The Memphis Grizzlies have fired head coach Taylor Jenkins with only nine games remaining in the regular season. This decision comes just one day before they are scheduled to play against the Los Angeles Lakers, a team with an identical win-loss record who would be their first-round playoff opponent if the postseason started today.
For some, this move was completely unexpected. For others, only the timing seemed unusual. This is because of two conflicting realities:
- Taylor Jenkins` Grizzlies have been successful during his six seasons with the team and particularly this year. He has overseen the development of numerous players, many drafted outside of the lottery, and established a team identity focused on fast-paced play and controlling possession. This season, despite Ja Morant`s absence for 30 games, they rank sixth in offensive efficiency and fourth in point differential.
- However, their recent performance doesn`t reflect their overall point differential ranking. While Morant has missed the last six games, this doesn`t fully explain their 19th-ranked defense since the All-Star break, a period where they went 8-11. Throughout the season, the Grizzlies have a losing record of 11-20 against teams with winning records and 9-18 against the other top 10 teams in the Western Conference. Their current slump – losing four of their last five games – is not an isolated incident, but rather part of a larger pattern suggesting a deep playoff run is unlikely.
The Grizzlies` new offensive system was considered noteworthy enough to be featured in a detailed article. Even now, their half-court offensive efficiency is above average, marking a significant improvement from earlier in Jenkins` tenure. Despite this, the Grizzlies have reportedly dismissed Jenkins, assistant coach Patrick St. Andrews (who has worked with Jenkins at multiple previous teams), and Noah LaRoche, an assistant coach instrumental in developing their offensive strategy that originated at Division III St. Joseph`s College of Maine in 2018. (The other key figure in this offensive system, former St. Joe`s head coach Rob Sanicola, is currently an assistant coach for the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies` G League affiliate.)
Will interim coach Tuomas Lisalo, who has used similar concepts in a system with more pick-and-roll focus at Paris Basketball last season and Telekom Baskets Bonn previously, have a chance to secure a longer-term position beyond this season? Can he guide the team through a challenging upcoming schedule? (Following the Lakers game, they will host the Boston Celtics and then the Golden State Warriors.) It remains to be seen. At this late stage in the season, there isn`t a clear parallel for the situation he is stepping into.
In recent NBA history, the closest comparison is the Cleveland Cavaliers` firing of David Blatt and promotion of Tyronn Lue in January 2016. At that time, halfway through the regular season, the Cavs were 30-11, leading the Eastern Conference. They were third in offensive efficiency, tenth in defensive efficiency, and, like these Grizzlies, fourth in point differential. Cleveland GM David Griffin explained the decision to reporters, stating he was `measuring more than wins and losses.` He cited the team`s `lack of spirit and connectedness` and the need to `buy into a set of values and principles.` He felt the team`s commitment was declining even after wins.
`I`ve been in this business a long time, and I know how it should feel,` he added.
Griffin`s decision was validated that June when Cleveland famously overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Warriors in the NBA Finals. While a championship shouldn`t be the immediate expectation for Memphis, the Cleveland situation is a relevant comparison because the underlying issue seems to be a decline in team spirit. Perhaps the changes in the coaching staff were an early sign of Jenkins` fate, but it`s likely he would have been given the chance to finish the season if the team`s overall morale had been better during their recent road trip. They notably faltered in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers and in the fourth quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Even in a game they ultimately won by 37 points against the Utah Jazz, Desmond Bane was seen shoving Santi Aldama on the sideline during a timeout.
It`s expected that NBA coaches will strongly support Jenkins in the coming days, highlighting his successful track record, the fact that Memphis is not a superteam, and the various challenges he has faced. (In addition to Morant`s injury, Jaren Jackson Jr. missed five games earlier in the month, and Brandon Clarke recently suffered a season-ending knee injury.) The likely outcry will be: If winning 60% of your games isn`t enough to secure your job, what is?
Such a reaction is understandable. However, sometimes the decision to fire a coach goes beyond wins and losses or even past achievements. Sometimes, the front office simply senses a problem, a disconnect, and concludes that the current coach is not the right person to resolve it.
