Memphis Grizzlies Fire Coach Taylor Jenkins

[jokeboy86]

One thing I know for sure, is that several head coaching seats just got hot as hell.

Jenkins is gonna be snapped up real damn fast.

I think all the owners other than Reinsdorf have blinders on and think the climb from solid playoff team to contender shouldn’t be hard or take long at all. I think Atkinson isn’t going to get more than 2 more years to make the Finals. Same with Doc, Thibs, Reddick, Budenholzer and even Malone can’t go another year after this year w/o making the Finals. The only reason I think Carlisle will have extended time is cause Bird still has some pull in that organization.

[wco81]

So they didn’t want that smoke after all?

[sp6r=underrated]

Curious to see what comes out to explain doing this before the postseason. This makes no sense unless the lockerroom had turned on him or something really bad was about to come out about Jenkins.

Unless something horrific comes out about him this is a terrible decision even if the team turned on him. They have the 4th best MOV in the NBA which is better than the talent on the roster..

[JujitsuFlip]

Only a scandal would warrant this kind of response. Wreckless speculation on my part but there is absolutely no other reason you fire one of the better coaches in the league a month before the playoffs.

This is how I feel as well. Giving off Ime Udoka in Boston vibes.

Even then, they had him on a leave absence before they finally fired him. Grizz on some weird stuff.

[ConSarnit]

Jenkins has a schizophrenic style. It changes constantly, reacting to the opposition instead of imposing your style on them. Overly relying on transition instead of refining half court offense is a weakness.

I am definitely no expert on MEM but if the plan is to hire Lisalo then how is that a solution to their half court woes? The system they have in place is largely due to Lisalo (very few pnr possessions or screening). If offensive style of play is a problem then why hire the guy who designed that system?

(obviously this is all moot if there are other reasons for firing Jenkins or they go a different direction than Lisalo)

I'm just stating what I see on the court. I have no idea who's influencing what on sidelines, but the head coach is ultimately responsible regardless.

But the results aren’t bad. Top 5 seed in the West. +5.1 net rating. Top 6 offensive rating. Their best player (Ja) has missed 30 games this year. I don’t see how anything that has happened on court is cause for firing Jenkins. MEM is meeting any expectations anyone should have had given the circumstances.

[Swuul]

If I have understood right, there has been words exchanged between Jenkins and Iisalo a couple times, in front of the players; stupid of Iisalo to challenge the headcoach, stupid of Jenkins to let his pride stop accepting some/many of his plays lately have been crap (as he wanted to show he is the head-coach, and ignored the plays Iisalo suggested). Most of the players took the side of Iisalo, some remained silent, which caused some friction in the locker room. The FO stepped in, and whistled the thing off. It is pretty sure Iisalo will be a NBA head-coach next season, and Grizzlies FO was afraid he would not consider Grizzlies if they wouldn't take his side.

All this is hearsay, and might be bull-poo, but to me it sounds plausible.

[ItsDanger]

I am definitely no expert on MEM but if the plan is to hire Lisalo then how is that a solution to their half court woes? The system they have in place is largely due to Lisalo (very few pnr possessions or screening). If offensive style of play is a problem then why hire the guy who designed that system?

(obviously this is all moot if there are other reasons for firing Jenkins or they go a different direction than Lisalo)

I'm just stating what I see on the court. I have no idea who's influencing what on sidelines, but the head coach is ultimately responsible regardless.

But the results aren’t bad. Top 5 seed in the West. +5.1 net rating. Top 6 offensive rating. Their best player (Ja) has missed 30 games this year. I don’t see how anything that has happened on court is cause for firing Jenkins. MEM is meeting any expectations anyone should have had given the circumstances.

Look deeper. They've underperformed against key playoff matchups. Memphis isn't rebuilding or developing right now. Its all about playoff success. Part of the failure against good teams is being outcoached. To get to next level, you need a coach more suited to that role.

[Marvin Martian]

This definitely has nothing to do with basketball. Dude has done a great job despite not having a consistently healthy roster

[MickeyDavis]

Ja forced him out. Ja might as well coach now too since he's usually in the bench in street clothes anyway.

[sp6r=underrated]

He was gone after this season unless they made the Finals. The way he manages the roster is idiotic. OKC cooking them repeatedly was final straw.

OKC is having the maybe greatest RS in history. If that is the reason he is unemployed, they're insane.

[GSWFan1994]

What's most surprising to me is reading that Jenkins has been the Grizzlies coach for SIX seasons, I was flabbersgasted.

[Big J]

If you watch the Grizz you’d know why they fired him. His rotations and coaching decisions are terrible. Smart move IMO.

?

He’s turned cam Spencer into a budding star. He turned JJJ into one of the most dominating players in the league. Look at their record last year with everyone out. He got complete bums to win on random nights. This is a Kenny Atkinson situation all over again. Jenkins will go to the Magic and possibly win a championship

Yeah, just not a fan of the rotations. He'll bench guys when they are hot and end up losing the game because of it.

[DLoMor]

And yet Ty Lue still manages to have a job with the Clippers and Nick Nurse still manages to have a job with the 76ers. 2 very very overrated coaches that got lucky when a star player helped carried them to get a ring to make them look like they are good coaches.

[HotRocks34]

Did Memphis hire Nico Harrison as GM?

[Bloodbather]

Shocking firing considering how good he's been throughout his tenure. My suspicion is that the Grizzlies want to promote Tuomas Iisalo to the head coach role. The two may have been clashing, from what I've seen Iisalo is given credit for the way they've re-shaped the offense this season.

[TorontoBarneys]

He slept with the owner/GM's wife.

I'm absolutely ready to believe and spread this rumor.

I only said it half-heartedly though, because he's fat and bald.

[ConSarnit]

If I have understood right, there has been words exchanged between Jenkins and Iisalo a couple times, in front of the players; stupid of Iisalo to challenge the headcoach, stupid of Jenkins to let his pride stop accepting some/many of his plays lately have been crap (as he wanted to show he is the head-coach, and ignored the plays Iisalo suggested). Most of the players took the side of Iisalo, some remained silent, which caused some friction in the locker room. The FO stepped in, and whistled the thing off. It is pretty sure Iisalo will be a NBA head-coach next season, and Grizzlies FO was afraid he would not consider Grizzlies if they wouldn't take his side.

All this is hearsay, and might be bull-poo, but to me it sounds plausible.

If what you say is true (I’m no MEM expert) then I’m not exactly sure how Jenkins is in the wrong. Consider Lisalo’s system: low pnr and low screening. Who is the player on MEM best suited to optimize this style? Ja. He’s been out the last 6 games. They are .500 without Ja this year so maybe the system does need some tweaking when it doesn’t have Ja. I don’t think a brief 2-4 skid without your best player warrants a firing this late in the season.

If you’re right about the players siding with Lisalo I can see why MEM might look to replace Jenkins.

[C64]

If I have understood right, there has been words exchanged between Jenkins and Iisalo a couple times, in front of the players; stupid of Iisalo to challenge the headcoach, stupid of Jenkins to let his pride stop accepting some/many of his plays lately have been crap (as he wanted to show he is the head-coach, and ignored the plays Iisalo suggested). Most of the players took the side of Iisalo, some remained silent, which caused some friction in the locker room. The FO stepped in, and whistled the thing off. It is pretty sure Iisalo will be a NBA head-coach next season, and Grizzlies FO was afraid he would not consider Grizzlies if they wouldn't take his side.

All this is hearsay, and might be bull-poo, but to me it sounds plausible.

Where did you hear this?
This is about the most plausible thing I've heard.

Lisalo will get a month at the helm and into the playoffs for a test drive. He's been plan B ever since the FO let go of all the assistant coaches last offseason, only leaving Jenkins as the only coach on the team from last year.

[ConSarnit]

And yet Ty Lue still manages to have a job with the Clippers and Nick Nurse still manages to have a job with the 76ers. 2 very very overrated coaches that got lucky when a star player helped carried them to get a ring to make them look like they are good coaches.

The Clippers have unequivocally played over their head so I’m not sure why Lue is catching strays. They are 10 games over .500 and Kawhi has only played 30 games this year. Who else is squeezing more out of this Clippers team?

[sp6r=underrated]

If the Grizzlies hire Penny as head coach they'll achieve the full Nico experience.