MEMPHIS – With preseason preparations behind them, the Grizzlies now press forward toward Wednesday’s regular-season and home opener against the Pelicans.
Tuomas Iisalo enters his first full season as coach looking to build on the energy and confidence the Grizzlies showed to finish the exhibition slate with Friday’s 141-125 win at Miami.
A combination of injuries and absences of key rotation players at various stages prevented the Grizzlies from gaining much traction over the past three weeks. The challenge now is to fast-track an identity and develop chemistry quickly in the early stages of the season.
But the Grizzlies will open the season with limited depth at point guard. Iisalo confirmed Monday that Ja Morant is expected to be available Wednesday after sitting out all five preseason games with a sprained ankle. Memphis will be without summer free-agent signee Ty Jerome, who the team announced Monday will be reevaluated in a month after he suffered a strained calf in Friday’s preseason finale in Miami.
Additionally, the Grizzlies announced over the weekend that backup point guard Scotty Pippen Jr. could miss three months to recover from toe surgery.
“In our first meeting, we said we don’t want to be a team that makes any excuses,” Iisalo said as the Grizzlies returned to practice Monday at FedExForum. “It is our job to find a way.”
The Grizzlies take the next step in that process with their 2025-26 roster now set to enter the season. Here’s my latest evaluation on each player’s status entering Wednesday’s opener, from frontline projected starters to end-of-the-bench prospects.
STARTERS
PG: Ja Morant – Aside from Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Denver’s Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, no player in the NBA is more essential to his team’s plight this season than Morant. After sitting out all preseason as a precaution due to an ankle sprain, it is critical that Morant gets off to an All-NBA level start and delivers his most durable season yet.
SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope – Two things we’ve learned about the two-time NBA champ this preseason: First, don’t call him KCP (he prefers Kenny). Secondly, his three-level scoring, perimeter defense and underrated playmaking teased of a potential bounce-back season for the 12-year veteran after a sluggish stopover season in Orlando.
SF: Jaylen Wells – Capped a remarkably consistent preseason with a team-high 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting in the win at Miami. The second-year swingman was the lone player to start all five exhibitions for the Grizzlies, and he nearly nailed the 50-40-90 Holy Trinity of efficiency by shooting 51.1-percent from the field, 41.9-percent on 3-pointers and 81-percent at the foul line.
PF: Jaren Jackson Jr. – Triple-J’s return to the lineup two weeks ahead of schedule from summer toe surgery to play the final two exhibitions was the biggest bright spot during a largely bleak preseason. Jackson and the Grizzlies need more time to establish continuity and chemistry, but expect the 2023 NBA Defensive Player of the Year to gradually reestablish a dominant impact.
C: Zach Edey – After an NBA All-Rookie First Team season, Edey’s status as the Grizzlies’ starting center seems solidified. But the 7-foot-4 big man will open his second season playing catchup as he approaches the final stages of rehab from offseason ankle surgery. Edey is expected to be reevaluated in about a month, but is making gradual progress in behind-the-scenes workouts.
C: Jock Landale – Yes, there are only five starters. But Landale has admirably stepped up with Edey out. The journeyman center seems to have found a home in coach Tuomas Iisalo’s system. More consistent defense and rebounding are needed, but Landale had a serviceable preseason in the screen-and-roll game. He also stretched his shooting to knock down 58.3 percent on 3s.
PRIMARY BENCH
G: Ty Jerome – The last thing anyone wants to see is a dreaded injury in the last game of the preseason. After showing promising flashes in a seamless transition to Memphis, Jerome enters the season playing the waiting game as he recovers from a calf injury suffered in Friday’s first quarter at Miami. The Grizzlies will open the season without their top free-agency acquisition.
G: Scotty Pippen Jr. – The same injury/recovery bug that decimated the Grizzlies’ frontcourt entering training camp has now unfortunately struck the backcourt heading into the season. After toe soreness sidelined Pippen midway through the preseason, the Grizzlies confirmed over the weekend the productive combo guard requires surgery. He’s likely sidelined until midseason.
G-F: Cedric Coward – The rookie lottery pick is an intriguing work in progress after an erratic preseason. We saw a mix of remarkable instincts and a high defensive motor with consistent shooting woes. A primary bench rotation spot is likely but proceed with patience as Coward adjusts on the fly to the NBA after shoulder surgery limited him to six games in college last year.
F: Santi Aldama – Considering Jackson, Edey and Brandon Clarke were sidelined in camp and for all or most of the preseason, Aldama had an opportunity to emerge as a breakout contributor after signing a lucrative contract extension. We didn’t see that over five exhibition games when he averaged 8.8 points and 6.8 rebounds. Far more is needed. Aldama would be first to admit it.
F-C: Brandon Clarke – Knee soreness coming out of offseason workouts led to Clarke needing an arthroscopic procedure on the eve of last month’s training camp. It was the latest in a line of lower leg injuries that have peppered the veteran forward the past two years. Clarke is scheduled to be reevaluated in November. When he’s healthy, he’s a lock for the bench rotation.
EXTENDED ROTATION
PG: Javon Small – No player made larger strides since the start of camp than the rookie second-round pick. Small took full advantage of the Morant, Jerome and Pippen absences to deliver his best work last week. As a fill-in starter, he averaged 17 points, 6.5 assists and just 2.0 turnovers in the final exhibitions. Promote him to key rotation minutes until Jerome and Pippen recover.
G: Vince Williams Jr. – What should have been a step-forward camp and preseason turned into another puzzling stretch with Williams in and out of the mix as Iisalo desperately sought lineup continuity among role players. The recent backcourt injuries could give Williams one last shot to rekindle his breakout play from two seasons ago. But that was before Coward and Small arrived.
G: Cam Spencer – There’s no doubt Spencer can shoot the ball, as evidenced by his 47-percent clip from 3-point range over five preseason games. He’s worked to improve as a ball-handler and to be a more competitive perimeter defender. A main rotation spot will be tough to obtain, but he’s earned the offseason decision to convert his 2-way contract to a standard NBA deal.
F: John Konchar – It’s easy to forget Konchar is entering his seventh season as one of the Grizzlies’ longest-tenured players alongside Jackson Jr., Morant and Clarke. As always, just when you overlook Konchar, he pops into the lineup with steady, heady, versatile play that makes him a trustworthy option in times of need. Konchar doesn’t complain. He just delivers when called.
F: GG Jackson II – That door seemed to be closing on GG’s prospects to snag a rotation spot. Then, the third-year forward stuck his 20-year-old foot into the crack to potentially keep it ajar late in the preseason finale. GG torched the nets with 13 points, all in the fourth quarter, to help the closing unit secure the lone exhibition win. Was it enough to keep rotation hopes alive?
F-C: Olivier-Maxence Prosper – The former Mavs first-round pick, now on a two-way deal with Memphis, said it best. “My energy and my effort, that’s my skillset.” O-Max’s relentless motor and athleticism around the basket were evident as the preseason progressed. Memphis doesn’t have an abundance of that available, so he’ll remain a viable option in Iisalo’s back pocket.
C: PJ Hall – The development will continue for Hall if he takes advantage of his time in the G-League with the Memphis Hustle while on his current 2-way contract with the Grizzlies. What the rugged big man lacks in height and length at just over 6-foot-8, he makes up for with interior strength and toughness. He completes a productive 2-way crop alongside Small and Prosper.