On Friday March 28th, the Memphis Grizzlies parted ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins in a shocking move. Per Shams Charnia, Jenkins was called into the Grizzlies office this morning and fired in person. The Memphis Grizzlies sit at a record of 44-29 this season, and are currently 5th in the western conference. Memphis was in good position to get a higher seed this season, with Ja Morant’s return looming and the difference between the 2nd seed and 5th being miniscule.
To fire a head coach with a .539 winning percentage with your franchise, 9 games before the end of the season is something that never happens. It is purely speculation as to what the reasoning for this was currently. Memphis made headlines recently when two of their players, Desmond Bane and Santi Aldama were seen having a scuffle on the sideline during their game against the Utah Jazz in which Bane shoved Aldama.
Memphis is 8-12 in their last 20 games which could be another potential reason as to why they felt compelled to move on from Jenkins. With March 27th’s 125-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, it seems that this was the straw that broke the proverbial camel's back.
MORE FOR YOU
Automatic Password Hacking Machine Confirmed—Stop Using Passwords Now
Microsoft Warns 1 Billion Windows Users—Do Not Use Password
Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Clues And Answers For Friday, March 28th
Jenkins will undoubtedly be one of if not the most sought-after head coach this offseason, as he was the architect behind this new wave of Memphis success. Jenkins’ schemes helped transform Memphis into one of the better teams in the NBA this season. At the time of his firing Memphis sat at 6th in offense, 11th in defense, and 4th in net rating, all the marks of a great basketball team.
The reasoning behind this firing will no doubt be revealed in the coming days, but for now, NBA fans are left befuddled at one of the league's top head coaches losing their job.