Memphis Grizzlies part ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins

The Memphis Grizzlies announced that they have parted ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins and plan to have assistant coach Tuomas Iisalo serve as interim head coach.

Jenkins, 40, began coaching the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019 and has been in the team for six seasons with a total record of 250 wins and 214 losses. Under Jenkins' leadership, the Memphis Grizzlies made the NBA playoffs for three consecutive years in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

The Memphis Grizzlies are expected to advance to the playoffs this season, but the team is affected by injuries, Jenkins's adjustment of tactics, the introduction of a new offensive system, and the team's frequent mistakes have led to a decline in performance. In particular, the team's core player, Ja Morant, has been plagued by injuries and has only played 43 times this season.

In recent games, Morant missed 6 games due to a hamstring strain. The Memphis Grizzlies' record began to decline and now ranks fifth in the Western Conference. Although the Memphis Grizzlies still have a chance to rise to second in the West and advance to the playoffs, in order to ensure that they can achieve their goals, the team decided to fire Jenkins.

Memphis Grizzlies president of operations and general manager Zach Kleiman issued a statement thanking Jenkins for his service, saying: "I sincerely appreciate Tyler's contributions to this team and this city over the past six seasons."

"This was not an easy decision. After all, under his leadership, our players have continued to grow significantly and the team has achieved a certain degree of success. I wish Taylor all the best in the future."

In fact, the Memphis Grizzlies were still a competitive team in the West at the beginning of this season, but factors such as injuries and poor performance ultimately led to Jenkins' departure.