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The firing of Taylor Jenkins on March 28, 2025, and the promotion of Tuomas Iisalo to interim head coach of Ja Morant's foxhole-fighting Memphis Grizzlies introduced a period of adjustment. This was a team struggling with inconsistency, turnovers, and above .500 teams all season after all, so something had to be done. Thankfully, Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane have elevated their play in the past three weeks. A comparison of NBA.com’s stats before and after the coaching change reveals key differences in scoring, efficiency, and role changes.
Ja Morant's Usage Rate (34.6) under Iisalo suggests the first-time head coach will hand the ball to the All-NBA star and figure the rest out later. Jaren Jackson Jr. (24.6) and Desmond Bane (23.4) have both been trusted to shoulder more of the offensive burdens going into an NBA Play-In Tournament elimination game against the Dallas Mavericks.
Even rookie Zach Edey, with 13.3% of the team's points, has been given more leeway to learn on the job. Just look at these stats over the first 72 games.
- Usage Rate Under Taylor Jenkins (% of Points)
- Ja Morant: 30.7 (29%)
- Desmond Bane: 22.6 (23.2%)
- Jaren Jackson Jr.: 27.9 (29.9%)
- Zach Edey: 16.1 (17.8%)
Edey's Usage Rate (12.6) is down under Tuomas Iisalo but his off-ball and play-finishing numbers are trending up significantly. He led the Grizzlies down the stretch, snatching 53 boards in three road wins, and should have earned All-Rookie First Team recognition in the process. Rebounding is more important than lighting up the scoreboard, which is still best left to the stars. Morant (34.2%), Jackson Jr. (26.3%), and Bane (25.8%) should be relatively happy to account for over 86% of the offense now.
Desmond Bane has increased his scoring average from under 19 points per game (pre-change) to 21 points (post-change), while shooting 39.4% from beyond the arc, up from 38.5%. Ja Morant jumped from 22.3 (Jenkins) to 28.4 (Iisalo) points per game. Jaren Jackson Jr. remains a defensive anchor but has seen a slight dip in scoring (from 22.4 to 20.9) as the offense leaned towards the star guards. Getting that point back at the free-throw line should be easy enough with fewer turnovers from the power forward.
Defense and rebounding are the front-court priorities under Iisalo. Zach Edey has emerged as a rebounding force, averaging 12.8 rebounds per game now compared to 7.6 over the first five months of the season. The rookie posted a 17-rebound performance against the Golden State Warriors in his NBA postseason debut. This lessened the strain on Santi Aldama and Luke Kennard, shooters who are necessary even if their defensive reputation is unflattering.
Point of attack defense and Ja Morant's rest periods will need some major planning. Grizzlies reserve Scotty Pippen Jr.'s newfound confidence will be needed to pick up the defensive slack left behind by NBA Rookie of the Year candidate Jaylen Wells. Jay Huff and John Konchar are known commodities to be deployed out of desperation. Vince Williams Jr. (injury) and Marvin Bagley (trade acquisition) were not available for most of the season.
GG Jackson (injury) returned on January 20, though Jenkins had trouble working the 19-year-old into the rotations consistently. However, going to the end of the bench in an elimination game is always a gamble. Either way, Tuomas Iisalo’s interim tenure has provided glimpses of a faster, more balanced Grizzlies squad.
The Grizzlies face a pivotal play-in matchup against the Dallas Mavericks, where Desmond Bane’s hot hand and Zach Edey’s board work could prove decisive. For now, Memphis remains a team in transition, balancing individual brilliance with collective challenges under the new head coach. Whether it’s enough to beat the Mavericks (or earn him the full-time job) remains uncertain, but the early returns suggest a refreshed approach is paying off.
