The NBA preseason is where potential is auditioned and theories are tested under the bright lights. For Ja Morant's new-look, injury-riddled Memphis Grizzlies, the first two acts of this preview have been less about the final score amid on 0-2 start. No, these five exhibition games are more about Jaylen Wells, Santi Aldama, and Cam Spencer showing Tuomas Iisalo what to expect when the regular season starts.
While franchise cornerstones Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. remain the foundation, this trio could reshape Iisalo's rotations. Wells and Aldama are bound to get significant minutes barring injury, but both are young enough to push the 36 minutes per night limit. A skeleton crew will be working the start of the season after all. Spencer is competing with Scotty Pippen Jr. to be Ja Morant's understudy, and making it hard on the coaching staff to make a definitive call just yet.
Jaylen Wells is wonderful
The Sonoma State alum is making the transition from Division II to the NBA look easier than it should. Wells has connected on 47.4% of his field goal attempts and a scorching 46.2% from three-point range through two games, but the numbers only tell part of the story. Iisalo has deployed Jaylen Wells in something of a Jimmy Butler-lite role, and the 6-foot-8 forward has embraced the responsibility. His six assists could have easily been double that; ClutchPoints counted at least a dozen potential dimes that teammates couldn't convert.
More impressively, Wells has committed just two fouls across 45.5 minutes, showing a maturity that belies his rookie status and small-school background. The six turnovers remain a blemish, though the preseason exists precisely for learning these lessons. What's particularly encouraging for Memphis is the 22-year-old's comfort operating in the midrange and creating his own shot off the dribble, offensive dimensions that give the starting unit much-needed versatility.
All signs point to Iisalo continuing this experiment when Memphis faces its next opponent.
Santi Aldama hoarding boards
The seven-foot Spanish forward has finally discovered his calling on the glass. After years of being criticized for not crashing the boards consistently, Aldama has corralled 13 total rebounds through two games, including four on the offensive end.
Aldama's rebounding surge suggests Iisalo's tactical teachings are resonating quickly. The 24-year-old is also shooting 42.9% from beyond the arc, making him a perfect complementary piece alongside Wells in the frontcourt. For a player who became the face of Spanish basketball, this version of Aldama represents the two-way impact Memphis envisioned when they drafted him.
Cam Spencer plays it cool
Some players announce their presence with volume; Cam Spencer does so with lethal efficiency. It comes as no surprise that the title-winner out of UConn is playing with the confidence of a starter. Spencer has averaged 9.5 points and 2.5 assists in just 15.5 minutes per game, production that appears sustainable once the games count.
What stands out isn't just the efficiency, it's the comfort level handling the basketball and a shoot-first mentality that makes him truly dangerous. Western Conference rivals should take note that while Spencer may lack the vocal presence of some, like divisional foe Jose Alvarado (New Orleans Pelicans), his on-court impact could prove even more problematic.
Spencer embodies a pure winning attitude, the kind of player ready to erupt for a critical scoring burst at any moment. Those qualities don't always show up in box scores, but championship teams know their value.
With three preseason games remaining, the Grizzlies have time to refine rotations and iron out details. But Wells, Aldama, and Spencer have already given Iisalo intriguing options as he shapes his first Memphis roster.
