MEMPHIS – Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo has routinely used metaphors and analogies from other sports to drive home his basketball-related messages throughout the preseason.
When asked after a 3-1 preseason finish if the preparation grew any easier entering his second year at the helm, it was essentially like tossing a moderate fastball right over the plate.
“This is never easy,” Iisalo unleashed with a sheepish smile. “It’s like when you’re lifting weights. You reach a certain point with your strength, and there’s only more to do. So, you have to then increase the weight that you lift.”
Consider Iisalo and the Grizzlies buoyed by the burden.
With a relentless training camp and encouraging preseason behind them, the Grizzlies shift focus to Wednesday’s regular-season opener against the Utah Jazz at FedExForum.
Although games now officially count in the standings, this team is still very much in the building stage. The Grizzlies embark on a challenging early schedule with as many as 10 players on the roster who weren’t with the team this time a year ago.
There was still some accounting and housekeeping to do Monday as the team arrived for opening week practices. The Grizzlies were facing at least two roster decisions as the league’s 4p.m. (central) Monday cutdown deadline loomed.
NBA teams are limited to 15 players on standard contracts, along with three additional prospects signed to two-way developmental deals shared with franchise G League affiliates. The Grizzlies are likely deciding between three players for a final roster spot, with guard Walter Clayton Jr. and forwards Kris Murray and Micah Peavy in that mix.
Clayton seemed to have the inside track entering training camp after arriving in the package Memphis landed in February’s trade that sent two-time NBA All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah. A first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft from NCAA champion Florida, Clayton averaged 9.7 points and 5.7 assists in 25 games with the Grizzlies late last season.
Clayton then struggled to build momentum after a knee injury sidelined him during a key development opportunity with the Grizzlies’ summer league teams. He’s had uneven moments this preseason, playing 47 minutes over four games and shooting 33.3-percent from the field.
The Grizzlies already have solid depth at point guard. Ty Jerome delivered a remarkable preseason to establish himself as the starter in a rotation that includes Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cam Spencer on standard contracts, and second-year guard Javon Small on a two-way deal.
Meanwhile at small forward, Murray has seen his opportunities increase over the final two preseason games as he landed primary rotation minutes. The 6-foot-8 swingman and 2023 first-round pick was acquired by Memphis along with veteran Jerami Grant from Portland in the summer trade that sent two-time NBA All-Star Ja Morant to the Blazers.
The Grizzlies have been intrigued by Murray’s length and potential as a wing defender. He was the first reserve off the bench and played 16 minutes in the Oct. 9 preseason win at Chicago.
Murray was then inserted into the starting lineup for Friday’s preseason finale against Charlotte alongside Jerome, Cedric Coward, Cam Boozer and Zach Edey. After that game, Iisalo commended Murray’s defensive effort against Hornets’ star guard Brandon Miller.
Still, the Grizzlies also have adequate depth at the “big wing” spot, where Wells, Grant, GG Jackson and rookie first-round pick Karim Lopez are pushing for opportunities at the position.
Among those likely battling for the final roster spot, Peavy has been most limited. An ankle injury suffered during late offseason workouts has sidelined the 6-foot-7 swingman throughout training camp and the preseason since he arrived in a late-summer trade with the Pelicans.
Overall, Iisalo has been pleased with the team’s conditioning, internal competitiveness and progress over the past three weeks. The process started with a weeklong, physically demanding training camp in Nashville. Next came a relentless stretch of three exhibition games over five nights in three different cities to get acclimated to the grind of the regular season.
And that was followed by what’s been described as a three-day “mini-camp” to fine tune before last Friday’s final test run against the Hornets. Dating back to July, the Grizzlies have built on their run to the NBA Summer League championship game with a promising preseason.
The building only continues as the start of a new season arrives.
“It’s something we’ve said over the years: it’s better to have tired legs and good habits than bad habits and fresh legs,” Iisalo theorized. “The amount of work that the guys have been putting in, I know everybody is very tired. But we’ve seen the level of execution pick up, the communication and physicality. There’s always more work to do. But we’re in a good place.”
Now come the final roster decisions as the heavy lifting intensifies.