Grizzlies head coach will look to prove the doubters wrong this season

There are no other words that need to be said on how desperate the Grizzlies will be in pursuing the forthcoming season. It all now boils down on how they can execute this strong desire towards perfection in order to bounce back from their lowly, injury-riddled run from last year. They might've been frequently overlooked in the discussion amongst legitimate title contenders, but the consensus predicts that they will land a comeback season, which only adds major expectation for them to carve a strong rally.

Of all the key personnel within Memphis who will carry the heaviest load of responsibility, Taylor Jenkins stands as the indisputable choice.

Coach Jenkins expected to do big

Jenkins has been in Memphis' coaching helm for the past five seasons. Of all those years, the 2023-24 campaign served as the toughest for both him and the organization. Now, the responsibility is on his hands to redeem the Grizzlies and lead them back to the top.

A panel of NBA insiders from ESPN collaborated and picked who are the league coaches and executives with the most to prove this upcoming season. As such, they identified the 39-year-old mentor as one of the significant candidates on their list. Besides spearheading Memphis back to contention, Jenkins has to show he can excel with a remodelled coaching staff around him.

“The expectation is that the injury-ravaged Grizzlies' 27-55 record from last season will be a major outlier. The hope is that a healthy Ja Morant can lead the Grizzlies back into contention in the Western Conference. Memphis filled a glaring hole at center by drafting Zach Edey with the No. 9 overall pick in June, but Jenkins' coaching staff underwent a major overhaul ,” Tim MacMahon wrote .

“There are six newcomers on the eight-assistant staff, headlined by former Paris Basketball head coach Tuomas Lisalo, who is considered one of Europe's most innovative offensive minds and promising young coaches.”

Ready to lead amidst pressure

Jenkins has been one of the key figures who are responsible for the Grizzlies’ success in this era. He guided the team in back-to-back 50-win seasons and has been locked with the team on a long-term viewpoint after inking a contract extension in 2022. He forged a robust relationship with each of everyone within the organization and is a great cultural setter for the team.

With the amount of talent they have, the Grizzlies cannot afford a second consecutive poor season. All eyes might be looking at Jenkins on how he'll pull off the daunting challenge of guiding the Grizzlies on route to being one of the NBA's elites again. Yet, at the end of the day, he can only be confident that Ja Morant and Co. will be there to help him achieve their shared ambitions.

Related: Grizzlies' success in 2024-25: Who will lead the charge?