Jenkins saw the preseason as a productive time for the Grizzlies. The Memphis Grizzlies have big goals ahead of the 2024/25 season as they want to return to the upper echelon of the Western Conference. Since the West is at an all-time competitive level for the upcoming campaign, the margins are small for a team like Memphis.
That is why head coach Taylor Jenkins expects so much from the team in terms of ambition and desire to compete. He saw their preseason slate as a positive development, considering he was dissatisfied with what he saw during Training Camp.
"Definitely far from what we were in Day 1 in Training Camp. I thought our guys embracing the style of play, the principles we have been emphasizing, the guys are embracing it. It's not perfect every single night, we know it's not an overnight switch," Jenkins said after the final preseason game against the Miami Heat. "Guys are enjoying it, whether it's in practice or film. My biggest thing is the commitment and the sustainability that we have to anticipate."
Jenkins wants the team to play a new style this season
While the principles of the team remain the same, which is playing with pace and intention, the Grizzlies have to embrace a more assertive style this season. Jenkins wants the team to play faster, which will be required from everyone.
Ja Morant won't be the only player who must run because everyone else has to adjust to the fast pace. Even players like Santi Aldama, who is more known as someone who wants to play at a slower pace must adjust. That is what Coach Jenkins sees as the style that could compete with the other elite teams.
"I think now we are going to be more engaged. Everybody is going to revolve around everything," Santi said about the team's pace. "The more actions you generate in a single offense, the more likely you're going to find an advantage at a certain point."
The Grizzlies have a tough season ahead
The 2024/25 season will be a testing campaign for the Grizzlies because they have to compete in the ever-competitive Western Conference. They have improved in the upcoming campaign because teams like the OKC Thunder and Dallas Mavericks have continued progressing.
Memphis will be a team that goes under the radar, but it will be up to the players to follow Coach Jenkins' system, which is catered to beating everyone at the elite level in the West's Playoff picture.
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