It's been a rough few days for the Memphis Grizzlies, who recently fired head coach Taylor Jenkins and followed that up by losing home games to the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. The Grizzlies now find themselves in danger of dropping all the way down to the play-in level of the Western Conference picture, which is a spot that all teams would like to avoid if possible.
After the game on Monday against the Celtics, Grizzlies All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. was asked about the team's mindset as they navigate these turbulent waters, and he had an interesting reference point as a response.
“It could always be worse, we could be homeless,” said Jackson, per Bluff City Media Grizzlies on X, formerly Twitter.
Jackson's comments echo the sentiments of other players during tough teams for their teams who have to remind themselves that this is still, at the end of the day, just basketball.
A rough stretch for the Grizzlies
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) passes the ball as Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) defends during the fourth quarter at FedExForum.
Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
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The Grizzlies had a strong start to the 2024-25 season and looked poise to secure themselves home court advantage in the first round, and perhaps further than that, in the upcoming playoffs.
However, point guard Ja Morant has struggled to stay on the floor thus far this year, and when he has, he hasn't been quite the same version of himself that electrified fans during the early 2020s.
Meanwhile, Jackson Jr. has turned himself into one of the best big men in the NBA and has a real chance at winning another Defensive Player of the Year award this season, but he hasn't gotten nearly enough help from his Grizzlies supporting cast to allow them to compete with the juggernauts of the league.
Despite those struggles, many were still shocked when the Grizzlies opted to fire Jenkins with less than ten games remaining until the postseason, a move that has little to no historical precedent in the NBA.
If the early results are any indication, they may not have made the right decision.