Memphis Grizzlies Fire Coach Taylor Jenkins

[worldjbfree]

I’ve seen coaches of teams that didn’t make the playoffs fired during the playoffs, and coaches in the playoffs fired immediately after getting eliminated, but is this the latest in a season a playoff-bound coach has ever been fired?

[bovice]

maybe he said the n word

[og15]

Definitely super sketch, certainly something out of the general happened. Teams don't simply fire coaches on a playoff bound team at this point in the season.

[doogie_hauser]

The Grizzlies have been a solid/top notch run organisation for Years, they wouldn't have fired TJ without having legitimate reasons to do so

From the surface, it appears Jenkins was fired for non coaching/behaviour issues but who knows for sure ? The truth will come out eventually

[KingFox]

Damn i wonder where he’ll end up next

[lambchop]

On a side note, props to Tuomas Iisalo (grizzlies assistant coach) in all this. He was criticized for not taking the Euroleague job with Paris and now he has a chance to prove himself as the head coach of a playoff team

[djsunyc]

maybe he still refers to it as the gulf of mexico? lol

if someone doesnt like what's going on then a move needs to be made. forget timing and why. doesnt matter.

there's really no need to delve much deeper than that.

good news is that he still gets his money and he will still get another job.

grizzlies wanted to move on and now we will see how it plays out over the next few years.

all coaches have a shelf life. very few pop, kerr and spoelstras. i remember the 99 knicks fired the gm instead of van gundy with like 10 games to go.

so much stuff going on. good luck to jenkins and the grizz.

[jokeboy86]

Just read the Athletic's article on this(paywall) and it sounds like this firing was inevitable and the Grizzlies were literally waiting for a bad stretch and were surprised how well the season was going. Also sounds like he lost the players(Ja included)and the GM and was basically a dead man walking after that. I have a feeling they didnt want to wait until the playoff results either because it would look even worst publicly if Jenkins won a series or two and then they fired him. Now if they do win a series or two the credit can go to the interim coach who it seems who they've wanted all this time

[DusterBuster]

Heard a theory from local sports radio that issue may have had to do with Ja and his people complaining about the style of play he was doing. Taylor was trying to make a more team game and go away from the pick and roll that lets Ja feed all game long and get points. Was killing Ja’s game and production, Star won over Coach, tail as old as time.

For a team with no star and no path to one anytime soon, I would love Jenkins in Portland with that coaching philosophy.

[BruttoNostra]

Damn their offensive game plan was praised a few months ago for being unique

Both thinks can be true - their X&O is elite, but the rotation/minutes allocation is awful. Not following Grizzlies enough to say it's what happened, though.

[C64]

Damn their offensive game plan was praised a few months ago for being unique

Introduced by Iisalo, the new HC.

No, that was LaRoche who was also fired.

[bluemj32]

Wow. Unless this was due to some crazy stuff then I hope the Spurs are already on the phone trying to line up an interview. Though a lot of us have been eyeing their assistant coach that installed this new offense they've been running. But hey I'll take Jenkins

I believe he came from the spurs system too, if I remember

Sent from my Pixel 6 using RealGM mobile app

[Handlez]

Heard a theory from local sports radio that issue may have had to do with Ja and his people complaining about the style of play he was doing. Taylor was trying to make a more team game and go away from the pick and roll that lets Ja feed all game long and get points. Was killing Ja’s game and production, Star won over Coach, tail as old as time.

For a team with no star and no path to one anytime soon, I would love Jenkins in Portland with that coaching philosophy.

This makes sense.

[nomansland]

Ever notice how every team that fires a coach, the fans copout excuse is 'oh, well his rotations were bad'?

"Bad rotations" is lazy criticism from armchair coaches.

[NYPiston]

Some weird ass **** going on in the NBA this season and this ranks very highly on the Weird Ass **** List.

[FarBeyondDriven]

this happens more in the NFL but my guess is it was a power play and he lost. He was likely told how to manage the minutes/rotations/etc by the G.M. and he refused and owner had to decide if he wanted to back the head coach (knowing they had an assistant they liked a lot waiting in the wings) or the G.M. who has been extremely successful putting together a quality and competitive team in a small market and he chose the G.M.

[Mrakar]

I would be thrilled to see him on Pelicans bench next year, not only because i think Willie sucks, but because i really thing Jenkins is good coach. From what could be heard around the league from serious people(not talking heads), he is a great basketball mind. Sadly i dont think he would ever accepted that job, no1 sane with better offers would, and he will have better offers unless somekind of crazy scandal that happend comes out in comming weeks.

On the other sides, here in Europe, you could here nothing but a prase about Tuomas Lisalo. He is young coach that likes newer style of basketball.
Even though it sucks to see Jenkins go, and i hate the move, im at the same time excited about Lisalo in Memphis, i think he really can do something great there.

[magee]

Get familiar with Iisalo's offensive principles.

https://youtu.be/LczeVbPYVXM?si=CBZZeEN7E0OcDMs9

[Enzo954]

Maybe he didn't want Ja leaving a gun in his locker.

[Exp0sed]

Heard a theory from local sports radio that issue may have had to do with Ja and his people complaining about the style of play he was doing. Taylor was trying to make a more team game and go away from the pick and roll that lets Ja feed all game long and get points. Was killing Ja’s game and production, Star won over Coach, tail as old as time.

For a team with no star and no path to one anytime soon, I would love Jenkins in Portland with that coaching philosophy.

This makes sense.

no, it doesn't

even if this is correct, there's no way the GM and owner do this out of the blue, a month before the playoffs. a healthy Grizz team might have been 2nd in the West, if everyone is healthy then theorethically they have a shot to go all the way. you don't fire a HC a month before a playoff run for that reason - that, u do in the offseason.