First, don’t call it a ‘Rebuild’
NASHVILLE – Defined culture. Determined identity. Decisive lane.
As the Grizzlies opened training camp Tuesday at Belmont University, their path forward was as clear as their Media Day talking points.
What’s ultimately in store for a franchise retooling around a core of first, second and third-year players won’t be revealed for months as the season eventually unfolds. So, the Grizzlies aren’t focused right now on the long view. The destination will sort itself out.
For now, the priority is following the right set of directions to navigate the journey.
Fourth-year forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper is one of many players on the roster who personify that mindset entering camp. This time a year ago, O-Max arrived on a two-way developmental deal, performed and persevered through an injury-riddled season for the Grizzlies, and was ultimately promoted to a standard NBA contract.
This time around, O-Max will rely on that same energy, team-first mentality and relentless effort in one of the many battles to play out for starting jobs, key rotation roles and final roster spots.
“Success for us means we’re building and growing every single day,” Prosper explained of the tone the Grizzlies are setting this week. “Instead of looking at it from an end-goal mindset, look at it from a day-to-day perspective, building steppingstones every single day. It’s a long season, and they’re going to be wins and losses. But how can we look back and say, ‘Oh, we got a whole lot better?’ If we have that mindset, from the start of the season to midway through the season and into late in the season, it’s going to be a different team because of the growth we’ve made.”
By redefining their culture, determining a clear identity and taking a decisive path forward, the Grizzlies intend to establish a foundation for progress this season.
It started with president of basketball operations Zach Kleiman “picking a lane” that redirected toward a younger build after a series of trades in which the Grizzlies moved on from Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant in a 12-month stretch.
Those deals returned a bevy of draft capital, financial flexibility and quality rotation players, including last year’s offseason addition of guard Ty Jerome and this summer’s acquisitions of Jerami Grant, Isaiah Stewart and Quinten Post.
Jerome, Grant, Stewart and Post all arrive with playoff experience from conference contenders as well as time spent helping guide teams through challenging rebuilds. They are intended to complement a younger core of Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells and rookie third overall draft pick Cameron Boozer while also keeping Memphis competitive in a loaded West.
After spending significant time in self-reflection throughout the process, Kleiman is eager to see how all the intriguing pieces fit entering the season.
“I’m my own biggest critic,” Kleiman admitted. “It’s important to look back and assess. Along the way, I’ve been first to raise my hand (and ask), ‘Was this the right way to attack this? Was this the right way to attack that?’ But coming out of that (change), let’s keep a Ty Jerome, let’s add an Isaiah Stewart, let’s see what a Jerami Grant can add to this group. What are the influences that are not going to just set the right tone for these (young) guys but can also contribute to winning? Let’s continue to have that kind of focus.”
Entering his second full season as coach, Tuomas Iisalo is tasked with molding and meshing the pieces with four days of camp practices in Nashville leading into four preseason games. The Grizzlies open the season Oct. 21 at FedExForum against the Jazz.
Expect the Grizzlies to remain an ongoing work in progress well into the season. And that’s by design for a team that held its first practice Tuesday with a league-maximum of 21 players on the training camp roster. NBA rules limit teams to 15 players on standard contracts, plus up to three additional roster spots for prospects on two-way developmental deals.
Which essentially means camp competition will be fierce amid battles for jobs.
“In order to have a good training camp, we also need to have guys competing in practice and that will reveal what the current depth chart is,” Iisalo assured. “But it’s not written in stone. We have decisions to make because we have a lot of candidates who are in very similar situations. We’ve got to take a look at who takes those steps forward. It’ll also be about seeing who completes these five-man units instead of just their individual talent level.”
After enduring consecutive seasons hampered by significant injuries, the Grizzlies opened camp with a relatively clean bill of health this week.
Edey, coming off ankle and elbow surgery after playing just 11 games last season, is cleared for full-speed basketball activities in camp as the 7-foot-4 third-year center ramps up. Kleiman said Edey is on track to be ready for the regular season, and that the team “will be smart” with his workload through the coming weeks.
“It’s been a great summer for me,” Edey said. “I stayed in Memphis – really locked in on my body. I’ve never spent this much time making sure my whole body is right, making sure I feel more athletic than I ever really have. It’s still good and bad days with it; that’s been kind of part of the rehab. But I’m ready to make the most of this opportunity we have in front of us.”
Although 12 of the 21 players on the preseason roster weren’t on the team at the start of last year’s training camp, the Grizzlies carried some continuity and momentum into Day 1 on Tuesday.
Majority of the players either participated on the Grizzlies’ summer league teams in July or showed up this offseason for individual workouts, bonding opportunities and community events.
That’s part of defining a culture.
“We’ve got a lot of guys who are really motivated,” Boozer said of the initial steps the Grizzlies are taking on and off the court. “Everybody is here to work. Everybody is willing to do what’s best for the team. We’ve got something really special brewing. We feel like we are capable of surprising a lot of people.”
Teammate Cam Spencer agreed.
Just don’t refer to this transitional phase the Grizzlies are in as a rebuild.
“That’s kind of an external, outside noise kind of word,” Spencer insisted. “With the guys we have and the locker room we have, we’re thinking ‘win now.’ Obviously, we have to continue to develop, but we’re going to go out and try to win as many regular season games as we can to make a playoff push. So, ‘rebuild’ kind of has a negative tone almost. I don’t think anybody in that locker room or in the organization thinks we’re in that mode.”
Nope.
With a redefined culture and identity, these Grizzlies clearly picked a different lane entering camp.
