NASHVILLE – New faces are sprinkled throughout the locker room.
A new playing style now gets fully installed entering Tuomas Iisalo’s first full season as coach.
But as long as franchise cornerstones Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. still anchor the roster, lofty expectations remain intact for the Grizzlies heading into training camp.
“As we dive in, we’re going to have some really high standards, day to day, of what we believe this team is capable of achieving,” Grizzlies president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman said at Monday’s team Media Day. “We’re certainly going to try to push and get the most we can, operate with a high level of discipline and aim for a high level of consistency. I think this group is capable of maybe surprising people, relative to where it’s perceived at the moment.”
The Grizzlies collectively set a measured but optimistic tone at FedExForum as they gathered for the first time publicly in preparation for the 2025-26 season. The team departed Memphis on Monday afternoon for a short flight to Nashville, where they will hold three days of training camp practices at Belmont University.
Although the Grizzlies will be missing some frontline players, Iisalo expects to build continuity with a new staff and a group of incoming veterans projected to be key rotation contributors.
The team confirmed Monday that Jackson Jr. and Zach Edey are on pace in their respective recoveries from offseason surgical procedures. Jackson Jr. is expected to miss four-to-six weeks as he finalizes rehab from July toe surgery. Edey is projected to be out six-to-nine weeks as he works his way back from June ankle surgery.
Veteran forward-center Brandon Clarke underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee Monday and will be reevaluated in six weeks. Kleiman suggested it would be optimistic to expect Jackson, a two-time NBA All-Star and recent league Defensive Player of the Year, to be available for the Oct. 22 season and home opener against the Pelicans.
With their top three post players sidelined, the Grizzlies are tasked with finding creative lineups to fill the void up front over the course of five preseason games that start Oct. 6 against Detroit.
“It’s going to be a huge challenge for us,” Iisalo acknowledged. “We’re talking about missing our defensive anchors. We have a few injuries at the big positions. We’re building a strong base where we can integrate these players when they come back. That wasn’t an easy task. We spent a lot of the (offseason) thinking about this, because it’s a very, very specific challenge.”
Iisalo will have the benefit of an All-NBA level point guard to help guide the team through the adjustments. Morant referenced several conversations he’s had with Iisalo throughout the summer that were designed to ensure they were aligned entering the season.
Morant responded with his most productive stretch of play late last season after Iisalo stepped in as interim coach when Taylor Jenkins was dismissed in March. Iisalo tweaked the offensive system to cater more to Morant’s strengths in pick-and-roll sets.
The plan is to establish chemistry with a group of developing young talent and veteran newcomers eager to get started in camp.
“It’s no different for me – same mentality, same goal,” Morant said entering his seventh NBA season. “That’s make sure we go out and stack some great days; make sure we get better every day. It’s continuing to be a leader and instilling confidence in everybody out there on the floor.”
Among that group in training camp are a former NBA champion in guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, NBA Sixth Man of the Year finalist Ty Jerome and journeyman big man Jock Landale. Caldwell-Pope arrived in the trade that sent Desmond Bane to Orlando, Jerome was the Grizzlies’ top target in summer free agency and Landale was brought in to add depth up front.
All three players contributed elsewhere to winning teams, and Morant doesn’t expect them to take long to get acclimated in Memphis.
“I don’t feel like it’ll be hard, because those guys have been around for a while,” Morant insisted. “It’s just learning the different terms we have and the plays. At the end of the day, for those guys, it’s basketball. That hasn’t been hard for them at all.”
The building and bonding process has already started, with several players showing up in Memphis weeks early for voluntary workouts and training sessions.
The workload intensifies this week as the Grizzlies put together the pieces.
“The main thing for us is just getting a chance to play together,” forward Santi Aldama said. “Then, we’ll figure everything else out. There are a lot of new people, a new system. But we are very excited, and the team is very united. Training camp is going to be good for us to tune in and really get ready for what’s coming.”
Perhaps what’s coming is a team that just might be capable of surprising some people.