By Answer Man

It is an understatement to say that the Grizzlies are not playing well. They didn't play well under Sidney Lowe and they aren't setting the league on fire with Hubie Brown.

The big difference between the Grizz under Hubie and Lowe is that under Lowe the Grizz looked uninspired, uninterested and undirected. We could sit back and say, "With their talent, if they cared, they'd be good" Under Hubie, they've played harder and with more focus but without any greater success.

So the question is: Since there is talent and Hubie clearly has them motivated, is he motivating them in the right direction? Is Hubie a patient genius allowing losses for the greater good or an old school fool who cannot win in this league?

Old-School Fool:

Since its easy to kick a team when they are down, we'll start with the "Old School Fool" argument.

Winning half your games in this watered down league is relatively easy. The plan was laid out by Knick Coach Jeff Van Gundy in the 1999 run to the Finals. Slow the game down, keep it close, play defense, let your two best players carry the offense, and execute in the 4th. That was the only way a vastly overmatched Knick team could beat a good Pacer squad (who went to the Finals the following year).

Jim O'Brien took over a sub-.500 Celtics from Rick Pitino and employed this winning strategy. He had the Celts in the Eastern Conference Finals the following year.

The winning strategy was confirmed when Van Gundy left an 11-10 Knicks squad to Don Chaney, who employed a different strategy, and wound up losing the rest of the season and opening this season 2-10.

Hubie Brown has been around and likely knows all of this. Why not have the Grizz slow the game down, feed Gasol and Gooden (certainly better than letting Mike Batiste shoot) and pull out a .500 season?

In their most recent win - the 9-4 Celtics had 6 guys playing 20+ minutes and 7 guys taking 5+ shots (Pierce and Walker combing for 44 shots).

In its last game, the 1-12 Grizzlies had 9 players with 20+ minutes (1 with 17) and 9 players with 5+ shots (Gasol and Gooden combining for 11 shots). Its balanced, its old school, it does not lead to .500 in this NBA.

Hubie is missing the boat and costing the Girzz some easy wins.

Patient Genius

Winning championships in the NBA is hard. Just ask the 1990's Knicks, Jazz, Blazers, the 2000 Mavericks, and Kings. You cannot win NBA championships playing the aforementioned winning method.

Van Gundy knew this, which is why he resigned. He knew he was doing the team a disservice. He always said, "Winning masks poor play". His method may have always kept the Knicks over .500 and in the playoffs, but they were always destined for a premature playoff exit.

It isn't that slowing a game down and playing defense is a poor way to win - 1980's Pistons the 1990's Bulls and the 2000 Lakers do it. It the over-reliance on it based on the "role players" inability to make plays due to a lack of regular season play.

Championship teams always have tremendous role players who can make shots when needed because the "stars" are off that night or because the "stars" are being doubled. They know what they have to do, where to be, and have confidence in their ability.

In the playoffs, opponents are able to develop a defensive scheme to stop the other team's stars. They do not do this in the regular season. No one has prepared enough in the day between games about stopping Walker or Pierce. This is why the "winning method" works. In the playoffs, with better defensive schemes, it is absolutely crucial that the role players are able to step up.

Look at Jud Buchler, Steve Kerr, Bill Lambier, Rick Fox, Robert Horry - none of these guys could carry a team but because their coaches asked them to play minutes, play defense and take big shots throughout a season, they were able to do the same in the playoffs.

Perhaps, Hubie is trying to build a champion. He has accepted that losses are forthcoming. But in 2 or 3 years, he will have 9 useful players. 9 players who know that they can hit big shots. 9 players who know where to be in game situations.

So maybe Gasol will get 5 less shots a game in 2002 - but in the 2005 conference finals, when the rebound bounces out, Mike Batiste will know where to be and be able to take and make the three to send the Grizz to the championship.