After winning his 215th game as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, Taylor Jenkins cemented his place as the winningest coach in franchise history.
For an organization that has had 14 head coaches since it arrived in Memphis roughly 24 years ago, that number (214) being the mark to clear isn’t surprising. Stability at the position hasn’t been the Grizzlies’ strong suit.
Later this season, Jenkins will pass the former winningest head coach (Lionel Hollins) in another area. In the middle of his sixth season at the helm of the Grizzlies, Jenkins will coach his 416th game, which means he will have been the head coach of the Grizzlies longer in terms of games than anyone in Memphis franchise history.
For comparison’s sake, Erik Spoelstra has coached 1,290 games for the Miami Heat (with 756 wins) across 17 years.
Of course, the expansion nature of the Grizzlies some 30 years ago— and their subsequent move to Memphis about a decade later—has something to do with this. Nevertheless, Jenkins has combined success with sustainability better than any Grizzlies coach in franchise history.
Does that make him the best? That’s a different question. And not the subject of this particular piece.
What it does make him, however, is the master culture cultivator of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Sustaining relationships with stars
That’s not to say the previously mentioned Lionel Hollins did not thrive in this role as well. One does not simply establish an environment where an organic identity like “Grit and Grind” can be born accidentally. The “Core Four”, as they were known, of Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, Zach Randolph, and Tony Allen, believed in Lionel Hollins and the way they were going to win.
That belief goes a long way— especially from your stars. Hollins understood that.
Jenkins does as well. Disagree? Don’t take my word for it, take the ones of his three biggest stars of this era — Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant, and Desmond Bane.
If your best players do not believe you have their best interests at heart, you won’t build anything that lasts as a coach. The “Big Three” of Morant, Bane, and Jackson Jr. see the vision and have bought in. In fairness, Jenkins is the only coach Bane and Morant have known professionally, and Jackson Jr. has spent the vast majority of his career in the NBA under Jenkins’ coaching. That does help.
But you should still keep that faith as players grow. Morant has gone through ups and downs on his journey to NBA superstardom. Desmond Bane has gone from the 30th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft to one of the best guards in the league. Jackson Jr. has seen tremendous growth in his game on both ends as he became an All-Star and Defensive Player of the Year in Jenkins’ systems.
They all value not just the result of the success, but the journey it has taken for them to get there. Maintaining that in a star-driven league is difficult.
Organizational symmetry
It is also hard to keep that culture in lockstep with the organization’s vision. Another advantage for Jenkins in that arena is that he and Zach Kleiman – who was in the Grizzlies front office and was essentially promoted before hiring Jenkins – came to respective roles at roughly the same time. Kleiman probably would have never hired Jenkins if he didn’t believe they shared a vision of how to build and run an NBA franchise.
Times change, though. People change. And stressors arise. Jenkins has been criticized for his rotations throughout his tenure, but especially now.
In addition, while his defenses have consistently been among the top 10 in the NBA, the halfcourt offense and three-point shooting have left a lot to be desired. And of course, the issues that engulfed the team last year led to a pretty dramatically bad campaign. If there was ever a time to make a change, perhaps this past spring and summer would’ve been the time.
And yet, they stuck with Jenkins. Because what the Memphis Grizzlies are — the good, the bad, and the in-between — is in large part due to the influence of Jenkins. For every head-scratching lineup, there’s a rookie or undrafted/2nd round pick overperforming their contract. For every missed three, there’s a team leading the NBA in rebounding or two-point shots made.
And for every fan angrily pointing to a lack of postseason success, there are star NBA players who believe he is the coach to help them get to that proverbial promised land.
The Memphis Grizzlies culture endures
Culture is a buzzword that gets thrown around very loosely these days. Some teams even put it on their City uniforms. But for many winning teams, often there is a way of thinking and doing that surrounds that organization.
Winning, therefore, is not a result. It is a byproduct of the way the group operates on their journey together. That more often than not is because of a collective, not one individual. Leadership sets the tone for what that standard and expectation is. And modeling that standard is the most effective means of earning trust and getting the best out of those giving that trust.
No leader, or coach, is perfect. But Taylor Jenkins is an excellent fit for this version of the Grizzlies. And for now, those that matter the most agree.
As long as the culture around the team stays steady, Taylor Jenkins (and winning) will stay with it.
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