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Following an injury-ridden 2023-24 NBA campaign, the consensus was that head coach Taylor Jenkins was entering a make-or-break year with the Memphis Grizzlies. However, most people expected the organization to see the entire season through before making a decision on the man's future.
The Grizzlies stunningly dismissed Jenkins from his HC post on Friday, with nine games left in the regular season and the team in fifth place in the Western Conference standings. Memphis has experienced turbulence in the second half, but star point guard Ja Morant has missed almost half the campaign and has been sidelined for the last two weeks with a left hamstring strain.
Thus, it is extremely difficult to make sense of the situation. Naturally, fans are waiting for more behind-the-scenes information to come out that might explain why this move was made before the playoffs. Until then, the NBA-watching world is doing its best to sort out all the chaos.
The people weigh in on Grizzlies' Taylor Jenkins decision
“Firing a coach this late in the season has to be a code violation,” @warriorsworld posted on X. “This is very very very strange to fire a coach in 5th place in the conference 3 weeks before the playoffs start,” @rwballer observed.
“As shocking of news as it gets,” SiriusXM NBA host Rob Perez expressed. “This team has 9 games left and if the season ended today they would play the Lakers in the first round. Explanation needed, and quickly.” NBA insider Jake Fischer notes how Jenkins' firing was potentially foreshadowed, but even he did not foresee such action to be taken at this juncture.
“Memphis changed out virtually all of Taylor Jenkins’ coaching staff after last season, which raised eyebrows across the league,” he posted. “But to make this decision on the Grizzlies’ bench right now… a truly surprising development.”
General manager Zach Kleiman obviously thinks removing the six-year head coach from the bench is worth the media circus it will produce. Distractions are not ideal for a squad that is trying to potentially secure the No. 3 seed in the West. Moreover, he is essentially plastering the word “desperation” across the FedExForum.
Possible playoff opponents could smell blood in the water following this extreme move. But if the Grizzlies regain the momentum they built for themselves earlier in the season, then Kleiman will be commended for the unconventional wisdom he displayed.
Although Memphis probably would have been under the microscope regardless, the scrutiny will be fierce now that Taylor Jenkins is no longer manning the sidelines. Tuomas Iisalo will serve as the interim HC for a pivotal stretch of games.
