Baffling lineup brings disaster

At last, David Fizdale changed the lineup. It was time, of course, time to make the changes everyone knew he had to make.

So he, wait, he started Andrew Harrison over Tony Allen? Andrew Harrison, who hadn’t played more than three minutes in the last 10 games?

And he started Brandan Wright over JaMychal Green? Brandan Wright, who had spent the last few days getting the kind of rest you get when your wife has given birth to twins? Those were Fizdale’s changes? You’re kidding, right? “Overall, at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter who was on the floor for us,” said Fizdale, after the debacle was done.

Oh, but it does, Coach. It most surely does.

As evidence, consider the final score from Monday’s fiasco at FedExForum: Brooklyn Nets 122, Memphis Grizzlies 109.

“Our lowest point,” said Fizdale, and he certainly got that right.

The Nets had won 10 games before Monday. They had won three games on the road, against Phoenix, New Orleans and Sacramento, three of the worst teams in the league.

Now include the Grizzlies. Or whatever you want to call the team that Fizdale sent out there Monday night.

Harrison for Allen? Wright for Green?

“I was definitely surprised,” said Allen. Gee, you don’t say. But the surprises didn’t stop with the starters. They continued all game long.

Toney Douglas and Harrison played 23 and 22 minutes respectively.

Zach Randolph and Allen played 16 and 17.

James Ennis didn’t get off the bench. Troy Daniels made his first appearance with 1:43 left, when the Grizzlies needed an 8-point play.

It was the weirdest set of lineups I’ve ever seen for this franchise. It was a disaster from the tip.

So what was the motivation behind the changes?

“We’re stale, it’s my job to shake it up,” said Fizdale. “And if this isn’t getting it done, I’ll be ready to shuffle some more. Because that’s my job, I’m not going to be satisfied by mediocrity.”

Which is a fine sentiment, by the way. Nobody wants the Grizzlies to be satis-

fied by mediocrity.

But then why keep starting Chandler Parsons, despite his consistently lousy play? Why not let actual merit guide the lineup decisions you make?

Parson was much better against the Nets Monday, at least offensively. He scored 12 points in 22 minutes of play.

But it couldn’t be more obvious that the Grizzlies’ recent struggles have been caused, at least, in part, by the awkward rotations the Parsons situation creates.

Parsons has been playing, no matter how badly. His minutes are sacrosanct. In the meantime, Ennis and Daniels — both of whom contributed valuable minutes earlier in the season — have been confined to the bench.

So it wasn’t a surprise that Fizdale finally changed the lineup. The surprise was what he did.

He benched Green, fresh off a double-double against Houston. He benched Allen, who helped forge the team.

He played Harrison and Douglas more than Z-Bo, Allen or Vince Carter. He took an unsettled lineup, and unsettled it some more.

And, of course, Parsons’ minutes were still sacrosanct. Because he makes $94 million over four years. But when the starting lineup is torn up and the changes don’t involve the one player who has admitted he “sucks,” that’s jarring to everyone involved.

Small wonder Allen and Randolph were trying to be as diplomatic as possible after the game. They’ve made it through worse with this franchise.

“I don’t know what to say,” said Randolph. “It was different tonight, it was real different tonight.” Real different. That’s one way to put it, eh? But there was Fizdale, after the debacle was over, doubling down on the changes he’d made.

Asked if he’d stick with the new lineup, Fizdale said, “A couple games. Yeah. And see what it turns into.”

What it turned into was a double-digit home loss to the Nets.

Fizdale has done a commendable job since he’s arrived in Memphis. He’s been rightfully praised for the changes he’s brought to the team. But this is the first real test of his leadership, and it’s one that Fizdale brought on himself.

There was an obvious lineup change to be made for the Grizzlies. There was a player who — by his own admission — hadn’t been carrying his weight. But instead of benching him, Fizdale benched two of the hardest-working players on the team. Where’s the accountability in that?

We shall see how it all plays out against the Clippers Thursday. The coach is playing a perilous game. With just 18 games left in the season, he’s turning to players like Harrison, Wright and Douglas to carry a proud franchise.

Real different, indeed.