Another coach bites the dust, although this one is a shock with the playoffs around the corner.
So Memphis just pushed the eject button on Taylor Jenkins with NINE games left before the playoffs. This is like firing your wedding planner while guests are arriving at the venue. Actually I’ve got a better analogy: this isn’t just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic…it’s installing a whole new captain while the iceberg is in view.
Nine games before the playoffs! Jenkins was a coach who took them from rebuild to relevance and helped develop Ja Morant into a superstar.
When you consider what we have in Steve Kerr, it’s nothing short of extraordinary. A decade of leadership, four championships, six Finals appearances, and the Warriors have never once wavered in their commitment. Through 15-50 seasons and championship parades alike, the organization has maintained its faith in Kerr’s leadership philosophy.
The NBA coaching graveyard is littered with “win-now” casualties who weren’t given enough runway. Since Kerr took over in 2014, how many teams have flipped coaches like they are shaking a magic 8 ball looking for someone to be their miracle cure? Kerr now stands as the third-longest tenured active head coach in the entire NBA, behind only Erik Spoelstra (Heat, since 2008) and Gregg Popovich (Spurs, since 1996).
It’s not just longevity either; it’s productive longevity. Kerr and his staff have managed to reinvent the Warriors multiple times. From the original death lineup, to integrating Kevin Durant, to the current blend of veterans and young talent. He’s survived the KD departure, Klay Thompson’s two catastrophic injuries, and the awkward post-dynasty retooling phase.
And for those saying, hey it’s easy to to integrate KD and win multiple championships he’s one of the greatest of all time? We’re still waiting to see another head coach do it.
The timing of Jenkins’ firing is absolutely wild. Memphis sits at 44-30, jostling with the Lakers for the 4-5 seeds, and just when they need stability heading into a brutal final stretch—they’re about to face the Celtics, and our Warriors in consecutive games—they pull the ripcord on their head coach.
Jenkins’ crime? Apparently losing the locker room and… checks notes… ranking 19th in defense since the All-Star break while going 8-11. I mean, the man was missing Ja Morant for 30 games this season, and the Grizzlies are STILL fourth in point differential. That’s coaching wizardry, not fireable incompetence.
The parallels to the 2016 Cavaliers firing David Blatt are interesting, but deeply flawed. That Cavs team had LeBron James and championship expectations. The Grizzlies have… Ja Morant coming off multiple suspensions and injuries, and a season where they went 27-55 last year. Jenkins helped turn that around to a playoff team.
This has all the hallmarks of front office panic. Meanwhile, the Warriors’ braintrust of Kerr, Bob Myers (until recently), and Joe Lacob have weathered storms together, understanding that continuity itself has immense value in a league of constant turnover.
Let’s appreciate that while Kerr enters his tenth season with the Warriors, the average NBA coach barely makes it to three seasons before getting the axe. That kind of stability—where a coach can actually implement systems, develop talent, and install a culture—is basketball’s version of vibranium. Precious, powerful, and apparently rarer than ya think.
For Warriors fans, this should be a reminder of how good we’ve had it through thick and thin. Stability isn’t boring; it’s the foundation of dynasties.