MEMPHIS – Less than a week after his promotion from interim to head coach of the Grizzlies, Tuomas Iisalo’s transition into the new role is already taking shape.
The next steps for the first Finnish-born coach in NBA history include building out a staff of assistants, evaluating prospects for next month’s draft and planning for summer free agency.
The precise attention to detail, pragmatic communication style and strategic approach to game preparation that set Iisalo apart last summer among the hottest coaching talents on the European circuit must now emerge in Memphis at the most critical point in franchise history.
Iisalo’s slate from a daunting, month-long stint in the interim role is now wiped clean.
Memphis went 5-6 in the 11 games Iisalo coached before being swept in a first-round playoff series loss to top-seeded Oklahoma City. But the Grizzlies also revealed some encouraging signs under Iisalo’s initial direction and look to build on some positive developments along the way.
Among the key players most eager to see how things move forward with Iisalo in the full-time role is franchise catalyst Ja Morant, who had his most productive month of the season in April. During his season-ending exit interview, the normally succinct Morant spoke at length about how he’s aligned with Iisalo on their respective approach to the game.
“Going into film sessions, seeing and hearing that he sees the same things I’m seeing out there on the floor, I wouldn’t say it’s been surprising, but it’s been very exciting,” Morant shared of the connection. “We continue to just pick each other’s brain, trying to find the best solutions for us to be good at what we want to do. He’s a big-time competitor. How I take on my matchups – who we’re playing – he does the same with the opposing coach.”
Morant then shifted from the meticulous to the motivational aspect of their fledgling bond.
“That’s all good signs in a coach, somebody who wants to go to war with you,” Morant continued. “He held everybody accountable, but he also instills confidence in you.”
With that deep of an endorsement from the franchise’s marquee player, even coming off a tumultuous season, the Grizzlies’ top brass was even more inclined to stick with Iisalo.
Solidifying the coaching hire was the first order of offseason business for president of basketball operations and general manager Zach Kleiman, who tasked Iisalo with taking the interim role after Taylor Jenkins was dismissed on March 28.
By then, the Grizzlies were already well into a slide that saw them stumbled from second place in the Western Conference standings in late February to the eighth and final playoff spot. The main factor in their struggles was an increasingly porous defense, which plummeted from top five in the NBA in rating to bottom third in the league in efficiency.
While some players such as Morant and rookie center Zach Edey thrived as Iisalo tweaked the offense to a more pick-and-roll based attack, others struggled to find consistency. Among that group was two-time NBA All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr., whose All-NBA level production tapered off.
But Jackson believes Iisalo will now benefit from a reset and more time to fully implement his own system on both ends of the court.
“He was just figuring everything out on the fly, which is something he’s really good at,” Jackson said. “The result was what it was for stretches of games we were losing. But the flashes that we had that were positive are what I’m leaning on to have more of if we give Tuomas more time.”
Iisalo’s priorities are to establish a grit-and-grind-worthy culture, to take a collective approach to maximizing player talent and to embrace competition at every level of the organization.
While Morant and Jackson prepare for what’s next following the first coaching change of their NBA careers, newer Grizzlies are gearing up to get right to work as Iisalo settles into the job.
Last fall, Iisalo and guard Scotty Pippen Jr. were both preparing for their first full season of NBA work when the Grizzlies arrived at training camp.
Iisalo had just landed as the Grizzlies top assistant coach after he departed Paris, where he guided his team to a EuroCup championship and was named the league’s Coach of the Year.
Meanwhile, Pippen Jr. had just signed his first multiyear standard NBA contract as the Grizzlies were wrapping up training camp. By the time this season ended, no two members of the Grizzlies had developed and advanced as rapidly through adversity as Iisalo and Pippen Jr.
It’s one reason why Pippen Jr. can’t wait to run it back with Iisalo, given a fresh start.
“He’s a coach that installed confidence in me, trust in me,” said Pippen Jr., who ended his season as a backcourt starter alongside Morant in the playoffs. “Once he got the job, I kind of took off. He allowed me to go out there and play free and be myself. I wasn’t worried about the minutes, or if I’m doing this right or this wrong. I feel like he got the best out of me.”
With a full offseason to get acclimated, count some key Grizzlies contributors among those expecting to now get the best out of Iisalo, too.