Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace deferred to J.B. Bickerstaff when presented Friday afternoon with the question of how “Grit and Grind” can still work in an NBA defined by “pace and space.” It is Bickerstaff’s job, Wallace noted, to implement the franchise’s strategic philosophy.
The Grizzlies' coach hardly hesitated, launching into an extended answer that set the tone for the team's immediate future.
“Why try to copycat and be like everybody else? I think that’s the mentality we have right now,” Bickerstaff said. “Everywhere you look around the league, people are chasing the Golden States, they’re chasing the Houstons, so why can’t we be different?