Hollins’ dismissal was reasonable, because he had been stubborn and incompetent in last season’s playoffs.
Being stubborn is relatively minor; many famous coaches have this trait since their renown suggests they’ve had past successes. Their stubbornness often stems from an inability to adapt to the evolution and changes of basketball.
Incompetence, however, is fatal. Whether facing Popovich or Carlisle, he was utterly outclassed.
When a team sets its sights on contending for a championship, his firing was nearly inevitable.
After all, in the NBA, a head coach is much cheaper relative to players.
What surprised Hansen was the timing of this decision.
If the management had realized the issues with Hollins after the playoffs, they should have fired him then, which would have given them time to choose a new coach.
If the management wanted to further evaluate Hollins, they should have made a decision after some time had passed since the season started.
Now, with the lockout just lifted and the season not yet officially begun, firing him at this point is akin to beheading a general on the eve of battle.
Or perhaps, has some famous coach already struck a deal with the Grizzlies?
Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan—these retired-in-name coaches could come out of retirement at any time.
Mike Brown and Larry Brown are also currently idle at home.
But even those famous coaches would need time to build a new system, and given the shortened season, there is precious little time.
Since the team has not announced a new head coach, Hansen decided to have a chat with Tois.
After speaking with Tois, he realized the situation was entirely different from what he had imagined.
Hollins’ dismissal was not only related to last season’s playoffs but also to Conley’s contract renewal.
The renewal of Little Gasol went smoothly. Although he was dominated by Nowitzki in the game against the Mavericks, anyone would have struggled against Nowitzki in that form.
Little Gasol had shone against the Thunders and the Spurs, thereby receiving offers from multiple teams, including the New York Knicks and the Rockets.
Top-tier centers, or more accurately, big men with the potential to become top-tier, are highly sought after in this era.
Moreover, Little Gasol was a restricted free agent, and competition was fierce. Unless the Grizzlies were willing to let him go for nothing, matching the offer was inevitable, and ultimately, he received a hefty four-year, $58 million contract.
The crux of the matter lay with Conley.
The Grizzlies offered him just a five-year, $40 million contract (plus an additional $5 million in hard-to-earn bonuses).
It was a contract that clearly undervalued him—based on his performance last season, securing a ten-million-dollar contract would have been no issue at all.
As for why Hollins would fight for Conley, Hansen gleaned some information from his communication with Conley.
Conley, the fourth overall pick in 2007, started as a first-string player for the Grizzlies, but by his second year, coach Mark Jafaro replaced him with Lowry as the starter. It was Hollins who reinstated him as the starting point guard upon taking charge.
Hence, Hollins was like a mentor to Conley, and fighting for his student wasn’t out of character.
It’s just that Hollins wasn’t fully aware of the precariousness of his own position within the management, and this confrontation was the final straw.
Upon understanding the reasons, Hansen couldn’t help but recall the matter of Guy’s contract; the Grizzlies had similarly lowballed him.
It seemed to be a standard operation for the Grizzlies.
While such tactics are not surprising for a small-market team, the new collective bargaining agreement increased the penalties for luxury tax, leading owners to take more considerations into account.
However, what does this have to do with the players?
Last season, the Grizzlies made it to the Western Conference Finals, gaining a possibility to contend for a championship. Even from the perspective of rewarding merit, Conley deserved a substantial contract. Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹✦𝕗𝕚𝕣𝕖✦𝓷𝓮𝓽
Aren’t players working so hard to earn better contracts?
Even from the team’s perspective, isn’t it normal to invest more when you aim for a championship?
The Mavericks, for example, didn’t seem strong on paper last season, but they still paid a $19 million luxury tax.
Paying a high luxury tax doesn’t guarantee a championship, but dreaming of winning one without paying or paying only a token amount is unrealistic, unless you strike it lucky with rookie contracts.
Without dwelling on others, Hansen knew that reluctance to pay Harden an extra $4 million led directly to the Thunders becoming a team without a title.
You can’t only think of the profits a championship brings without being willing to make investments.
After talking with Tois, Hansen made a direct beeline for Wallace.
"We need Mike," Hansen stated his position clearly.
Don’t forget, both Conley and Little Gasol were on rookie contracts. If other teams offered higher bids and the Grizzlies opted not to match, Conley would be gone.
This situation is completely different from when James once fought for Varejao to secure a better contract. But now, it’s a matter of whether Conley will continue to stay with the Grizzlies.
Though limited in innate talent to become a superstar, guards as stable and academically inclined as Conley are hard to find in the League.
What’s more crucial is that with contracts for Guy, Randolph, and Little Gasol, the Grizzlies had almost no salary space left, making it almost impossible to sign a guard of the same caliber if Conley left, leading to an inevitable decline in strength.
And Conley was also essential for keeping the Grizzlies’ locker room stable.
Wallace wasn’t expecting Hansen to approach him so directly, but he was quite aware of the importance of maintaining the roster.