It’s no secret that the Philadelphia 76ers are nine games away from concluding one of their most disappointing seasons since the turn of the millennia. When a team is met with such a fate, it often looks for someone to take the blame whether it’s an executive, head coach, or a player. With the Memphis Grizzlies firing Taylor Jenkins today, some 76ers fans are calling for Nick Nurse to take the fall in favor of Jenkins, but that is simply not the answer.
Why the 76ers should stay away from Taylor Jenkins
Jenkins served as the Grizzlies’ head coach for six years (2019-2025) and they possessed a win/loss percentage of .539 with him at the helm. Memphis notched three postseason berths with Jenkins and it could have been more if its core didn’t sustain a series of injuries last season. The Grizzlies are currently 44-29 and hold the fifth seed in the Western Conference with the playoffs set to begin in less than a month.
While the timing of Jenkins’ departure is understandably controversial, Memphis’ desire for change is far from unwarranted. One of Jenkins’ biggest faults was his deep rotations and poor game management, which caused winnable games to slip away from the Grizzlies. If Memphis found itself in a close contest midway into the fourth quarter, Jenkins would notoriously wait until the five to four-minute mark to sub in his closing lineup.
Jenkins also struggled to formulate an offensive identity that maximized Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. Memphis’ offense has primarily revolved around Jackson in the post-area as he’s taken great strides as an all-around offensive force. Meanwhile, Morant stuck out like a sore thumb in the Grizzlies’ offense as there were few actions drawn up for him aside from isolations. Granted, Morant only played 43 games so far this season, but Jenkins’ lack of innovation did him little favors.
Nick Nurse deserves another chance
Considering Jenkins’ two biggest faults, I’m not sure how anyone could envision him coaching the 76ers, especially since they’d have to fire Nurse. If fans were frustrated with Nurse’s rotations and game management, then they would get tired of Jenkins’ coaching talents much sooner than later. In the 15 games played together, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George lacked cohesion and Jenkins isn’t the offensive guru to improve it.
While Nurse hasn’t been perfect in his brief 76ers tenure – namely with his rotations and offensive creativity, he’s been dealt some terrible cards. Last season, Embiid played in just 39 games and Philadelphia had to scrap its way into the postseason. This season, the injury bug struck Embiid, Maxey, George, and Jared McCain and the 76ers have been actively tanking for the past three weeks. Nurse needs another season to operate with a fully healthy roster before fans call for his job.