’ll both play a ton of minutes.”

Fratello said he may need Jackson or Stoudamire at either point or shooting guard, and Jones may come in at guard or forward.