NBA teams
Kevin Pelton, ESPN Senior Writer 9y

Why no love for the Grizzlies?

NBA

Over the years, former ESPN Insider John Hollinger was accused of "hating" teams by placing them lower than the reader desired in the Hollinger Power Rankings. So the fact that a team with one of the NBA's best records is lower than expected in the Hollinger Rankings, which debut on ESPN today, is nothing new. The difference is this time it's Hollinger's own team: the Memphis Grizzlies, for whom Hollinger has worked as vice president of basketball operations since 2012.

Despite a 12-2 record that's tied for the league's best, the Grizzlies -- ranked second in Marc Stein's most recent power rankings -- sit sixth in the Hollinger version, right behind the 9-4 San Antonio Spurs.

Obviously, Hollinger doesn't dislike his own team, just as he had nothing against other teams who fared worse in the Hollinger Rankings than in subjective power rankings. Keep in mind, the Hollinger Rankings are completely objective, based on a formula that combines point differential with strength of schedule, weighing recent results more heavily. And just like those other teams, the Grizzlies don't fare as well because of their tendency to win close games.

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