Insider reveals Ja Morant's frustrations to be real reason behind former HC's shocking firing

Perhaps All-Star guard Ja Morant had more to do with the sudden firing of coach Taylor Jenkins. The Memphis Grizzlies made the shocking decision to make a coaching change on Friday. Coaching changes happen constantly, but the timing on this one caught many off guard.

There were only nine games left on the Grizzlies regular season schedule. Furthermore, the team had a winning record of 44-29 and appeared to be playoffs-bound. Despite that, it appears the front office was more keen on keeping Morant happy and rebuilding a new system.

According to an ESPN article published on Tuesday from Ramona Shelburne, Tim McMahon and Michael C. Wright, Morant had grown discontent with Jenkins' offensive schemes.

"Morant is averaging career lows in touches, average touch length and dribbles per touch this season," the article stated. "Morant's 22.4 points per game is his lowest scoring average since 2020-21, his second season, and his field goal percentage (.448) is the worst of his career.

"That didn't sit well with him, and he voiced his frustrations publicly and privately, sources said."

Jenkins has been replaced by Finnish coach Tuomas Iisalo. The Grizzlies have lost both games under him, but this recent string of losses isn't new. The team had lost four of Jenkins' last five games.

They are now at 44-31 with only seven games left on the schedule. Despite their winning record, they are at risk of missing out on the six guaranteed postseason berths.

That's because the Minnesota Timberwolves and LA Clippers, both with a record of 43-32, could overtake Memphis. If that happens, Ja Morant and the Grizzlies will have to battle through the Play-In Tournament.

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Ja Morant's rookie season was also Taylor Jenkins' first year as a head coach

Before he was the Memphis Grizzlies' head coach, Taylor Jenkins was an assistant. He held that position with the Atlanta Hawks from 2013 until 2018 and then with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2018-19 season. In 2019-20, Memphis hired him to replace J.B. Bickerstaff, whom they fired after a season and a half.

Aside from bringing in a new coach, the Grizzlies had the chance to find a franchise-altering player. They had the second pick in the 2019 draft, which they used to select Ja Morant.

Jenkins utilized Morant effectively in their first year as a coach-player duo, leading to the guard being named Rookie of the Year. Morant continued to improve, and in 2021-22, he was an All-Star who averaged 27.4 points and 6.7 assists. In year four, Morant was an All-Star again, averaging 26.2 ppg and 8.1 apg.

During these two years, the Grizzlies had a 56-26 and a 51-31 record, respectively. This string of 50-win seasons was cut short in 2023-24 after Morant played only nine games.

Now, Ja Morant is playing under a new coach for the first time in his career. So far, he's only played two games without Jenkins, and it's too early to tell if he and the team will be better off.