Lionel Hollins likely has coached last game for Grizzlies, ESPN expert tells MemphiSport

June 7, 2013 by Leave a Comment
LEAVING TOWN? --- Considering team officials have allowed other organizations to speak with Lionel Hollins about their head coaching vacancies, many media pundits believe Hollins have coached his last game for the Grizzlies despite leading the team to the Western Conference Finals this year. (Photo by Noah Graham/Getty Images)

LEAVING TOWN? — Considering team officials have allowed other organizations to speak with Lionel Hollins about their head coaching vacancies, many media pundits believe Hollins have coached his last game for the Grizzlies despite leading the team to the Western Conference Finals this year. (Photo by Noah Graham/Getty Images)

HOUSTON — Whether Lionel Hollins will return to coach the Grizzlies next season appears highly unlikely, now that team officials have expressed interest in other coaches and granted other organizations permission to speak with the embattled Hollins, whose contract ends June 30.

“It doesn’t look good,” ESPN News Editor Larry Starks told MemphiSport on Friday in a telephone interview from Miami. “I don’t think he’ll sign with the Grizzlies. The two sides philosophically are on different pages.”

Hollins and Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien met last week during a meeting in which Hollins admittedly came away convinced that he would work out a deal to remain the Grizzlies’ coach after guiding Memphis its first Western Conference Finals appearance in team history.

However, after learning earlier this week that he had been given permission to speak with other teams about their head coaching vacancies, it appears the relationship between Hollins and Levien is steadily deteriorating since the new ownership took over in late October.

“It seems like they wanted to go more toward analytics and (Hollins) doesn’t want that,” said Starks, alluding to Grizzlies new owner Robert Pera’s hiring of former ESPN analyst/writer John Hollinger as the team’s Vice President of Basketball Operations. “It seems like from the beginning of the season, there were irreconcilable differences between the team and Hollins. From what I’ve read, it seems like Hollins wasn’t on board with them trading Rudy Gay. But the bottom line, it’s a difference in philosophies with them.”

While the 59-year-old Hollins has publicly expressed in recent weeks his desire to remain in Memphis, the possibility exist that he has coached his last game for the Grizzlies, despite guiding the team to a franchise-record 56 wins this year.

According to multiple media reports, Hollins took part in a lengthy discussion Thursday with Los Angeles Clippers Vice President of Basketball Operations Gary Sacks, a development that transpired 11 days after team owner Donald Sterling reportedly attended Game 1 of the Grizzlies-San Antonio Spurs series supposedly to scout Hollins. Also, the Brooklyn Nets have been granted permission to speak with Hollins, but has not reached out to the coach after its initial request last week was denied days after the Grizzlies were swept in four games by the Spurs.

And, as early as Friday, the Denver Nuggets seemingly have shown interest in possibly landing Hollins to fill its head coaching vacancy after team officials announced Thursday that George Karl would not return for a tenth season. According to media reports, the Grizzlies appear intrigued in luring the 62-year-old Karl to Memphis after a year in which he led the Nuggets to franchise-best 57 wins and was named NBA’s Coach of the Year.

However, whether Hollins will emerge as the suitable fit for a Denver team that currently is without a general manger — former Nuggets GM Masai Ujiri left recently for Toronto to assume the same position — is up for debate.

“The Nuggets don’t have a GM and that seems to be a more chaotic situation,” Starks said. “(Hollins) has done a lot for (the Grizzlies). He’s added toughness. He’s added accountability.”

So if Hollins and the Grizzlies part ways, on whose sideline could the often-belligerent coach possibly emerge next season?

“The Clippers it seems are leaning toward (Indiana Pacers assistant) Brian Shaw,” Starks said. “The Nets I think could be a good landing spot for him. I don’t know what he’s thinking and what his thinking is. But the Nets are on the market where they have to compete with the Knicks.”

Though the possibility exist that Hollins could return to the Grizzlies’ sideline next year, many believe that is inconceivable, given both sides have commenced to looking elsewhere.

“I’d be surprised if he signs with the Grizzlies,” Starks said.

Stay tuned.

Andre Johnson covers the NBA for MemphiSport. To reach Johnson, email him at andre@memphisport.net. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.

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Hollins insists rumors about his future with team didn’t distract Grizzlies against Spurs

May 29, 2013 by Leave a Comment
STAYING OR GOING? Though Lionel Hollins has emerged as a serious candidate to fill a head-coaching vacancy elsewhere, the 59-year-old coach said this week he hopes to work out a deal to remain in Memphis. (Photo by Justin Ford)

STAYING OR GOING? Though Lionel Hollins has emerged as a serious candidate to fill a head-coaching vacancy elsewhere, the 59-year-old coach said this week he hopes to work out a deal to remain in Memphis. (Photo by Justin Ford)

Lionel Hollins contends he doesn’t care.

At least that is the reaction the Memphis Grizzlies coach seemed to render when asked recently about Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling having attended Game 1 of Memphis’ Western Conference Finals series against the San Antonio Spurs in the AT&T Center.

According to multiple media reports, Sterling, the NBA’s longest-tenured owner whose net worth is $1.9 billion, sat opposite the Grizzlies’ bench supposedly to scout Hollins for a possible interview to fill the Clippers’ head coaching vacancy.

The Clippers last week announced that Vinny Del Negro would not return as head coach after three seasons, a development that only heighten speculations surrounding Hollins’ potential move to coach the team the Grizzlies eliminated in six games in the playoffs’ opening round.

However, Hollins, when asked before Game 3 of the Spurs-Grizzlies series about Sterling’s appearance in San Antonio to scout him, quickly dismissed the notion of possibly being interviewed by the Clippers, saying that his name being rumored to coach elsewhere wasn’t a distraction for the Grizzlies.

After eliminating the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in five games in the conference semifinals, Memphis advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the first time in franchise history before being swept by the Spurs in a 93-86 loss Monday night in FedExForum.

“If that team knew about it, maybe it would have been (a distraction) you know,” said Hollins, adding that he wasn’t aware of Sterling’s showing in San Antonio. “But who gives a (expletive). (Expletive)…there’s distractions every day. Every day we come to the gym, it’s a distraction. Every time we get on the highway and come to the gym, it’s a distraction. Every time we get on the plane and the weather is bad and we don’t get to leave on time, those are all distractions.”

Among the reasons Hollins’ name continues to surface as a serious candidate to fill a head-coaching vacancy elsewhere is that team officials did not offer him a contract extension this year, although the Grizzlies had compiled a franchise-best 56-26 record and reached the playoffs for a third consecutive season.

Besides Sterling, Brooklyn Nets billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov also is rumored to be showing serious interest in Hollins, according to various reports.

Hollins, 59, first joined the Grizzlies in 1999 when the team was in Vancouver, where he coached the team through the end of the 2000 season. Consequently, he was named interim coach of the team during the 2004-2005 campaign before being name head coach for the third time in the franchise’s short history in January 2009.

Since 2009, a stretch that spans 312 regular-season games, Hollins has generated a 183-129 mark and guided Memphis to three consecutive postseason appearances. As a result, Hollins — who earlier this week said he remains hopeful a contract extension with the Grizzlies would get worked out quickly — has emerged as one of the most sought-after coaches after a historical campaign in which the Grizzlies overcame what he described as a “slew of distractions.”

“We overcame those,” Hollins said. “We’ve been through trades. We’ve been through deaths. And all of a sudden, somebody’s coming to me (about filling a coaching vacancy) is a distraction. So I don’t know why some stupid article would make you be distracted on doing your job.”

Prior to his professional coaching career, Hollins played 10 NBA seasons for five different teams, most notably in Portland, where he was a member of the Trail Blazers’ 1976-77 squad that beat the Philadelphia 76ers in six games to win the NBA Finals.

Andre Johnson covers the NBA for MemphiSport. To reach Johnson, email him at andre@memphisport.net. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.

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Grizzlies players weigh in on state of franchise since team traded Rudy Gay

May 18, 2013 by 1 Comment

The Grizzlies returned to work Friday afternoon for the first time since eliminating the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and punching their ticket to the Western Conference Finals.

THE DEBATE CONTINUES --- Rudy Gay (right) spent six-plus seasons in Memphis after leaving UConn in 2006. Since his trade to Toronto on January 30, there has been much debates as to whether the Grizzlies have become a better team since dealing their franchise player. (Photo by Chris Evans)

THE DEBATE CONTINUES — Rudy Gay (right) spent six-plus seasons in Memphis after leaving UConn in 2006. Since his trade to Toronto on January 30, there has been ongoing debates as to whether the Grizzlies have become a better team since dealing their franchise player. (Photo by Chris Evans)

Still, despite all of the hoopla and the national buzz this small-market franchise has created this postseason, it seems that one proverbial topic continues to re-surface as Memphis prepares to take on the San Antonio Spurs in Game 1 of their best-of-7 series Sunday at 2:30 p.m. CST in the AT&T Center.

That is, are the Grizzlies a better team since trading franchise player Rudy Gay?

“We definitely are a better team,” said Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph, who has become Memphis’ leading scorer since the team dealt Gay. “This team is more together. We understand. Our confidence is up. We play for one another, so we’re definitely a better team.”

That certainly didn’t appear to be the case after the Grizzlies, Raptors, and Pistons agreed to a six-player trade on January 30 that sent the star swingman to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Ed Davis, Austin Daye, and Tayshaun Prince.

For some, trading Gay was befitting, considering the seven-year veteran, at least at the time, wasn’t performing like a player who signed a five-year extension with Memphis worth a reported $82 million in July 2010. For others, they sensed that moving Gay after the team had gotten below the dreaded luxury tax threshold — after sending reserves Marresse Speights, Josh Selby, Wayne Ellington to Cleveland eight days earlier — wasn’t consummate, given Memphis was deemed a legitimate title contender before the start of the season.

Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, for instance, was among those who felt team officials’ decision to trade Gay was a questionable move. And, after a January 15 shootaround in FedExForum, Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul, who’s close friends with Gay, said “the Grizzlies would be crazy” for trading the former UConn star.

What a difference three-and-half months have made.

That’s because all the new-look Grizzlies have done since Gay’s exodus was emerge as arguably the hottest and most efficient team in the NBA, let alone pose as a serious threat to dethrone the Miami Heat in the coming weeks. Add to the fact that the Grizzlies have generated the league’s third-best record (34-14) since trading Gay and ousted two title contenders (the Clippers and Thunder) in eloquent fashion, and it’s no wonder why seasoned Grizzlies such as Randolph and Mike Conley don’t shy away from weighing in on a subject they believe is an afterthought at this stage in the season.

“We’re happy to be here.” Conley said of Memphis’ historical run to the conference finals. “But we’re focused on bigger things. You’ve

Among the reasons the Grizzlies have enjoyed success since trading Gay is that veteran shooting guard Tony Allen (right) has led a Memphis team that is considered among the NBA's best defensive squads. Allen was named to the NBA's All-Defensive first team last week. (Photo by Justin Ford)

Among the reasons the Grizzlies have enjoyed success since trading Gay is that veteran shooting guard Tony Allen (right) has led a Memphis team that is considered among the NBA’s best defensive squads. Allen was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive first team last week. (Photo by Justin Ford)

got to have a vision. And even with Rudy being gone, it might have altered the vision a little bit, might have been a little bit tougher on guys to do it, but the vision stays the same. I still believed (after the trade) that we had a chance. I still believed that if certain guys step up, that we could be just as good, that we could be a good team.”

While Hollins publicly acknowledged he wasn’t in favor of the Grizzlies bargaining Gay, he said among the things he appreciates mostly about his team is the camaraderie his players have established in the aftermath of the trade, a key characteristic he feels has benefited the Grizzlies immensely in the playoffs.

“Well, that’s why they pay me the big bucks,” Hollins jokingly said. “That’s the hardest part of coaching…motivating, getting them to accept their roles, getting them to play together. You do those three things and you got talent, you have a good chance of winning. It’s a difficult proposition. There’s a lot of ways to go about it. I’m not going to tell you how I go about it because it’s not good for TV.”

The Grizzlies, appearing in the conference finals for the first time since the team’s inception in 1995 (Vancouver), have certainly been must-see TV this postseason, a trend this town has relished since Gay — whom many labeled an ambassador for the city of Memphis during his stint here — was sent north of the border.

As for whether Memphis is better off since trading Gay, it’s safe to assume the longest-tenured Grizzly is being careful to use his words wisely.

“I think it’s a different team without Rudy,” Conley said.

With a straight face.

Andre Johnson covers the Grizzlies for MemphiSport. To reach Johnson, email him at andre@memphisport.net. Also, follow him on Twiter @AJ_Journalist.

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Thunder star Kevin Durant on his mother: ‘I’m just happy to have her’

May 12, 2013 by Leave a Comment

While addressing reporters in the Grizzlies’ practice facility Sunday morning, Kevin Durant tried his best to sum up Saturday’s Game 3 loss to Memphis, he felt the Oklahoma City Thunder “let get away.”

“I missed shots,” Durant said, who registered a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds Saturday. “No excuses. I missed shots…shots that I have to make for my team. It doesn’t matter the lineup on the court. So I felt bad because I didn’t come through my team last night.”

MOM KNOWS BEST --- Despite managing a double-double (game-high 25 points and registering 11 rebounds) Saturday's 87-81 loss in Game 3 against the Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant said Sunday his professional career wouldn't exist if it wasn't for his mother, Wanda Pratt, with whom Durant has a well-publicized close relationship.(Photo by Justin Ford)

MOM KNOWS BEST — Despite managing a double-double (game-high 25 points and registering 11 rebounds) Saturday’s 87-81 loss in Game 3 against the Grizzlies, Oklahoma City Thunder star Kevin Durant said Sunday his professional career wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for his mother, Wanda Pratt, with whom Durant has a well-publicized close relationship.(Photo by Justin Ford)

Though the Thunder were held to their worst scoring and shooting performances of the postseason en route to an 87-81 loss to the Grizzlies in FedExForum in a game that wasn’t decided until the final minute, Durant seemed rather sanguine as he and the Thunder look ahead to Monday night’s pivotal Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals best-of-7 playoff series at 8:30 CST in Memphis.

Exhibiting a slight grin, Durant even took the time on Mother’s Day to acknowledge to his mother, Wanda Pratt, with whom the 24-year-old superstar has had a well-publicized close-knit relationship ever since he was born in the Washington, D. C. area in 1988.

“It’s bigger than basketball, man, I’ll tell you that,” said Durant, when asked to describe his relationship with his mother. “To have family around is the most important thing in the world.”

Like many of his peers who grew up in a single parent household, Pratt developed a commitment to steering Durant and his three siblings (two brothers and one sister) in the right direction. Even without a father around, Pratt consented to the slim, lanky Durant playing competitive basketball when he was 11 years. Even during that time, Durant had lofty aspirations of playing professionally although his mother was basically allowing him to shoot hoops as an outlet to stay out of trouble and, perhaps, earn a full-ride scholarship to college.

Fortunately for Durant, his craftiness on the court didn’t go unnoticed by a neighborhood recreational center coach, who was responsible for helping steer him to the University of Texas and, ultimately, green pastures of the NBA.

While Durant spent countless hours in the gymnasium upgrading his mechanics, his mother for years worked the graveyard shift, loading heavy bags of mail onto postal trucks so she could care after her children. While at work, Durant’s grandmother and aunt looked out for him and his siblings.

As Durant, a three-time NBA scoring champion and four-time All-Star, tells it, witnessing the sacrifices his mother made to ensure her children’s needs were met and that they would be raised in a carefree environment prompted him to work harder to achieve his dream. There were times, in fact, that Durant admittedly wanted to skip practice and give up basketball all together. But Pratt, who didn’t allow Durant to go to movies and hang out with friends much, didn’t make quitting hoops easy for him.

It’s a good thing she didn’t.

The NBA’s second-leading scorer, Durant is considered one of the best basketball players in the world for a Thunder team is caught up in a brutal, physical series with the Grizzlies. Whether shorthanded Oklahoma City — which lost point guard Russell Westbrook to a season-ending knee injury two weeks ago — will reach the NBA Finals for a second consecutive year remains a mystery, although Durant said he is eager to get back on the court for Game 4.

Still, on Sunday, while trying his best to assess how Game 3 slipped away in the waning moments of regulation, Durant made it a point to pay homage to the woman whom he deems the mastermind behind his celebrity.

“Every step of the way, it’s such a blessing,” Durant said. “And I’m just happy to have her.”

A close-knit bond that, as Durant said with a smile, is bigger than basketball.

That’s for certain.

Andre Johnson covers the NBA for MemphiSport. To reach Johnson, email him at andre@memphisport.net. Also, follow him on Twiter @AJ_Journalist.

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Even without Westbrook, Thunder are a dangerous foe, Lionel Hollins says

May 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment

The Memphis Grizzlies won two of three meetings this year against the Oklahoma City Thunder with point guard Russell Westbrook in the lineup.

Though the three-time All-Star is less than two weeks removed from a season-ending knee injury he suffered in Game 2 of the Thunder’s opening-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets, Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said he isn’t buying into the notion that his team has emerged as the favorite to knock off the Western Conference’s top-seeded team in a series that starts Sunday in Oklahoma City at 12 p.m. CST.

Marc Gasol and the Grizzlies will likely have their hands full trying to contain Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant (left), whose 28.1 points per game is second-best in the NBA. (Photo by Chris Evans)

Marc Gasol and the Grizzlies will likely have their hands full trying to contain Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant (left), whose 28.1 points per game is second-best in the NBA. (Photo by Chris Evans)

“You know, you’ve got to go play,” Hollins said after the Grizzlies’ 118-105 closeout win in Game 6 over the Los Angeles Clippers Friday night in FedExForum. “That’s the thing everybody keep saying, ‘Oh you can beat them because he’s out.’ They just won a series with him out. They’re a good team.”

Like the Grizzlies, Oklahoma City needed six games to eliminate the Rockets in a series in which it seemed the Thunder would win easily before Westbrook’s injury. The Thunder, who own home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs, won Game 1 in a rout, 120-91, at Chesapeake Energy Arena, as Westbrook nearly registered a triple-double with 19 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds.

Then in the Thunder’s 105-102 win in Game 2, Westbrook and fellow star Kevin Durant each scored 29 points. A five-year veteran, Westbrook played 37 minutes in that game, but unfavorable news would follow for the Thunder although they had taken a 2-0 lead in the series. Team officials announced that Westbrook would miss the remainder of the playoffs because of a lateral meniscus tear in his right knee. Westbrook went down in the second quarter of Game 2 when Houston Rockets rookie Patrick Beverley went for a steal and ran into his knee.

Despite squandering a 26-point first-half lead in Game 3, the Thunder eventually prevailed and took a 3-0 lead against the Rockets behind Durant’s 41-point outburst. However, over the next two games, the Thunder appeared affected by the absence of Westbrook, the team’s second-leading scorer who averaged better than 23 points per game during the regular season. Also, the former UCLA star accounted for roughly a third of the possessions for a Thunder team that advanced to the NBA Finals last year.

Houston won the next two outings, including a 107-100 win at Oklahoma City in Game 5 before the Thunder ended the suspense with a 103-94 road win Friday night to close out the series.

Against the Grizzlies, one of the NBA’s best defensive teams that won a franchise-record 56 games during the regular season, Westbrook’s absence would provide Hollins with more resources to throw at Kevin Martin, Westbrook’s replacement. Still, he said upending a Thunder team that is the league’s second-most efficient offensive squad (110.2 points per 100 possessions) won’t come easily, considering Durant, the NBA’s second-leading scorer (28.1 ppg), is capable of catching fire at any given moment.

“They’re not just a one-man team,” Hollins said. “They’re a good team and we have to go play and earn whatever we get in this series. I feel good about our team simply because where we’re at mentally and physically we’re in good health. And we’ve been playing pretty decent. That’s why I feel pretty good about my team. I’m not worried about who they have or don’t have. We have to go out there and play according to our abilities.”

Andre Johnson covers the Grizzlies for MemphiSport. To reach Johnson, email him at andre@memphisport.net. Also, follow him on Twiter @AJ_Journalist.

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Grizzlies hope Randolph’s assertive play is sign of things to come against Thunder

May 4, 2013 by Leave a Comment
SHOWING OFF — The Los Angeles Clippers couldn’t find any answers for Zach Randolph (left), who led the Grizzlies to an opening-round playoff series win over the Clippers. Memphis, after dropping the first two games, reeled off four straight wins to take the series, 4-2. (Photo by Justin Ford

SHOWING OFF — The Los Angeles Clippers couldn’t find any answers for Zach Randolph (left), who led the Grizzlies to an opening-round playoff series win over the Clippers. Memphis, after dropping the first two games, reeled off four straight wins to take the series, 4-2. (Photo by Justin Ford

The Staples Center will be closed for business on Sunday.

Zach Randolph had much to do with it.

Randolph, the Memphis Grizzlies’ leading scorer and go-to player throughout their opening-round Western Conference playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers, continued to demonstrate why he is considered one of the NBA’s elite power forwards.

The 12-year veteran showed why earning his second All-Star appearance in February wasn’t a fortuity one year after battling back from a torn medial collateral ligament and witnessing his effectiveness significantly reduced in Memphis’ opening-round defeat to the Clippers.

The 6-foot-9 Randolph, to his credit, proved why many media pundits believe he’s still essentially in the prime of his career, considering his remarkable performance against the Clippers was reminiscent of his memorable postseason display two seasons ago.

So with Game 6 effectively out of reach with 1:57 remaining in the fourth quarter Friday night in FedExForum, Randolph, who had been involved in physical confrontations with Clippers power forward Blake Griffin throughout a majority of the series, was hit with his second technical foul for taunting, which resulted in his subsequent ejection.

“It felt good especially from last year until what happened to this year, so it felt good,” Randolph, exhibiting a smile, said when asked about his rare disqualification. “Like I said, it is over with. We won the series. Now we have to get back focused.”

Randolph, who staged yet another exuberant performance in what turned out to be a closeout game for Memphis, didn’t seemed bewildered that he was sent to the showers before game’s end. While walking off the court, Randolph removed his signature headband, hurled it into the stands behind the Grizzlies’ bench, then skipped through the tunnel as the raucous FedExForum sellout crowd cheered in wonderment.

For the first time in two years, the Grizzlies are headed back to the Western Conference semifinals, where they will face the Oklahoma City Thunder starting Sunday at 12 p.m. CST in a rematch of their 2011 postseason meeting. The Grizzlies, despite losing the first two games of the series against the Clippers, exhibited a wealth of poise and resilience in rallying to eliminate an L. A. team that won three of four meetings against them during the regular season.

The Grizzlies, in fact, ended the series with four consecutive wins, largely because the Clippers couldn’t find any answers for Randolph, who averaged 20.4 points and 8.6 rebounds in the opening round and scored virtually at will against the opposition’s post players. Memphis’ 118-105 win Friday not only erased the memory of last year’s playoff loss to the Clippers in seven games, but it denied L. A. a chance to host a decisive Game 7.

Yes, Staples Center will be closed for business on Sunday, and Randolph had much to do with it.

Randolph and Clippers power forward Blake Griffin had to be seperated after they were involved in a scuffled near the midway point of the third quarter Friday night. (Photo by Justin Ford)

Randolph and Clippers power forward Blake Griffin had to be seperated after they were involved in a scuffled near the midway point of the third quarter Friday night. (Photo by Justin Ford)

 

“After the first game, we had to figure out that we were going to have to change where he was (on the floor),” Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. “They were doing a good job on double-teaming him. We showed him film, moved him to different spots, moved him to the elbow, moved him to the wing, and when he put the ball on the floor, he was able to see where they were coming from and that took the pressure off of him.”

That Hollins adjusted his offense after Memphis had fallen into an 0-2 hole in an attempt to get the 31-year-old Randolph more engaged ultimately proved perplexing to the Clippers’ post players. Such was the case Friday when Randolph and Griffin were involved in a third-quarter skirmish on a box-out underneath the basket with inside of seven minutes remaining. Griffin, who didn’t start and played less than 14 minutes because of an ankle injury coach Vinny Del Negro said was the “size of a grapefruit,” had a hand in Randolph’s face on the box-out, causing both players to become off-balanced. Randolph consequently broke the fall by hooking Griffin to the ground, but Griffin drove his elbow into Randolph’s throat before the players were separated.

The incident resulted in Randolph’s first of two technical fouls on the night. Still, the 260-pound Randolph admittedly welcomes the physicality, given he believes the Grizzlies will encounter similar rough play against Thunder, who ended Memphis’ postseason run two years ago.

“I don’t even know what happened,” said Randolph, when asked about his latest run-in with Griffin. “He was going down and tried to pull me down and I just tried to brace myself. (The Thunder) are a physical team. We’re just going to go out and play Grizzlies basketball and focus on ourselves and try not get into any altercations.”

If, by chance, Randolph and Co. find themselves quarreling with opposing players come Sunday, it won’t be in Staples Center, which will be closed for business.

The Grizzlies are moving on and Randolph had much to do with it.

Andre Johnson covers the Grizzlies for MemphiSport. To reach Johnson, email him at andre@memphisport.net. Also, follow him on Twiter @AJ_Journalist.

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Grizzlies hope to improve playoff seeding by ending years of frustration in Houston

April 11, 2013 by 1 Comment
MEMPHIS MELTDOWN: Houston Rockets guard Jeremy Lin (left) drives past Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley during a December 22 game in the Toyota Center. Memphis hasn't won in Houston since 2006, a streak that spans 13 games. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

MEMPHIS MELTDOWN: Houston Rockets guard Jeremy Lin (left) drives past Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley during a December 22 game in the Toyota Center. Memphis hasn’t won in Houston since 2006, a streak that spans 13 games. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

HOUSTON — Grizzlies shooting guard Tony Allen on Thursday couldn’t begin to assess precisely what transpired in Memphis’ latest outing here against the Houston Rockets.

“I really can’t pinpoint,” Allen said. “I’ll have to watch the film and tell you what happened the last time.”

Grizz Center Marc Gasol, however, recalls all too well Memphis’ last visit to Houston, a 121-96 debacle against the Rockets that resulted in the Grizzlies’ 13th consecutive defeat in the Toyota Center.

“It wasn’t a good game,” Gasol said. “We didn’t make anything good out of it, so I flushed that one down the toilet.”

The general consensus among the Grizzlies is that they have acquired what coach Lionel Hollins hopes is “selective amnesia” as visiting Memphis prepares to face the Rockets Friday night at 7 CDT. Among the reasons is that Friday’s game, which is the fourth and final regular-season meeting between these teams this year — both have clinched playoff berths — features serious playoff implications, especially for the Grizzlies, who are aiming to improve their seeding with four regular-season games remaining.

Memphis (53-25) is currently in fifth place in the Western Conference standings, one game back of the Los Angeles Clippers for the pivotal fourth spot. Houston (44-34), on the other hand, occupies the seventh spot in the West and will begin the postseason on the road regardless of how it fares over its final four regular-season contests.

Although the Grizzlies have won two of three meetings this year against the Rockets — both in FedExForum — their latest visit to the Toyota Center was the center of conversation following Thursday’s hour-long practice, a lopsided affair they found difficult to stomach, in large part because it continued a losing streak in Houston that’s on the brink of reaching seven years.

Memphis hasn’t won in the Toyota Center since April 15, 2006.

“Every time we’ve gone in there, we played with the mentality to win the game even though we got our butts kicked every time we went in there,” Gasol said.

The Rockets, by all accounts, controlled virtually every facet of the game against the Grizzlies when the teams met here December 22 in a game that was effectively out of reach by the end of the third quarter. Though both teams shot 53 percent from the field for the game, the high-octane Rockets managed to steamroll past Memphis, courtesy of its three-point barrage and highpowered transition offense.

Houston made 12-of-28 3-point baskets and registered 31 fastbreak points, while limiting the Grizzlies to just 2-of-13 shots from beyond the arc. It also didn’t help that Memphis couldn’t find any answers for guard James Harden, whose game-high 31 points on 9-of-13 field goals paced seven Rockets in double figures.

“That came into my mind,” Hollins said of Memphis’ last setback in Houston that snapped the Grizzlies’ four-game winning streak. “We had gone into that game and gotten blown out. I mean, we haven’t even had a competitive game in Houston in a while, so that has crossed my mind…not how many times we’ve lost or anything like that. I just remember the last few times, we haven’t kept it close.”

If the Grizzlies are to extend their undefeated streak to three games Friday and, most importantly, stay on the Clippers’ heels for the

The Grizzlies had no answers for Rockets guard James Harden when the teams last met in Houston. Harden registered a game-high 31 points to lead seven Rockets in double figures as they routed Memphis, 121-96. (Photo by Scott Hallerman)

The Grizzlies simply had no answers for Rockets guard James Harden when the teams last met in Houston. Harden registered a game-high 31 points to lead seven Rockets in double figures as they routed Memphis, 121-96. (Photo by Scott Hallerman/Getty Images)

 

race for fourth in the West, they must devise ways to slow down Harden and guard Jeremy Lin. Traded in the offseason after a memorable campaign with the New York Knicks last season, Lin seemed to have adjusted comfortably to his new role with the Rockets after scoring 15 points in 34-plus minutes against the Grizzlies when the teams last met here.

Having labeled their latest visit to the Toyota Center a “distant memory,” Allen is convinced the Grizzlies — given the assortment of midseason trades — have established a new identity since being dealt their worst road loss of the season, a correlation they hope will give way to a favorable outcome Friday night, especially with the Clippers awaiting Memphis in FedExForum on Saturday.

“What I can say now is the focus I see in this group is a lot different,” Allen said. “You can see it from guys coming in the locker room, to watching film, and practice (Thursday) was pretty intense for a game like this. It’s huge. We play the Clippers after that, so both games are much needed.”

Especially with home court in the playoffs’ opening round hanging in the balance.

Andre Johnson covers the Grizzlies for MemphiSport. To reach Johnson, email him at andre@memphisport.net. Follow him @AJ_Journalist.

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Miami Heat star LeBron James says he isn’t fazed by Michael Jordan’s recent comments

February 15, 2013 by Leave a Comment
LeBron James, who led the Miami Heat to their second NBA title last year, said during Friday's All-Star Media Day he isn't fazed by Michael Jordan's recent comments in which he said Kobe Bryant is more successful than James, given Bryant's multiple championships. (Photo by Chris Evans)

LeBron James, who led the Miami Heat to their second NBA title last year, said during Friday’s All-Star Media Day he isn’t fazed by Michael Jordan’s recent comments in which he said Kobe Bryant is more successful than James, given Bryant’s multiple championships. (Photo by Chris Evans)

HOUSTON — LeBron James on Friday said he is aware of Michael Jordan’s recent comments in which the NBA Hall of Famer and six-time world champion said he deems Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant as a more successful player, in large part because Bryant has won more NBA titles than the Miami Heat star.

However, James, in addressing reporters during the Media Day sessions in preparation for Sunday’s All-Star Game in the Toyota Center, contends he isn’t fazed by Jordan’s comments and that winning championships doesn’t necessarily supersede a player’s body of work during the course of his career.

Jordan, the Charlotte Bobcats’ majority owner and chairman who played 16 seasons in the NBA between 1984 and 2003, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel newspaper recently that, “If you had to pick between the two, that would be a tough choice, but five beats one every time I look at it.”

Jordan was referring to the five world championships Bryant has won during his 17-year career with the Lakers. James, now with his second team in ten seasons, won his first NBA title in three tries last year when the Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games of their NBA Finals best-of-7 series.

“Yeah, I heard them,” James said of Jordan’s comments. “I heard them. You know, I don’t have a take on them. He said he’d take Kobe over me because five rings are better than one and the last time he checked, five is better than one. But that’s his opinion. At the end of the day, rings don’t always define someone’s career. If that’s the case, I would sit up and here and say (Bill) Russell over Jordan. But I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t take Russell over Jordan. Russell has 11 rings and Jordan has six. Or I would take, I don’t know, Robert Horry (seven-time NBA champion) over Kobe. I wouldn’t do that. But it’s your own opinion.

“Jud Buechler (three-time NBA champion with the Bulls from 1996-1998) has multiple rings. Charles Barkley doesn’t have one ring. He’s not better than Charles Barkley. Rings don’t define a person’s career. Rings don’t define a person’s career. Patrick Ewing is one of the greatest of all time. Reggie Miller is one of the greatest of all time. You know, sometimes, it’s the situation that you’re in and the team that you’re in, but it’s also about timing as well.”

While Bryant, who will be making his 14th consecutive All-Star appearance (15th overall), said the conversations surrounding Jordan’s comments involving him and James are mostly media-driven, he said he understands why Jordan had drawn such a comparison.

Bryant (right) said Friday he doesn't believe Jordan's recent remarks regarding James has inspired his inspired his record-setting play of late. "I think he just goes out and plays his game and plays to his strengths," Bryant said of James. (Photo by Chris Evans)

Bryant (right) said Friday he doesn’t believe Jordan’s recent remarks regarding James has inspired his record-setting play of late. “I think he just goes out and plays his game and plays to his strengths,” Bryant said of James. (Photo by Chris Evans)

“I think the message is winning is above everything else,” said Bryant, when asked to assess Jordan’s statements. “I think we all know that. LeBron knows that, and that’s what drives him, to win as many championships as possible…same thing that drives me and the same thing that drives me now, to win as many as you can, and it’s that simple.”

Whether Jordan’s comparisons of James and Bryant have fueled James’ record-setting play of late is up for debate. That’s because the three-time league MVP has manufactured the best offensive efficiency in NBA history during a seven-game stretch (at least 30 points and 60 percent shooting) for a Heat team that has won a league-best seven straight and boasts the league’s third-best record (36-14) following Thursday night’s decisive 110-100 win at the Thunder.

“I don’t think it inspired him over the last seven games,” Bryant said of James, last year’s reining NBA Finals MVP. “I think he just goes out and plays his game and plays to his strengths. I mean, you hit one of those patterns where the hard work and the physical talent all kind of come together and you just hit one of those hot streaks. Some of us have been there before. It’s just no feeling like it.”

Chris Bosh, James’ teammate for the past three seasons, believes all of the talk this week surrounding the Bryant-James comparisons is being blown out of proportion.

“You know, everybody has an opinion,” said Bosh, who will be making his eighth All-Star appearance. “You know, (Jordan) takes (Bryant) and that’s fine. I don’t think it really means that much to LeBron. I mean, there’s inspiration all around us. I think, of course, he can use that specifically as inspiration any way he wants to.”

Asked if Jordan’s recent remarks will serve as bulletin board material, James said, “What I need bulletin board material for? My inspiration is the game I love. I don’t play the game to try to define who I am over what guys say or how they feel about me. I go out and I play for my family. I play for my teammates. I play for my coaching staff and I play for my fans.”

Andre Johnson covers the NBA for MemphiSport. To reach Johnson, email him at andre@memphisport.com.  Follow him @AJ_Journalist.

SEE ALSO: Veteran Tayshaun Prince exercising faith on and off the court for Grizzlies

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Veteran Tayshaun Prince exercising faith on and off the court for Grizzlies

February 11, 2013 by Leave a Comment

For a majority of his NBA career, Tayshaun Prince has become a fixture when it comes to meeting with the chaplain before games.

Sunday afternoon was no exception.

Tayshaun Prince, acquired the Grizzlies January 30, enjoyed a breakout game for Memphis in Sunday's 105-88 win against Minnesota. The 11-year veteran tied a franchise record after making each of his eight shots against the Timberwolves. (Photo by Justin Ford)

Tayshaun Prince, acquired the Grizzlies January 30, enjoyed a breakout game for Memphis in Sunday’s 105-88 win against Minnesota. The 11-year veteran tied a franchise record after making each of his eight shots against the Timberwolves. (Photo by Justin Ford)

After partaking in the pregame shootaround, Prince, the recently-acquired Memphis Grizzlies small forward, found his way to the room reserved for coach Lionel Hollins’ postgame news conference to meet with chaplain Donald Johnson, where he had the privilege of absorbing some spiritual wisdom and guidance.

“I do that everywhere I go,” Prince said. “As busy as our schedule is, we don’t get to visit church on Sunday. What a prime opportunity to spend 15 minutes and share some experiences with Donald and just communicate and opening our minds and putting faith where it should be. But I’m going to do it no matter what. I’m going to continue to give thanks and try to be the best man I can be. And when I don’t do things right, I’ll try my best to get back on track.”

Prince’s unrelenting faith seemingly has benefited him mightily during a professional career that spans 10-plus seasons. After 10 profitable seasons in Detroit that included the Compton, Calif. native having assumed a pivotal role during the Pistons’ unlikely NBA title run in 2004, Prince is hopeful to have a similar impact for a revamped Grizzlies team that boast championship aspirations.

Known primarily for his defensive prowess, given he was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive Second Team for four consecutive seasons dating from 2005-2008, Prince has often demonstrated to have been equally efficacious offensively. Such was the case in Sunday’s contest against the Minnesota Timberwolves when Prince enjoyed arguably his best outing in his brief time with his new team.

In leading the Grizzlies to a decisive 105-88 win in FedExForum, the 6-foot-9 veteran finished with a team-high 18 points and tied a franchise-record by connecting on each of his eight field goal attempts, a feat that coincidentally was manufactured by shooting guard Tony Allen against the Timberwolves in January of last year.

The 32-year-old Prince was especially efficient throughout a pivotal third quarter in which the Grizzlies witnessed a ten-point halftime advantage swell to as many as 21. Prince, by all accounts, was the catalyst of the Grizzlies’ second-half surge, scoring 11 points during a key 15-4 spurt in the third against a short-handed Timberwolves squad to help propel Memphis to its second consecutive win.

Hollins seemed intrigued by Prince’s display, considering he took a moment to joke during his postgame news conference that he contemplated sending Prince back in the game for defensive purposes, most notably at the 3:38 mark of the fourth when Minnesota’s Chris Johnson’s alley-oop dunk off a lob from Alexey Shved trimmed Grizzlies’ margin to 13.

“Zach (Randolph) didn’t want me to put (Prince) back out there,” Hollins said with a grin.

Still, on a night in which Grizz center Marc Gasol, the team’s second-leading scorer, struggled to match his energy from the previous game against Golden State when the 7-foot-1 Spaniard registered 20 points on 9-of-14 field goals, it was Prince’s breakout game for Memphis that essentially enabled the Grizzlies to regain sole possession of fourth place in the Western Conference standings heading into this week’s All-Star break.

“I’ve just been in the gym getting extra shots up, just trying to get in a good rhythm,” Prince said in assessing his performance against Minnesota. “I’ve known since I got here my legs have been a little heavy, so I’m just trying to take care of my body off the court and hopefully that way, knock some shots down. Obviously, by any means, I don’t expect to have games like that, but I just had a good rhythm and good flow. And the best thing about that is guys will keep looking for you.”

Traded on January 30 to the Grizzlies in a three-team deal that included bringing fellow Pistons teammate Austin Daye to Memphis and sending Rudy Gay and Hamed Haddadi to Toronto, Prince admittedly sensed that coming in he would inherit a situation in which his game would often draw comparisons to that of Gay who, like Prince, is savvy a small forward who’s armed with the ability to create his own shot from the perimeter.

Prince (right), who was a member of the Detroit Pistons' 2004 NBA championship team, routinely meets with a chaplain before each game for spiritual support. (Photo by Justin Ford)

Prince (right), who was a member of the Detroit Pistons’ 2004 NBA championship team, routinely meets with a chaplain before each game for spiritual support. (Photo by Justin Ford)

“You know what, I can’t control that,” said Prince, who averages 11.5 points for Memphis. “I’m not going to control that. The only thing I can try to worry about is to help this team and try to show these guys in the locker room my support and what I can bring to this and the coaching staff. I’m not concerned with trying to show people that I can replace somebody. That’s something that I can’t do. What I can do is be me.

“There will be some games where I will score the basketball,” continued Prince, “and then there will be some games where I’ll do some other things. I’m not that 20-point scorer that Rudy Gay had shown and what his capabilities are. We’re two different basketball players.”

Regardless, the Grizzlies have benefited immensely from Gay and Prince’s contrasting roles. While Gay, for instance, had proven to be an occasional game-changer during his 6 ½-year tenure with the team, Prince has gone to great lengths in recent days to spread his spiritual wealth around the Grizzlies’ locker room.

“Yeah, I’ll hold conversations with these guys,” Prince said. “A few guys who have seen me walk in and out (to meet with the chaplain) they know where I’m going, and I’ll bring with me a few passages back with me back show those guys. Obviously, that’s been apart of my pregame ritual where I’ll go out and shoot then go to the chapel and then do some other things. That’s what I do on a daily basis.”

If nothing else, his relentless faith seemingly gave way to his prayers being answered in a rather perfect way on Sunday.

Andre Johnson covers the Grizzlies for MemphiSport. To reach Johnson, email him at andre@memphisport.com.  Follow him @AJ_Journalist.

SEE ALSO: Zach Randolph on recent trade rumors: ‘I’m a Grizzly for life’

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Clippers point guard Chris Paul remains hopeful he will play against Grizzlies

January 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Clippers point Chris Paul (middle) said after Monday's shootaround in FedExForum he hopes to play against the Grizzlies, despite a knee injury he suffered in Saturday's loss to Orlando in Staple's Center. (Photo by Justin Ford)

Clippers point Chris Paul (middle) said after Monday’s shootaround in FedExForum he hopes to play against the Grizzlies, despite a knee injury he suffered in Saturday’s loss to Orlando in Staple’s Center. (Photo by Justin Ford)

Rudy Gay won’t be the only marquee player who will miss Monday night’s Western Conference showdown between the Los Angeles Clippers versus the Memphis Grizzlies at 7 in FedExForum.

During the Clippers’ morning shootaround Monday, team officials announced that point guard Chris Paul will likely sit out the game after a contusion to his right knee he sustained after bumping knees with Orlando’s J. J. Reddick in the fourth quarter of their game Saturday in the Staple’s Center.

The Magic eventually upended the Clippers, 104-101, and against Memphis in a rematch of last year’s first-round Western Conference best-of-7 playoff series, L. A. will be looking to avoid a two-game losing streak. Owners of the NBA’s second-best record behind Oklahoma City, the Clippers have won 20 of their last 23 outings, including manufacturing a franchise-best 17 consecutive wins before witnessing their undefeated streak end in a 92-78 New Year’s Day loss at Denver.

While team officials have said that Paul will be sidelined for Monday’s game, the seven-year veteran still remains hopeful he will play. Sporting a black jobbing suit and ballcap, Paul did not participate in the one-hour shootaround, but complained of slight soreness to his knee.

“It’s getting better, slowly but surely,” Paul told reporters. “I don’t know yet. If a miracle comes through…I mean, I want to play. No question, I want to play. But if I feel like I’ll hinder it, I won’t play.”

Without Paul — who registered 12 points in 4-of-10 shooting in a 101-92 win against Memphis in the season-opener for both teams October 31 — in the lineup, knocking off the Grizzlies for a third consecutive time dating back to last season certainly will take some doing. Paul is second on the team in scoring (16.9 points per game), and first in assists (9.7), steals (2.62) and minutes played (33.4). Most importantly, the five-time All-Star is credited for bringing respectability to a franchise that was among the NBA’s worst for years before he was acquired in a three-team trade by the Clippers in December 2011 from New Orleans.

“It’s a little swollen,” Paul said of his knee that he had wrapped during Monday’s shootaround. “I hope I can get it down by game time. During (Saturday’s) game, your adrenaline is running and everything like that. And when I came back in the game, (Orlando point guard) Jameer Nelson whispered to me. He was like, ‘It’s going to hurt in the morning.’ He was right.”

If Paul can’t go, second-year guard Eric Bledsoe, who averages 8.4 points and 18-plus minutes per game, will likely replace him for his first start of the season.

Like Paul, Gay, the Grizzlies’ franchise player and leading scorer, will miss tonight’s game. Gay, who has been the subject of trade rumors in recent weeks, is home in Baltimore to attend the funeral service of his grandmother.

Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said after Monday’s shootaround that Wayne Ellington will replace Gay in the lineup. Shooting guard Tony Allen, meanwhile, is expected to see valuable minutes at small forward.

“Well, with Rudy out, we don’t have a three (small forward),” Hollins said. “With Rudy and Quincy (Pondexter) out (MCL sprain), we don’t have long, athletic, wing players. It’s a business. You just go with the group you have out there and try and play well.”

The Clippers eliminated the Grizzlies in seven games in last year’s opening round of the playoffs before being swept by San Antonio in the Western Conference semifinals.

Paul averaged 17.6 points in 11 postseason outings last year.

Andre Johnson covers the Grizzlies for MemphiSport. To reach Johnson, email him at andre@memphisport.com. Also, follow him on Twitter@AJ_Journalist.

 

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