Despite reaching the Western Conference Finals this year despite trading arguably their best player, Rudy Gay at the trade deadline, as well as other bench depth in a salary dump, the Memphis Grizzlies may be looking for a new coach this summer.
Lionel Hollins, the man who has constructed one of the best defenses in the West, is a free agent, and a recent clash with highly-valued executive John Hollinger may signal a move elsewhere. The Grizzlies have given Hollins permission to speak with other teams and the Los Angeles Clippers have shown interest.
According to sources close to the situation, Hollins blew up o Hollinger after the executive was seen talking to Grizzlies forward Austin Daye during a shooting drill. Hollins loudly questioned Hollinger on whether it was appropriate for him to be engaging players during practice time.
The Grizzlies new ownership has a strong belief in analytic roster construction, something Hollinger specializes in. Since being brought in, he has been given great power in personnel decisions, while Hollins has a more traditional approach and has shown resistance to the stats-based analysis. A source predicting Hollins will leave said the coach and the team are at war over "major philosophical differences."
Under Hollins the Grizzlies have had four straight seasons with at least 40 wins, and he is 183-155 in his Memphis career. This season, the Grizzlies overachieved, winning 56 regular season games and dispatching last year's Western Conference champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, in five games. That track record gives Hollins some merit in trying achieve success in Memphis "his way."
The Brooklyn Nets also have a head coaching vacancy, and have been linked to Hollins in the media, but have not shown any official interest in the Grizzlies coach. Brooklyn is said to hold Indiana Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw in high regard.
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