Mayo must fit into Grizzlies' game

Grizzlies reserve guard O.J. Mayo can now hit play again on his season.

After pausing for 10 games due to his suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy, Mayo is set to return to action Tuesday when the Griz host the Philadelphia 76ers.

"The team is not static. It's fluid. It's changing constantly," Hollins said. "He'll be trying to find out where the team is and trying to catch up to that rhythm. It's going to be difficult. The team has moved in a positive direction."

Memphis went 8-2 during Mayo's suspension. The team is 9-2 without Mayo overall this season.

The bench also developed a different identity in Mayo's absence. The reserves have gone from deferring to Mayo for scoring to following veteran guard Tony Allen's lead with gritty, defensive-minded play. The Grizzlies have also enjoyed more ball movement and an effective zone defense from their second unit.

Hollins said Mayo would continue to play off the bench but made no guarantees beyond that. Hollins explained that the Griz experienced a similar issue when Zach Randolph sat out several games with a bruised tailbone earlier this season.

"Even when Zach got hurt and came back at the beginning of the year it was a heck of an adjustment for the team," Hollins said. "The team's identity had changed just that quickly because Zach wasn't the guy down in the post getting the ball and doing his thing.