Grizzlies fire head coach Taylor Jenkins in shocking move as Memphis holds fifth seed in conference
The Memphis Grizzlies fired head coach Taylor Jenkins despite being the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference on Friday. The Grizzlies’ shocking decision to part ways with Jenkins comes with just nine regular-season games before the NBA playoffs begin.
"I’m genuinely appreciative of Taylor’s contributions to this team and this city over the past six seasons," said Grizzlies president and general manager of basketball operations Zach Kleiman in a statement posted to social media.
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"This was a difficult decision, given the consistent and tangible development of our players and overall success under Taylor’s leadership. I wish Taylor the very best going forward."
The Grizzlies are 44-29 and, while they have the same record as the Los Angeles Lakers, the Lakers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. With the tiebreaker, the Lakers are fourth in the standings over the Grizzlies.
The decision to fire Jenkins comes on the heels of a 125-104 loss to the top-seeded team in the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Grizzlies are 5-5 in their last ten games, as they will continue to jockey for playoff positioning with the Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves. The Clippers and Warriors are 41-31 while the Timberwolves are 41-32.
Jenkins, 40, was hired in 2019 and was 250-214 in his Grizzlies tenure. Jenkins' 250 wins are the most coaching wins in franchise history.
Last season, the team struggled, going 27-55 as star point guard Ja Morant only played in nine games due to injury and suspension.
With Morant back in the fold, the Grizzlies improved this season and, barring a disastrous final nine games, will make the playoffs.
As of the time of this writing, an interim head coach had not yet been named.
The Grizzlies’ next game is against the Lakers at home, on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET, where they will take the floor for a pivotal game with a different coach.
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