Would the Nets wait to hire a coach until Memphis is eliminated from the playoffs just so they can make a run at Lionel Hollins, whose contract expires after the season? If Scott Skiles is a top alternative, patience could make sense. What’s there to lose?
Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times:
Hollins is a very good coach who has brought out toughness from the Grizzlies, both offensively and defensively. But Hollins, who criticized the use of advanced stats while working for an organization increasingly reliant on them, hasn’t received a contract extension from Memphis.
Brooklyn might be a better fit. I don’t know precisely how much the Nets rely on statistics to influence their decision-making, but they traded for Joe Johnson and gave Gerald Wallace a big contract. They can’t be taking numbers too seriously.
I kid, I kid.
Really, this could come down to money more than fit, and Brooklyn’s pockets are probably deeper than Memphis’. Hollins deserves every penny he can get, whether that’s with the Nets or after using the Nets as leverage.
