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Hubieball 101, The Art of Winning. Lesson Two: Play Hard

The Memphis Grizzlies are achieving their greatest season in team history, and a key reason for this Cinderella story is 2004 NBA Coach of the Year candidate Hubie Brown. Successful coaches and teachers share many traits, and like any successful teacher, Brown has key rules for his students, the young Grizzlies, to achieve success. Lesson #2, Play Hard, is especially important for the Grizzlies. Memphis does not have a superstar on their roster. Every player is as important as the next. The Grizzlies use a 10-man rotation of players, and succeed when all parts are moving at full speed. 15 players, 10 players in 2 units, and 1 team playing their hearts out for a great teacher. Playing hard isn’t just a cliché for the Grizzlies. It’s how Brown teaches them to win. Just take a look at his accomplishments this season:

COACH OF THE MONTH AWARD

  • Brown was named the NBA's Western Conference Coach of the Month for February. He led the Grizzlies to a 10-3 record in February, their best month in team history.
  • Winning record as Grizzlies Head Coach (73-72) after taking over an 0-8 team to start last season.


    • GRIZZLIES RANK 5TH IN WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS RACE

  • The Grizzlies have risen from ranking as low as last annually over the last eight seasons to now being fifth in the tough Western Conference (45-26), and just 1 game behind the fourth place defending world champion Spurs and 3 games behind the Lakers (through Mar. 24).
  • Seventh-best record overall in the NBA (through Mar. 25).


    • TEACHING THIRD YOUNGEST TEAM IN NBA HOW TO WIN

  • Coach Brown took the third-youngest team in the NBA, a franchise that never won more than 28 games in a season, and led them to 30 wins by the All-Star Break.
  • 0 NBA All-Stars on roster and 0 participants at 2004 NBA All-Star Weekend events.
  • 10 players are 25 years of age or younger; only Bo Outlaw is older than 30; the Grizzlies' average age is 25.5, while the league ave r a ge is 27.5.
  • 10 players are 25 years of age or younger; only Bo Outlaw is older than 30.
  • The Grizzlies average age is 25.5, while the league average is 27.5.

    • BEATING THE BEST OF THE WEST

  • An impressive 10-6 mark against the top 5 teams in the tough Western Conference, and are 26-18 against all Western foes.
  • Multiple wins already over the Spurs (three times), Lakers (twice), Kings (twice), and Mavericks (twice).


    • BREAKING TEAM RECORDS

  • More than 15 franchise records broken already, including 19 games above .500 (45-26) for the first time in team history, and most wins before the All-Star Break with 30, more than double the previous record high of 14.


    • Hubie Brown for Teacher of the Year 2004

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