Inside the Grizzlies' Turmoil: How Failed Experiments and Coaching Chaos Derailed a Championship Dream

The Failed Pursuit of Draymond Green

The Memphis Grizzlies' current turmoil can be traced back to a franchise-altering summer in 2023 when they nearly pulled off a blockbuster acquisition of four-time NBA champion Draymond Green. According to ESPN sources, Green was strongly considering leaving the Golden State Warriors via sign-and-trade after Memphis' heated playoff series against Golden State.

Key Missed Opportunity:

• Green had personally called Warriors leadership to warn them of his potential departure
• Grizzlies offered a more lucrative deal than what Green ultimately accepted to stay with Golden State
• Memphis front office saw Green as the veteran presence needed to guide their young core

The Brooks Void and Failed Replacements

After missing on Green, Memphis made several attempts to fill the defensive and leadership void left by Dillon Brooks' departure:

• Signed veteran Derrick Rose
• Acquired Marcus Smart in a trade (later dumped to Washington)
• Pursued trades for Mikal Bridges and Dorian Finney-Smith

Team executives privately admitted none of these moves properly addressed their need for an elite wing defender and veteran leader.

The Radical Offensive Experiment

In an unprecedented move, the Grizzlies completely overhauled their offensive philosophy for 2024-25:

• Hired Finnish coach Tuomas Iisalo (EuroCup champion) for transition offense
• Brought in Noah LaRoche from San Antonio to implement a pick-and-roll-free system
• Five longtime assistants were fired to make room for new voices

The system showed early promise:

• Led NBA in scoring and pace through first 51 games
• Jaren Jackson Jr. flourished with 22.4 PPG on 59.7% true shooting

The Morant Conundrum

Ja Morant struggled mightily in the new system:

• Career lows in touches, dribbles per touch, and scoring average (22.4 PPG)
• Just 0.99 PPP on pick-and-rolls (39th among 56 qualifiers since 2019-20)
• 44.7% eFG on jumpers off screens (2nd-worst among 111 qualifiers)

"Not at all," Morant responded when asked how often he felt like his old self this season.

The Collapse and Jenkins' Firing

The wheels came off dramatically after the All-Star break:

• Lost 11 straight against winning teams
• Defense plummeted to 20th in NBA
• Morant's frustration became palpable
• Public bickering among players surfaced

The decision to fire Jenkins with nine games remaining shocked the NBA world, but sources indicate:

• Players had tuned out the coaching staff
• Morant's development was stagnating
• Front office feared wasting another year of their championship window

What Comes Next

With interim coach Iisalo at the helm, Memphis faces critical questions:

1. Can they rediscover an offensive identity that maximizes Morant?
2. Will offseason moves for Jackson and Aldama be enough?
3. Is this core truly championship-caliber?

As one rival GM bluntly assessed: "[Morant] can't win multiple series as the best player...plus he's always hurt." The Grizzlies' bold gamble on radical change has backfired spectacularly, leaving the franchise at a crossroads with their superstar's prime years slipping away.