MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) A winning record seemed like a challenging enough goal for the Memphis Grizzlies this season.

After all, as a team that routinely had one of the worst records in the league, the Grizzlies were coming off a franchise-best record of 28-54 last season _ and were mighty proud of it.

But Memphis has pulled off a stunning turnaround this season and is now in fifth place in the tough Western Conference.

The team's success has fans thinking about more than just making the playoffs; they are talking about home-court advantage in the first round.

What accelerated the team's turnaround?

``It's Hubieball,'' said Grizzlies fan Paul Trzil, whose 10-year-old son Peter wore a Shane Battier jersey to a recent home game at the Memphis Pyramid.

Hubieball is best described as the defensive intensity and teamwork instilled by coach Hubie Brown, who at age 70 is the oldest coach in the league and a clear front-runner for coach of the year.

But much of the Grizzlies' success can also be attributed to team president Jerry West, the former Lakers player, coach and executive who assembled this team without a single All-Star.

Together, Brown and West have taken the third-youngest team in the league and taught it how to win. The Grizzlies' record since Feb. 1 is the league's best.

The secret, Brown said, is showing young players how discipline and hard work _ not marquee players and star scorers _ can win games.

``As soon as this franchise makes the playoffs, the young players who excel will be recognized as All-Star players,'' Brown said. ``If you're not in the playoffs, you're going to get overlooked.''

Brown's use of a 10-man rotation has built a productive group of reserves and given the Grizzlies the stamina to maintain a pressure defense when opponents begin to tire.

The Grizzlies' swarming defense leads the league in steals (9.6), forced turnovers (17.2) and blocks (7.3) per game. Rolling over the Knicks in New York on Wednesday, the Grizzlies scored 27 points on 16 first-half turnovers.

The 10-man rotation also means experienced reserves are ready to step in when a starter is hurt. The team began its current run without starting forward Mike Miller, who was sidelined a month with back spasms.

Pau Gasol, the Grizzlies' leading scorer at 18 points and eight rebounds per game, is averaging a team-best 32 minutes. But seven other players average 25 minutes or more, and another four get at least 10 minutes a game.

Six Grizzlies are averaging in double figures with three others just shy of 10-point averages.

``The worst thing for young players, the worst thing, and I've been around since 1973,'' Brown said, ``is they come in and they play 22 minutes tonight. The next game they come in, they don't even get in.''

Brown had been out of coaching for 16 years when he got a call from West, and there were some who doubted if he could do the job. But Brown has won over the young Grizzlies with fairness and a strong knowledge of the game.

``He's a motivator,'' said Miller, who was traded to Memphis from Orlando last year. ``The guys understand he knows how to win and we play to win. He's fun to play for.''

Bo Outlaw, who at 32 is the oldest member of the team, said the key to the Grizzlies' success is easy to sum up.

``It's teamwork,'' Outlaw said. ``It couldn't be any simpler than that.''

And the fans love it.

``If you see some teams on TV and compare them with how the Grizzlies play, there's just a world of difference in the teamwork,'' Trzil said.

But the team's unlikely success appears to have surprised Memphis fans, who had every right to expect a not-so-stellar season.

The Grizzlies' home attendance averages 14,746, and the season's two sellouts of 19,300 came when the Los Angeles Lakers were in town.

``I didn't think they'd improve this quickly. It's much faster than I expected,'' said fan Geoff Wyonzek. ``But it's great to see, and it's exciting.''

Part of the problem is the Grizzlies' arena, a giant reflective pyramid designed to be a symbol for the city. But the 13-year-old building is located on a dark site along the riverfront that many local residents find less than attractive.

A new $250 million arena will open next season beside the Beale Street entertainment district, the city's main tourist and nightclub strip.

It will be a new home for a new team. The Grizzlies this season have nine players added by West since he came out of retirement to take over the team in April 2002.

Brown said he has faith that any personnel changes made by West will be for the team's benefit _ whether they're popular with the fans, the media or anyone else.

``He's not who he is because he's worried about what anybody else is thinking,'' Brown said. ``He has the big picture always in perspective and he's courageous about making moves.''

Brown also makes it clear to the players that success depends on them _ not on the coaching staff.

``That's why we're very big on always telling them when we win that they won the game,'' he said. ``We go right around the room and we talk to each guy. That's important because they might not have had the winning points or the big shot, but they were in the game and what they did was instrumental.''