The Memphis Grizzlies (44-29) shocked the NBA world Friday by firing head coach Taylor Jenkins on the tail finish of the common season. In keeping with ESPN, the dismissal marked solely the second time in NBA historical past {that a} group with a profitable document axed a head coach with lower than 10 video games left.
Whereas the abrupt choice caught analysts and followers off guard, the teaching shakeup was supposedly brewing for months. In keeping with ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Grizzlies entrance workplace and Taylor Jenkins have been now not on the identical web page, and even sure gamers have been sad with the longtime coach’s rules, particularly on offense.
“The Grizzlies felt that Taylor Jenkins had progressively misplaced the locker room,” Charania reported on ESPN’s “NBA Today” on Friday. “Their play plateaued within the second half of this NBA season, from the angle of how they performed towards groups over .500. They’d misplaced 9 consecutive video games by a mean of over 13 factors towards groups over .500.”
Memphis’ regression on protection finest highlights its alarming document towards profitable groups not too long ago. Jenkins’ group ranked No. 7 on defense pre-All-Star break however has slipped to nineteenth for the reason that midseason break. In 19 video games for the reason that All-Star break, the Grizzlies have had a detrimental web score (-0.2) whereas giving up a whopping 116.4 factors per 100 possessions — markers of a mediocre group.
The Grizzlies have named assistant Tuomas Iisalo the interim head coach for the season’s ultimate stretch. In keeping with a number of insiders, Lisalo plans to implement a brand new offensive philosophy involving fewer pick-and-rolls and extra uptempo basketball. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported Friday that Jenkins most popular to stay to the normal route of placing the ball within the arms of Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. Nonetheless, the Grizzlies’ entrance workplace felt the offensive system wanted to vary, propelling them to interchange Jenkins with Lisalo.
Underneath Lisalo, the new-look Grizzlies will face the Lakers on Saturday in a vital matchup with potential playoff implications. The groups are in a good battle for the fourth and fifth seeds.
