x
Breaking News
More () »

Lionel Hollins on what the Grizzlies must do to reach the Western Conference Finals

Hollins led Memphis to their only conference finals appearance in 2013. He explains what it will take for Memphis to get past the Warriors.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — What does it take to reach the Western Conference Finals? We asked the only Grizzlies coach to ever lead to team to one.

"It takes a lot," Lionel Hollins said, who was the Grizzlies head coach from 2009-2013 after two previous interim stints. "You need a little bit of luck, but you need some good matchups too."

Hollins was at the helm when the Grizzlies upset the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in 2013 to reach the team's first, and to date, their only Conference Finals appearance.

"People started wanting to be a part of it," he said of that playoff run. "We went from the Memphis Grizzlies to our Memphis Grizzlies."

Memphis won nine of 10 meetings with Golden State from 2011-13 under Hollins. He credits that success to a matchup advantage they had; one the Grizzlies also have now.

"They couldn't guard us in the post with Rudy and with Zach and Marc," he said. "They couldn't keep us off the glass, and that's the Grizzlies advantage now, on the glass."

He isn't buying that the Warriors playoff experience gives them the edge.

"I think experience equated with age is overrated."

After all, Hollins played for the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers, the youngest team to ever win an NBA title. His squad took down a heavily favored Philadelphia 76ers squad led by Julius Erving, George McGinnis and Doug Collins.

"Nobody expected us to win the series, but we did. And we were the world champions. Still are for that year. And it had nothing to do with how young we were, it just had to do with how well we played, and how well we played together as a team."

Hollins isn't one for predictions but said to be careful counting out any team at this stage.

"The first round usually gets rid of the pretenders. After that, everyone is good enough to win." 

Before You Leave, Check This Out