Editor's note: As part of "The Stein Line" every Monday, senior NBA writer Marc Stein takes you around the league for the latest news in "Coast to Coast."

	Hubie Brown's lessons should teach the Grizzlies how to win by 2004.

Just as it's safe to assume Jerry West is probably the only general manager on Earth who could sell Hubie Brown to the public as the logical coach for the Memphis Grizzlies, it appears the 69-year-old was the only veteran/teacher out there who could give West what he needs: Heavy-handed instruction without a care about wins and losses.

No one else West would eye (such as Mike Dunleavy) would be keen to sign up for 60-plus Ls, which is where Memphis figures to languish for at least another season. Brown is expected to coach only two seasons, or right up to the point that West has salary-cap room to shake up the roster. That's when he'll undoubtedly bring in a Dunleavy (who might not be unemployed two years from now) or a Jeff Van Gundy (who's still not totally free of Knicks obligations to pursue jobs).

West's college choice
Or maybe a Kelvin Sampson? Why not? West is a fan of the Oklahoma coach, who spent the summer in an NBA environment as a Team USA assistant at the World Championships.

Whoever it is, the Grizz should be considerably more attractive entering the 2004 summer than they will be this coming summer, and not only because of the lack of cap room. If Memphis doesn't win the '03 draft lottery in May, remember, it must convey any pick lower than No. 1 to Detroit as part of Stu Jackson's long-ago Otis Thorpe trade. Which means the Grizz probably won't have another high lottery pick until '04. Which is why in-house improvement, in the short term, is so important to West.

Grant's tomb
If only to prove that there's something newsy in Miami besides the quotes -- last week it was Alonzo Mourning's somber health update and Pat Riley admitting that the 1-7 Heat made him feel "humbled" -- a check of the league leaders shows Brian Grant at No. 2 in rebounding at 12.8 boards per game.

	Grant

Not that Grant is especially impressed, even after slumping to 9.3 points and 8.0 rebounds per game last season. Reason? Grant is bothered not by the trade speculation that tends to swirl around him, which the renewed rebounding can only fan, but his slumbering offense.

He's down to 8.1 points per game on a team desperately needing some punch. The Heat has only one player (Eddie Jones, 16.1 points per game on .377 shooting) averaging more than 12 points.

"I've got to get back to being a player other players are going to respect instead of saying, 'Well, you can come off Grant and let him shoot it,' " he said. "I think I kind of built that reputation for myself last year because of how tentative I was."

Teams zoned out on defense
Teams in the zone? Or, rather, the teams that play the most zone? It's the Mavericks and Clippers so far, with Minnesota up there as well ... and Memphis is bound to join in now that Professor Hubie has arrived. But it's still more of a changeup leaguewide than a go-to defense.

"I can't figure it out," Milwaukee's George Karl said. "I just can't give up open jump shots, and zones give up open jump shots. I don't care what you run or how hard you work. If the other team puts four shooters on the court, which now most NBA teams do, you're going to find an uncontested jump shot. I don't think that's good defense."

Dallas does just fine without Lewis, Redd
Rashard Lewis has shaken off a bum shoulder to average 18 and 8 for surprising Seattle. Michael Redd is shooting .486 from 3-point range and combines with another lefty, Toni Kukoc, to score 27 a game out of the Bucks' bullpen. And the team that tried to sign Lewis, then Redd, is off to a 10-0 start.

	Redd

	Lewis

A win-win-win situation?

"Both of those guys are great players," Dallas' Steve Nash said. "But I'm not sure that either one would automatically mean a championship."

That's because small forward was only the Mavericks' third-biggest summer need, after defense and rebounding. Lewis is a versatile 6-foot-10 and probably would have helped on the boards, while Redd is underrated at the other end. As a last piece, though, the Mavericks could have used a healthy Zo more than anything.

Marc Stein is the senior NBA writer for ESPN.com. To e-mail him, click here.