The Grizzlies’ more democratized offensive approach this season had diminished Morant’s standing in the team’s offensive pecking order.

The Athletic's Sam Amick, Fred Katz and Joe Vardon previously reported after that Morant "remained supportive of the coach up to the end," but did not enjoy playing in an offensive system that "takes the ball out of his hands and removes the screens he likes to use as a ball handler to make plays."

There's no denying that the Grizzlies have been struggling of late -- they had lost four out of the last five games leading up to Jenkins' abrupt exit -- but the fact still remains that the decision to fire their coach so close to the postseason took more than a few NBA fans by surprise.