When the Memphis Grizzlies parted ways with head coach Taylor Jenkins just weeks before the postseason began, it left most NBA fans in disbelief. However, on Tuesday, ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins provided insights as to why he found this decision somewhat predictable.
It’s unusual for coaches guiding their teams to the playoffs to be dismissed, yet Jenkins found himself in this position despite leading the Grizzlies to a tie for the fourth seed in the West with a 44-29 record. His removal was attributed to Grizzlies’ general manager Zach Kleiman, who took “sole responsibility” for the decision. Although Perkins acknowledged the timing surprised him, he suggested that Jenkins was on borrowed time, primarily because his coaching staff did not include his preferred choices but rather those appointed by Kleiman.
“The whole organization needs to be reevaluated,” Perkins stated on NBA Today on Tuesday. “They built something from the ground up, laying a solid foundation with a contractor doing an excellent job. But then they began to disrupt the culture they were developing—first by parting ways with Tyus Jones, losing Dillon Brooks, and ultimately firing Taylor Jenkins, who likely didn’t stand a chance.” He continued, “People might point to Ja Morant or the offense as issues, but consider this: Malika (Andrews), you are a fantastic host of this show, but what if you had no say over who your producers are? That’s what Coach Taylor Jenkins faced—an office dictating his assistants. Every time he entered coaching meetings, he was under scrutiny. His chances were slim. As we hear comments from Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Ja Morant, they sound bewildered about Jenkins’ firing. I believe this season should be considered a wash; it’s time for a rebuild.”
.@KendrickPerkins didn’t hold back on his concerns with the Grizzlies 😳
“Step-by-step, they started messing up this culture that they were building.” pic.twitter.com/3ZL7wAKme4
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 1, 2025
Perkins raises valid points which align with findings from a report on Jenkins’ dismissal by Ramona Shelburne, Tim MacMahon, and Michael C. Wright. Their sources indicated that Zach Kleiman had considerable control over the coaching staff choices beyond Jenkins himself as the season approached.
Kleiman reportedly “insisted” on replacing five of Jenkins’ long-standing assistant coaches, such as Brad Jones, Blake Ahearn, Scoonie Penn, Vitaly Potapenko, and Sonia Raman, to bring in EuroLeague coach Tuomas Iisalo and former Spurs consultant Noah LaRoche for the 2024-25 season. Ultimately, Iisalo was named the interim head coach for the rest of the season.
It’s possible that Zach Kleiman had Iisalo in mind as a potential replacement for Jenkins from the outset, or he may have only recently concluded that the team needed a different direction heading into the postseason.
Regardless, Kendrick Perkins clearly contends that the Grizzlies organization faces serious issues as the regular season nears its end.
