Lionel Hollins and the Memphis Grizzlies have had limited discussions in regards to an extension. Hollins will likely remain in limbo until the sale of the franchise from Michael Hesiley to Robert Pera is complete. Hollins doesn't believe there is any added pressure working without a contract. "I expect to have a deal before the season is over," Hollins said. "For sure." Read more:http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/oct/01/hollins-still-preaching-sacrifice/
If I were the (new) owner of the Grizzlies, I'd seriously evaluate Lionel Hollins and the way he handled the first game of the Grizz/Clippers series. One game, a cause for concern? ... Hell yeah! When you let your team be the victim of a historic comeback in the playoffs, red flags are raised. (I'm not even going to get into the bad coaching decisions in the other six games, because that would be a rant that would have me typing all night.) The media gave Hollins a lot of credit for the way the Grizzlies exceeded expections with a 4 seed. How about this - the Grizzlies had enough talent on their roster this season to be a 2-3 seed. They had one of the best all-around frontcourts in the entire NBA, and they had arguably the NBA's best defensive backcourt. They're a small market team, but a 4 seed is not that impressive given the talent level. If anything, the 4 seed was a given on paper, and anything less should have been a disappointment. I like Hollins as a person, and I think that might be the problem. He's a likable guy, but he's not the coach for us... not a horrible coach, but not a good coach at the same time. He presents himself well, and I can't speak to the behind-the-scenes prep work that the Grizz put in, because none of us can, but judging him on his in-game decision making, Memphis could do a lot better.
