It was the Western Conference Finals in 2013, the deepest into the playoffs the Grizzlies have ever been, when they faced the perennial favorite San Antonio Spurs. The Grizzlies were a surprise team in the 2012-2013 season but as we’re midway through the 2013-2014 season, it looks as if the Memphis Grizzlies have stopped grinding.
Fans never saw it coming; the firing of Coach Lionel Hollins. When Hollins took over as head coach of the Grizzlies, they were well under .500. Hollins took over the organization with his coaching and before he went out, set a franchise-best record having 56 wins and being one of the top teams in the Western Conference. He had also taken them farther than they had ever been in reaching the Western Conference Finals. Although it was a sweep, the Grizzlies faced a team that would later on go to a Game 7 with the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
The Grizzlies have been successful for the past few years, granted they were given arguably one of the best coaches in the league. Ever since Hollins was dropped from the organization, the team has an unimpressive 17-19 record – back to under .500. Marc Gasol’s injury does have an effect on this record, but his absence isn’t the only issue. Zach Randolph needs to pull the weight from Gasol’s injury and lead his Grizzlies into the team everyone was noticing last year.
The new head coach, David Joerger, hasn’t done much for the organization, and it’s been said that the Grizzlies’ franchise has big front office egos and doesn’t want to admit that they have made a mistake, which could be very true. We haven’t heard anything from the Grizzlies since they tanked into the ground and now mostly everyone agrees that firing Hollins was a mistake.
The Grizzlies have the talent to become the team they once were but if a new coach doesn’t take over, don’t expect the Grizzlies to be going to another Western Conference Finals anytime soon.
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