MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Before the 2019-2020 NBA season, the Memphis Grizzlies were not on anyone’s radar.
Most basketball experts expected the Grizzlies to do very little, as the team is going through a rebuild this year. They predicted Memphis would win less than 30 games in the season.
But Memphis went above and beyond many expectations. The young team won 34 games in 73 games and was on the brink of the NBA Playoffs, but could not overcome the Portland Trail Blazers.
Nevertheless, first-year head coach Taylor Jenkins guided this team during the NBA restart in the Bubble down in Orlando, without major pieces such as Jaren Jackson Jr., Justise Winslow, and Tyus Jones. The rookie head coach said he has learned a lot during this season, and he is looking forward to year two.
“That gets me out of bed every day because I’m doing what I love to do, which is coaching basketball,” Jenkins said. “To know that we got a bright future with great young players, it excites me so much.”
Jenkins’ coaching efforts were noticed throughout the association. He finished sixth in NBA Coach of the Year balloting. Not to mention, he is coaching one of the youngest teams in the league. Combine the youthfulness of this team with the high expectations of what Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and rising star Brandon Clarke can become, Jenkins understands his team’s future is bright.
“There’s a long road ahead,” Jenkins said. “We got a long-term vision, competing for championships, and having that sustainable success… I spent the last two days building the longest to-do list probably of my young career, but I can’t wait to tackle all that stuff and get everyone on board to the work that needs to be done.”
Jenkins said he is excited about what the future holds. The first order of business for the Grizzlies is getting back to the playoffs. Memphis has not played in the postseason since the 2016-17 season, which was also the last time the Grizzlies had a winning season.
