Lionel Hollins will sign a contract this weekend to become the full-time coach of the Memphis Grizzlies. No doubt barraged by questions about this hasty and, well, questionable, decision, owner Michael Heisley said this one is all on him. Heisley said this is the first coach he has ever selected himself, and he will take responsibility for the outcome of his decision. On one hand, that seems awfully big of him. At closer inspection, however, you have to ask : How much risk is Heisley himself actually taking? His job can't be on the line if this pick doesn't pan out. He's the owner. Still, it brings up the possibility that he is tired of relying on his general manager to make such a critical decision for the franchise. This may bring him one step closer to replacing Chris Wallace. It's a mess. There is no other way to describe it. The Grizzlies franchise is in a state of chaos. Any dreams of a three-year plan are now officially shot, not that such a plan ever really got off the ground to begin with. We can only hope that somehow Hollins has improved as a coach since he was last here, or else Heisley is just wasting more time and money.
On the court, the coaching change provided an immediate spark for the Grizzlies, but it fizzled after the first quarter against the Knicks. The Grizzlies came out on fire, jumping to a 24-8 lead and looking like they were in control. They couldn't miss a shot in the first quarter, and they crashed the offensive glass when they did come up short. But the initial emotion of playing in defense of the fired Iavaroni (who, ironically, never got their loyalty when he was on the bench) faded as the game went on. The Grizzlies led by as many as 20 points before falling by the same margin, 108-88.
The loss was the eighth straight for the Grizzlies, a season-high in futility. Rudy Gay led the team with 20 points, but O.J. Mayo struggled from the floor, making only 4-of-14 shots for 12 points.
Keywords: Lionel Hollins, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay
