Memphis Grizzlies: Grading Taylor Jenkins’ 2020-21 regular season

The Memphis Grizzlies had one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory. At the start of the year, expectations were low, with some media outlets even predicting Memphis to finish last in the conference.

Fast forward to the end of the season and the Grizzlies have exceeded all expectations. Even though they aren’t guaranteed a spot in the NBA Playoffs, they have been given a chance. For Grizzlies fans, that’s all anybody would have asked for at the start of the season.

And with a Grizzlies team that is now at full strength (relatively speaking), the sky is the limit.

So if you take a step back and look at the Grizzlies’ 2020-21 regular season, they played an incredible year of basketball. They had no business being in the NBA Playoff conversation for the entire season but found themselves there anyway. In a way, it was a masterfully coached season by Jenkins.

The Grizzlies finished 38-34, which is a significant step forward from last season, even having played most of the year without their second-best player.

But even after such a successful season, some fans still have a sour taste in their mouths.

Memphis Grizzlies HC Taylor Jenkins had clear coaching missteps in 2021

Even though it was extremely exciting to watch this team play throughout the season, at times, it was infuriating. A last-second buzzer-beater loss to the Dallas Mavericks at the hands of Luka Doncic will not be forgotten for years to come.

Losses to teams like the Orlando Magic and beat-up squads like the Oklahoma City Thunder are a huge blemish on the team’s schedule.  And even with Taylor Jenkins being one of the best coaches in the league this year, he had some of the worst-coached games of anybody this season. Allow me to elaborate.

While the Grizzlies rod out the remainder of the season fighting for an 8-seed, they should have been seeking out a 6-seed. Here’s why.

The Grizzlies punched up all year long, but they rarely actually toppled superior teams. They would play teams like the Clippers, Lakers, and Bucks close, but would be unable to close out these games. Unfortunately, they also played down to below-average competition and had the same issues in closing time.

At the end of these games, the Grizzlies would ditch all offense and struggle to shoot free throws. Heck, they’d struggle to even reach the free throw line at times. These issues, among others, are part of the reason that it seems like Taylor Jenkins isn’t ready to play in important games quite yet.

That said, he has time to get to that point. In 2020-21, he did an overall great job, with some nagging worries that will likely be resolved next season.

Overall season grade: B+