OAKLAND, Calif. -- He positions himself behind the 3-point line at the top of the key, alone, as the ball is relayed to him. It's Game 1 of the NBA Finals, early in the first quarter, and as Marc Gasol gathers for the shot -- one he hit at a 44.2 percent clip for the Toronto Raptors in the regular season -- he aims and initiates his release but then, inexplicably, hesitates.
"Shoot it!" Lionel Hollins implores the image on his television screen, his former Memphis Grizzlies center, who led that team to the Western Conference finals in 2013.