"The holiday season is upon us, and O.J. Mayo is feeling merrier about his role with the Grizzlies amid recent changes.

Griz owner Michael Heisley wanted to make sure of that earlier this week when he gave his reserve guard a vote of confidence.

"I wanted O.J. to know how much we think of him," Heisley said. "I stand behind our plan. My goal is to keep these five guys together and try to build a good team. We had a good talk. There were no problems."

Heisley spent three days in Memphis earlier this week and initiated a private meeting with Mayo, a two-year starter asked to be a reserve scorer during his third NBA season.

Mayo, who has found an offensive groove as of late, will play off the bench for the 14th time when the Griz put up their four-game winning streak against the Houston Rockets tonight in the Toyota Center.

Naturally disappointed at first, Mayo has shown professionalism and maturity in adjusting to his new role.

Mayo said the chat with Heisley gave him more motivation.

"It was very positive," Mayo said of his meeting with Heisley. "He said he had no interest in trading me and he thought moving me to the bench was best for the team, which I agreed with. I have a great relationship with (Heisley) and Mr. Gene Bartow (president of Hoops LP, the Grizzlies' business arm). It's always cool when you have important and well-respected guys rooting for you. It's a boost of confidence. They're pretty much on my side even though I've struggled.""