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I read fans comments from other locations & see people calling Jenkins out after 5 games. Do Memphis fans really think this team is trying to win?. Don't mind the lip service, any talk about trying to win is to put butts in the seats, sell tickets. I'm pretty certain the goal is to retain the top 6 pick & rightfully so because it's a pivotal point in the rebuild adding that much needed wing where conveying this year, would mean another losing season next year, to accomplish the same goal. It would also guarantee Boston a much better pick if this current team falls just outside of top 6 as apposed to next years potential roster & internal growth/youth experience.

Despite Memphis being 1-3 heading into this Suns match, 5-6 teams had a 1-4 or 0-5 record sitting behind them.

General fan comments on Jenkins.

"Jenkins always pulls players when they're finding a rhythm".
"Questionable rotations & chemistry"
"Players not being utilized to their strength".

Don't forget the minute restrictions on Jonas. If Grizzlies goal was to win, I'm sure Jonas could have played a few extra minutes...

That is how a team that has talent, tanks. That is how it's coached for the future. Asking players to step out their comfort zone is how they expand their game when not winning is to a benefit, in other words, the complaints about Jenkins, are purposeful decisions.

Have to say, much better from Brooks in this match, outside of 1 or 2 plays he was more under control, which was good to see.

Grizz relied on vet wing. Crowder, went 0-5 from 3, 0-8 from the field.

Plain & simple. Grizz lost this one, like the others, on the 3 pt line. Grizz shoot 35% from 3, they win this one, even with the Suns shooting the ball well themselves.

Love that Ja & Clarke went 3-4 from 3. If they are hitting, up the attempts.. I hope Grizz have a good shooting coach. It should be painfully obvious by now that Ja & the bigs need better spacing...

Ja with a quite 24 & 6 line, all with a crowded paint, shooters missing open looks as well as blown bunnies that keep his assist numbers down..

Brooks has been solid defensively, did as good a job as any holding Harden in check. He just needs to cleanup his decision making with the ball.

Jonas is still off. He would have normally had a field day with that Houston front court.

Clarke & Ja have great chemistry, I think it's a mistake to have Clarke coming off the bench. I also don't think his body can handle playing the 5 for a full season. Would love to try a rotation of Jonas, 3J, Clarke, Brooks, Ja or 3J, Clarke, Bruno, Brooks, Ja.

Ja was great but need to do a better job taking care of the ball. Less flash more efficiency.

Whole Truth wrote:I read fans comments from other locations & see people calling Jenkins out after 5 games. Do Memphis fans really think this team is trying to win?. Don't mind the lip service, any talk about trying to win is to put butts in the seats, sell tickets. I'm pretty certain the goal is to retain the top 6 pick & rightfully so because it's a pivotal point in the rebuild adding that much needed wing where conveying this year, would mean another losing season next year, to accomplish the same goal. It would also guarantee Boston a much better pick if this current team falls just outside of top 6 as apposed to next years potential roster & internal growth/youth experience.

Despite Memphis being 1-3 heading into this Suns match, 5-6 teams had a 1-4 or 0-5 record sitting behind them.

General fan comments on Jenkins.

"Jenkins always pulls players when they're finding a rhythm".
"Questionable rotations & chemistry"
"Players not being utilized to their strength".

Don't forget the minute restrictions on Jonas. If Grizzlies goal was to win, I'm sure Jonas could have played a few extra minutes...

That is how a team that has talent, tanks. That is how it's coached for the future. Asking players to step out their comfort zone is how they expand their game when not winning is to a benefit, in other words, the complaints about Jenkins, are purposeful decisions.

Have to say, much better from Brooks in this match, outside of 1 or 2 plays he was more under control, which was good to see.

Grizz relied on vet wing. Crowder, went 0-5 from 3, 0-8 from the field.

Plain & simple. Grizz lost this one, like the others, on the 3 pt line. Grizz shoot 35% from 3, they win this one, even with the Suns shooting the ball well themselves.

Love that Ja & Clarke went 3-4 from 3. If they are hitting, up the attempts.. I hope Grizz have a good shooting coach. It should be painfully obvious by now that Ja & the bigs need better spacing...

Ja with a quite 24 & 6 line, all with a crowded paint, shooters missing open looks as well as blown bunnies that keep his assist numbers down..

I think Memphis is indeed trying to win even though the FO doesn't ultimate care what the final outcome of the game is as long as the young guys develop. Maybe later on they will do more to set the roster up to fail, but Jenkins and the players are trying to win which is exactly what they should be doing. The 2021 draft is supposed to be a lot stronger than 2020 so I think the FO will wait till later in the season before really deciding to embrace a tank or not. If we are doing halfway decent and look like we may convey then why not go ahead and convey and then aim for a high pick in a stronger draft. If we are looking like a bottom 5 team then sell off some of the vets and really bottom out while Jenkins and the guys still try to keep their competitive edge and win what few games they can.

VCfor3 wrote: I think Memphis is indeed trying to win even though the FO doesn't ultimate care what the final outcome of the game is as long as the young guys develop. Maybe later on they will do more to set the roster up to fail, but Jenkins and the players are trying to win which is exactly what they should be doing. The 2021 draft is supposed to be a lot stronger than 2020 so I think the FO will wait till later in the season before really deciding to embrace a tank or not. If we are doing halfway decent and look like we may convey then why not go ahead and convey and then aim for a high pick in a stronger draft. If we are looking like a bottom 5 team then sell off some of the vets and really bottom out while Jenkins and the guys still try to keep their competitive edge and win what few games they can.

I think the players are absolutely trying to win, as it should be. That's how they learn to play the right way. What players can't control, is their rotations, subs & playing time. Which to most casual observers are erratic & nonsensical combined with minutes restrictions mixed in ..

I think Jenkins is rightfully toting the developing/tanking line. The lottery odds are flattened but with the Grizz owing their pick, they need to assure they do not fall out the top 6, give Boston a pick 7-10, so they have to pace the Pelicans & Knicks etc..

I was told this years draft was weak, was it?. 2021 might be projected to be better than 2020 but why would Memphis play themselves out of a top 5 pick in a development year only to accomplish the same goal next season?, Is next years draft so much better than the top 5 prospects in 2020 that Memphis should give Boston a pick just outside the top 6 & waste another season?

The possibility of a 2020 tank & yielding the 2021 pick mid to late teens.

3J -3rd yr /Jonas
Clarke -2nd yr /Bruno
(Top 5 2020) - Edwards etc..
Trade - Beal who was extended - (some combination of Fillers, Grizz youth, Utah 2022, GS 2024, Memphis pick/s)
Ja 2nd yr /Tyus

+ couple shooters with the freed cap as a best case scenario

For me if Jenkins was coaching to win over development.

- Jonas would be in the post & running more high p'n'r's instead of camping out on the 3pt line as they try to feed 3J in the post.
- 3J would be the big stretching the floor, not failing to fight for post position as he racks up cheap fouls.
- The weak wing rotation would be shorter
- He wouldn't implement a system that the current team cannot properly execute (Increased 3's, lower shooting %, increased pace).
- A coach trying to win, would ignore to a degree the minutes restrictions on players for certain situations (Davis going off on an undersized front court) etc..
- Allowing apposing teams sustained runs without timeouts & or line changes.

& When the refs have made bad calls at critical points of the game, not contest them. A recent example was Marko's layup last night, called an offensive push off with McLemore flopping. Jenkins contests that call (which was a clean layup), it's a 1 point game instead of 5 where Houston opened their 10pt lead. It's not the first time he has sat back on a legit contest of poor officiating which affected the game & runs..

I could nit pick all the subtleties of his coaching but unless there's admittance, it's just my opinion. However, if you look at the officiating example, it should be the most obvious tell in what line Jenkins is toting in terms of wins & losses. Jenkins didn't contest an easy win on a call that cost his team a ten point deficit, while both D'Antoni & Spolestra have contested in the same games with considerable leads.