Building on a promising rookie year is always tough; no one is going to be taken by surprise in Year 2 after all. Responsibilities and burdens change, meaning second-round players on a rookie deal really have to adapt. For Jaylen Wells, the drama-driven Memphis Grizzlies were not simply asking him to “do more” on the stats sheet. They were asking him to do more within the team. Tuomas Iisalo shed light on the deliberate steps taken to evolve Wells from a promising rookie into a versatile contributor who's thriving within the group's dynamic.
From the outset of the offseason, the Grizzlies targeted specific areas where Wells’ game could expand without losing the efficient, off-ball reliability that made him so valuable as a rookie. That meant a Summer League trial run as a primary handler, and not because Memphis plans to overhaul his role, but because sharpening those reps would allow Jaylen Wells to be more comfortable attacking decisively in the flow of the offense.
“(Wells) has had a good balance of expanding his game,” Iisalo said. “We used him during Summer League a lot as a ballhandler. We worked on that part of his game. It has developed, but he has also been able to settle into a role where he is playing more off the catch. He has been getting better and better, especially in these last few games, getting into the paint then making passes out of that.”
The investment is paying dividends. Fortunately, Wells has found a natural balance between his refined off-ball instincts and his growing ability to create advantages with the ball in his hands. This has allowed Memphis to move up the standings while playing without Ja Morant.
“We call them air time decisions,” Iisalo explained. “Pass, shoot, or drive, but you have to make that decision very fast. (Wells) has gotten better with that since his first years.”
While the offensive evolution has been noteworthy, his defensive growth may be even more impressive. The Grizzlies have entrusted him with some of their toughest assignments, often tasking him with denying the opposition's best perimeter threat throughout possessions. What stands out to the coaching staff isn't just the ability to handle these individual matchups, but how Wells is learning to do so within Iisalo's defensive framework.
Grizzlies give Jaylen Wells extra work
Rather than functioning as an isolated on-ball defender, Wells has re-integrated himself into what Iisalo calls the “team collective” on defense by staying connected to the scheme while still providing lockdown coverage.
“(Wells) has also taken on more versatile assignments than last year defensively,” noted Iisalo. “We were having him deny the best guy on the other team, sticking with that opponent. I think he has done a very good job improving being a part of the team collective on defense and still being able to take on those tougher assignments. It's not just the offense but also the defense where he is giving us a lot.”
This dual responsibility represents a significant leap in sophistication from his rookie year. Wells is no longer just a promising shooter who needs to be hidden defensively. He has become a versatile two-way player who makes Memphis better on both ends. The result is a player who's grown more confident in his decision-making, more versatile in his defensive assignments, and more valuable to a team with championship aspirations.
For a second-year player still finding his footing in the league, that's exactly the kind of growth curve the Grizzlies were hoping to see. Wells isn't just getting better at doing a Jimmy Butler impression; he's getting better in ways that directly translate to winning basketball. In a city and franchise culture built on toughness and collective effort, that might be the most important development of all.
