Lionel Hollins is "grumpy old man," says pundit

Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm and CBS Sports is the latest with a list from No. 1 to No. 30, this time, it's the best coaches, otherwise called, "NBA Coaching Rankings."  Gregg Popovich was ranked No. 1 (Duh!), and Lionel Hollins No. 14.

Considering Moore ranks Hollins in the upper half of the league's coaches, his notes don't seem to justify that ranking. He starts off with an ad hominen attack. (look it up.)

The grumpy old man is back. Two years after the Grizzlies said "Thanks, no thanks" to Hollins after making the Western Conference Finals, Hollins takes over a veteran Brooklyn team that's kind of a mess. Deron Williams is a shell of what he's supposed to be, Brook Lopez has more metal in his feet than Robocop, and Kevin Garnett is really sick and tired of the mortician taking his measurements.

Hollins is virtually unsackable; it's his first season with a broken-down veteran roster that lost key components in Paul Pierce, Shaun Livingston, and Andray Blatche. He's facing what could be a slightly-tougher division slate. And he's got to get his system implemented.

He's in a sweet-spot of expectations vs. talent... but there's also the fact of how his stint in Memphis ended. The people he clashed with are gone now, too, except for John Hollinger, but it's pretty firmly established that Hollins has zero patience for anyone. It would take a nuclear disaster for him not to be coach at year's end, but Hollins' temper carries with it a certain degree of radioactivity.

There's no discussion of Hollins record (despite his clashes with ownership and management), that is a rising number of regular wins, including a franchise high of 56, and a four-year winning percentage of .612, something few of those above him can match.  So we wait till they actually play games.

For the record, Hollins is 60 years old.

• NBA Coaching Rankings: Our ratings for every NBA coach - Matt Moore - CBS Sports