http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_y...-?slug=sk-southwest101804&prov=yhoo&type=lgns The Memphis Grizzlies were the surprise team of the NBA last season, winning 50 games and making the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. With Coach of the Year Hubie Brown returning and the deep, young team playing in the brand new FedEx Forum this season, expectations are high. But as general manager Jerry West continues his efforts to transform this franchise into one of the league's elite, he's faced with a sobering reality: Brown will most likely retire after this season, leaving the team's coaching position up in the air. It isn't often that a coaching change in the NBA can have a profound effect on a franchise's future, but this one might. The 71-year-old Brown transformed the Grizzlies into a dynamic, exciting team last season by employing a 10-man rotation, an attacking defense and a balanced, fundamentally sound offense. His powerful presence helped young Jason Williams become a better point guard and leader, and it forced veterans like Bonzi Wells to submit themselves to the team concept that Brown preached. Most NBA coaches don't play 10 players because it's difficult to keep everyone happy when they're constantly being shuffled in and out of the lineup. But Brown recognized that playing a deep rotation not only gave his team a better chance to win, but it also aided the development of a young roster, thereby enhancing each player's value around the league. Memphis is now poised to make a blockbuster trade – should it so choose – because the roster is filled with assets. West would love to keep his coach around longer. At Brown's age, though, the rigors of NBA life are demanding. Brown reportedly came close to retiring at the end of last season, but West convinced him to stick around. The Grizzlies are entering the newly formed Southwest Division – the toughest in the NBA – and if they're to build on last season's success, they'll need every bit of Brown's wits and presence to help them do so. Then, West will have to find a coach to continue the team's ascension.
It says after this season. Not a surprise there. From the beginning Hubie was always projected to be a short term coach.
As good a job as Hubie's done, it might be better for the Grizz if he does retire soon. He's done his job of maturing and developing the young talent and infusing a winning attitude. But ten-man rotations and gimmick defenses just don't work in the playoffs.
He uses pressure defense that comes with being able to send 10 guys out there to keep people fresh. It was expose big time by the Spurs when they slowed down the pace and used solid passing to break it down. A team like Memphis sputters in the playoffs because teams can practice against such defense for a seven game series, but not during the grueling regular season. Personally, more concerning about Hubie than postseason is that players begin to tune him out after a while. It has happened everywhere he's been to.
Did it ever occur to you that San Antonio beat Memphis because they were a better team? 2 time champion vs. never seen the playoffs? Add to that Pau was injured.
Look at the Grizzlies' rotation: Williams - Plays good individual defense when he wants to (which isn't often enough) Miller - Defensive liability Posey - Good defender, sometimes gambles for steals Gasol - Defensive liability Wright - Athletic and energetic, but relatively average defensively Watson - Best backcourt defender on the team, despite short frame Wells - See Williams Battier - Like all Duke players he's great at team D, but he lacks the quickness to guard top perimeter scorers Outlaw - Energetic, hustling defender Swift - Improved individual D, still a nasty shotblocker Overall, the second unit is better defensively than the first, and Hubie is often forced into using matchup zones to cover up his players defensive deficiencies. It works in the regular season when you play a team every few weeks, but in a seven game series when most of the scoring is done in the halfcourt, good offensive teams adjust and the zone just gets picked apart.
The Spurs won 4-0. SA is a better team, but we're talking about a 58 win team vs. 50 win team(playing the same schedule). Provided the regular season gives a fairly accurate representation of each team's quality, this series should on average be 4-2 or 4-3 in favor of the Spurs. That the series was a sweep, with three blowouts, can hardly be just attributed to SA's superiority as a team. Btw, Hubie isn't the first coach to use this style of defense. It has been tried before by many other coaches, none of them had much success in the postseason. As for Gasol, he played 33 minutes and scored 18.5 points on 57% shooting. All higher than his regular season totals. I don't know much about this injury, but it sure as Hell didn't make that much of a difference. Certainly not enough to justify the ass-whopping the Spurs put on the Grizzs.
