The first four seasons under Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins revealed something he couldn’t overlook.

As good as the team has been on defense, it was time to do on offense what Jenkins described as “reinvent the wheel.” So when an assistant coaching position became available in June, he hired former Milwaukee Bucks assistant Patrick St. Andrews.

St. Andrews wasn’t coming in to just echo Jenkins’ message. Instead, he’s being tasked with helping the Grizzlies solve some of their offensive troubles.

“We’ll lean on him a lot to bring new ideas to the table for us,” Jenkins said. “We’re working on new offensive running habits, some things with our spacing, the actions.”

One change the Grizzlies are adopting: to think of their offense in gears. The idea is to have a game plan for any type of defensive look at any point of the shot clock.

Huge drop: 'No Uturns': Ja Morant reacts to ESPN ranking him the 35th-best player in the NBA

Gear 3 is the transition offense, which is essentially what Memphis has been elite at. Gear 2 is the secondary offense that will be run against set defenses in the half-court. Lastly, first gear is for dead-ball situations and after timeout (ATO) plays.

“We want to stay in third gear as much as possible,” guard Desmond Bane said. “That’s our MO, but we’re trying to improve in the half-court.”

The Grizzlies are emphasizing playing five-out offense and spreading the floor. This will give the centers freedom to shoot more 3-pointers.

Steven Adams has taken and made 3-pointers in practices. He nailed a corner 3-pointer last weekend during an open practice in front of fans.

Xavier Tillman Sr. entered the NBA in 2020 as a shooting threat, but he noticeably pivoted away last season. After taking at least 49 attempts from 3-point range in his first two years, he attempted 15 last season. Tillman said that was in part because of how his role kept changing.

“Once I got to the starting role, I was doing what I was most comfortable at,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to experiment or do nothing like that.”

Getting to know 'Saint'

St. Andrews is a coach who Jenkins has had a relationship with since their days on the Atlanta Hawks staff. That continued to grow as they moved with former Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer to the Milwaukee Bucks in 2018.

Jenkins’ time there was short. He took the Grizzlies job in June 2019, but he kept an eye on St. Andrews from afar.

St. Andrews’ role with the Bucks grew as they became a consistent contender and won the NBA championship in 2021.

“It’s what he brings to the culture side, what he brings to the players,” Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo said. “Individually to the players, not just the offense. He gets you ready.”

Bucks second-year forward MarJon Beauchamp was one player who worked closely with St. Andrews, whose message to him was about finding his role on a star-studded roster.

Beauchamp made 11 starts as a rookie and figures to have an even bigger role this season.

“We just played freely, so that’s a big pickup for the Grizzlies,” he said. “Especially with the talent they have.”

One coaching strategy Jenkins learned from Budenholzer is to match his assistants with players. St. Andrews will work mostly with the wings who had spent much of their time with former assistant Darko Rajakovic, now head coach of the Toronto Raptors.

Ziaire Williams is a player who is grouped with St. Andrews. “Saint,” as the players and coaches call him, told Williams that he can be the team’s Swiss Army knife.

Money allocated Memphis gets its $350 million in state funding for FedExForum, Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium

“He loves my playmaking,” Williams said. “He loves when I get to my spot and pull up for the midrange. He loves my activity on defense.”

Players are still feeling out St. Andrews' tendencies, but Bane said it has been a seamless fit. Jaren Jackson Jr. joked that he didn’t know who St. Andrews was initially, but his offensive mind has stood out.

They don’t know him as well yet as Jenkins does, but expect St. Andrews’ impact to grow.

“As we get in the games, he’s a guy I’m going to lean on for game strategy, understanding what opponents' game plans are against us, how we got to attack them in our first gear, which is kind of our playcall sets, ATOs, end-of-game situations,” Jenkins said. “So leaning on him pretty heavily.”

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies assistant Patrick St. Andrews' job: Get offense in gear