The Grizzlies’ decision to fire head coach Taylor Jenkins took National Basketball Association circles by surprise. After all, there seemed to be no reason to part ways with the winningest bench tactician in the history of the franchise. With a 44-29 record and just three and a half games out of second place in the highly competitive West, they were on track to make the playoffs for the fourth time under his watch. And yet they pulled the trigger on a change, effectively consolidating an upheaval that was triggered before the season began. Apparently, the front office deemed the concern to be so immediate that they didn’t even wait until their 2024-25 campaign drew to a close.
From the outside looking in, the Grizzlies’ decision looks to be influenced by recency bias; their overvaluation of recent developments vis-a-vis long-term performance appeared to seal Jenkins’ fate. Admittedly, the team had been struggling of late, losing five of their last seven games and jeopardizing their chances of claiming homecourt advantage in the first round of the postseason. That said, the move was not without risk; as evidenced by their loss to the Lakers on Sunday, drastic, dramatic shifts in the system bring not inconsiderable instability that can all but offset any perceived gains.
To be sure, it wasn’t simply that the Grizzlies let go of Jenkins. It was that they did so from out of nowhere, and with a sense of celerity — as if they were dealing with a fire that needed to be put out, pronto. If nothing else, it sends the wrong signals; considering that their immediate past employee emphasized player development, their drastic course of action highlights their desire to go for quick wins at the expense of long-term growth. And for all their losses in recent memory, he did well to keep them competitive despite continued roster upheaval brought about by injuries to key players, including two-time All-Star Ja Morant.
Under the circumstances, the Grizzlies would need to finish strong if for no other cause than to shore up their confidence after the abrupt coaching change. Only time can tell whether they can rally under new leadership or continue to struggle as they go through their last eight matches of the season. If anything, however, their inability to forge a triumph on Sunday at the FedExForum — and against the equally struggling Lakers — makes their work even harder.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
