Robert Pera announced to the media today that The team will not comment on any new deal with Lionel Hollins and that the negotiations are to remain quiet and will be Handled byJason Levien.

This is very different from the massive rumor mill being fed from the Grizzlies Front Office just a few weeks ago when they were shopping Rudy Gay.

Who believes this is a positive sign for Hollins remaining with the team, a negative sign or neither but is simply a sign that the Grizz FO guys have learned that leaking to the press isn't always a good thing?

I will be surprised if Arthur is relegated down too much but I won't be surprised to see Gasol's minutes decline to the 33-35 range from the 35-40 range he's been playing.

I agree that Hollins is under the microscope. The lack of information about his contract discussions is disturbing to say the least especially after the flood of information about the Grizzlies looking to make trades. Is silence golden right now or not?

Hollins was justified in action / reaction... to a point. In the business world -- whether they're competitors, customers, or co-workers -- you run into people all the time who, through a confluence of circumstances, take you down a path that you think isn't correct. But at some point -- preferably a very brief and private pity party -- you've got to move on and play the hand you're dealt. He's a former PG, he should understand something about running the play that's called whether or not he thinks its the "right" or best one.

And he does. I believe the "mea culpa" presser represents his acceptance of the situation and that he has NOT had the chance for his "biggest breakthrough yet" "snatched away." Its just down a differnt path than the one he was planning on going. It would have been better for the team and for Hollins credibility if he had come to that conclusion privately, a couple of days earlier... but that's Hollins.

Hopefully Levien comes to appreciate the passion and keeps him around. It will be sad for Griz fans if he doesn't. But it won't be sad for Hollins because there's about a half-dozen perpetual sub-30 win teams who would LOVE to see him replicate his success for their franchise.

I just can't wrap my head around the "happened to mesh" scenario. Consider:

Z-Bo: Black hole / bad teammate --> passing, defending all-star and beloved member of the community
Conley: over-matched draft day bust who can't shoot --> skilled, pass-first PG with 3PT range & league-leader in steals.
Gasol: Pau's fat baby brother --> arguably the most complete C in the NBA
Allen: offense so bad that you can't afford to put him on the court --> elite wing defender who knows & embraces his role.
Pondexter: 12th man --> solid rotation player with bankable defensive and 3pt skills.
Speights: 12th man on losing team --> starter on winning team --> solid rotation player with 10yr career ahead of him.
Cunningham: 12th man --> solid rotation player.
Early signs of career resurection for Bayless, Ellington, and now Daye.

Now, certainly, some of those things would have happened no matter who was coaching. But there has been, almost literally no one on the Griz roster the past 3 years who isn't a better player today than they were before they arrived in Memphis. That's Hollins. And developing talent -- with particular emphasis on bargain-contract reclamation projects -- is a skill-set that will become even-more in demand as the fiscal realities of the new CBA kick in.

Somebody is spreading rumors again. This time about the Grizzlies going after JJ Redick.