Lionel Hollins Deserves More Respect Than Memphis Grizzlies Are Giving Him

According to Sam Amick of USA TODAY Sports, the Memphis Grizzlies are allowing head coach Lionel Hollins to meet with other teams before his contract expires on July 1. Per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, the two sides are now expected to part ways.

Plain and simple, Hollins deserves more respect than the Grizzlies are giving him.

Hollins has been the center of attention in Memphis for quite some time, as his expiring contract loomed over the Grizzlies at every stage of the season. When the team surprisingly traded franchise forward Rudy Gay, all signs pointed towards Hollins being the next casualty under a new front office.

Per Wojnarowski, Hollins simply doesn't fit into Memphis' statistics-driven approach.

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Since the analytics-driven new ownership group of Robert Pera took over control of the franchise this season, there's been dramatic conflict between management and Hollins. Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien has given vice president of basketball operations John Hollinger significant latitude in constructing the roster and a philosophy.

Management wants a coach willing to buy into the analytic movement, using those mechanisms to make roster, lineup and system decisions. Hollins has resented what he considers undue interference by management, and has stood by his track record and success in maintaining productivity with a roster of diverse and difficult personalities.

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For what it's worth, Hollins has already made it to the Eastern Conference finals—Memphis' new approach is unproven.

Since joining the Grizzlies, Hollins has upheld the appearance of a coach that accepts nothing less than success. The Grizzlies are 196-155 under Hollins since he signed on for his third stint with the team, having coached the Vancouver Grizzlies in 2000 and the Memphis brand for four games in 2005.

In that time, Hollins has made franchise history, created one of the most powerful defenses in the NBA and transformed average players into budding stars.

Even still, all signs have pointed towards Hollins' eventual exit from the franchise. This latest development all but seals that fate.

Rebuilding is a part of the NBA, but one can't help but wonder why Memphis is letting the most decorated coach in franchise history walk after the best year the team has ever had.

Best in Franchise History

Lionel Hollins is the best coach in the history of the Memphis Grizzlies. That may seem like an outlandish statement, but upon evaluation of the numbers, it becomes clear that there is no bias in such a claim.

No one has done for this franchise what Hollins has.

In 2004, Hubie Brown coached the Grizzlies to their first postseason appearance since their inception in 1995. With Pau Gasol and Mike Miller at the helm of their success, Memphis made three consecutive playoff appearances.

They were swept in the first round during each of those three years.

Since 2011, Hollins too has led the Grizzlies to three consecutive postseason appearances. Unlike Brown, however, Hollins has been able to get over the hump.

Hollins has led Memphis to 18 postseason wins in three years—the only 18 the franchise has ever owned.

In 2011, Hollins not only led the Grizzlies to their first ever postseason victory, but pulled off one of the greatest upsets in NBA history. Matched up against Gregg Popovich and the top seeded San Antonio Spurs, the Grizzlies won the series by a count of 4-2.

They'd eventually lose to the superpower known as the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals by a count of 4-3, but there's one positive to take away—Memphis did all of this without Rudy Gay. In 2013, Hollins padded his resume by leading Memphis to their first ever Western Conference finals appearance. They defeated the Los Angeles Clippers and Thunder en route to that appearance, thus solidifying their legitimacy.

Last time I checked, that's grounds for an extension, not permission to speak with other teams.

Defensive Mastermind

There are mountains of hyperbole in the NBA, as players are prematurely labeled superstars and coaches paid like they were legends when, truthfully, they aren't. What we can't argue with, however, is the way a coach draws up plays and creates packages in which elite production results.

In the case of Lionel Hollins, it's no stretch to label him as a defensive mastermind.

During the 2012-13 regular season, the Memphis Grizzlies were first in scoring defense, allowing 89.3 points per contest. This made Memphis the only team to let up less than 90.0 per game, thus creating the NBA's seventh-ranked point differential.

Furthermore, Memphis was third in opponent field goal percentage, second in opponent three-point field goal percentage and sixth in turnovers forced.

Hollins was certainly blessed with the personnel necessary to execute in such a high regard, with Defensive Player of the Year Marc Gasol complemented by All-Defensive Team selections Mike Conley and Tony Allen. It doesn't hurt that the Grizzlies traded for Tayshaun Prince.

With that being said, personnel doesn't dictate success on it's own—just ask the Los Angeles Lakers.

Fixing What Isn't Broken

What may be most discerning about the Memphis Grizzlies' treatment of Lionel Hollins is the fact that they've been setting him up for failure. Not only did they trade franchise star Rudy Gay, but they dealt the team's best shooter, Wayne Ellington, and their only form of front court depth in Marreese Speights.

They received quality players in return, but all signs pointed to a money-saving, slight rebuilding period. This was only part of the reason that Hollins and the Grizzlies' front office saw their relationship fall apart.

According to Wojnarowski's previously alluded to report, Vice President of Basketball Operations John Hollinger walked in on a practice, thus resulting in he and Lionel Hollins clashing.

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During the Grizzlies' playoff run, tensions turned to a confrontation when Hollins exploded during a practice session upon finding Hollinger had walked onto the practice court and engaged forward Austin Daye during a shooting drill, multiple sources told Yahoo! Sports.

With the team watching – and with a motive to show his players that he was completely in charge on the floor, sources said – Hollins loudly questioned Hollinger about what he was doing, and why he believed it was appropriate for a management official to intrude on what's considered sacred territory for a coach and team, sources said.

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Regardless of who was in the right, Memphis has shown all signs of wanting to rebuild—you know, as they fall one round short of the NBA Finals.

Not only were the Grizzlies more successful than ever before, but they did so with some of the worst offensive personnel in the NBA. Zach Randolph is a nightly double-double, while Marc Gasol is versatile, but Memphis was dead last in three-point field goals made for the second time in three seasons.

They've won at least one postseason series in the two years they were last. In other words, that deficiency is on management not finding the proper players, not the coaching staff mishandling them.

Trading Gay was the right move, as he commanded a high salary and simply did not produce at a superstar's level. With that being said, letting the most successful head coach in franchise history—one that's continuing to improve—leave the team is close to senseless.

The question is simple—why fix what isn't broken?