Ja Morant and other Grizzlies players respond to unexpected firing of coach Taylor Jenkins

The Memphis Grizzlies’ decision to part ways with coach Taylor Jenkins with just a few weeks left in the regular season came as a shock. While the team had struggled recently, they were still 15 games over .500 and tied for fourth in the Western Conference at the time. This left interim coach Tuomas Iisalo in a challenging situation, with limited time to implement changes and tough upcoming games against the Lakers (which the Grizzlies lost), Celtics, and Warriors. After the Lakers loss, Ja Morant shared his thoughts on the coaching change (quote via William Guillory of The Athletic).

“It’s tough for me. Coach Taylor has been with me since I got here. Everything I’ve achieved in a Grizzlies jersey has been under him,” Morant said after the defeat. “This is the first time I’ve experienced a coach leaving during my basketball career. It was a lot to process. The timing makes it harder. We had to move on quickly.”

Jaren Jackson Jr. also commented, quote via Wendell Shepherd Jr. of The Memphis Commercial Appeal.

“That’s my guy. He’ll always be my guy,” Jackson Jr. said. “It was shocking. It would have been surprising at any point. He made a great impact here. He’s going to be a highly sought-after coach wherever he goes next, and he deserves it.”

Desmond Bane shared that the players held a meeting after the firing to help process the situation, with quotes via The Athletic.

“I just wanted them to express their emotions openly. Don’t hold anything back. Let it all out, and then we can move forward,” Desmond Bane said. “I told them we have a very talented group, and we can still do something special. (Interim head coach) Tuomas (Iisalo) is a smart guy, and we should buy into what he’s trying to do. Let’s see what we can accomplish in these final games and beyond.”

If the Grizzlies are to achieve something special, they must improve their defense, an area Iisalo acknowledged after the Lakers loss. He also emphasized his desire for the team to play at a faster pace and for more pick-and-roll plays involving Morant in the half-court. Memphis needs all these elements to come together quickly to secure victories or risk sliding from their current No. 5 seed back into the play-in tournament.