Tuomas Iisalo Articles - Page 2

As the Memphis Grizzlies navigate the demanding holiday stretch of their schedule, one of the most encouraging developments has been the rise of rookie wing Cedric Coward. What began as a cautious, minutes-managed introduction to NBA life has quickly evolved into a meaningful rotation role. Tuomas Iisalo’s recent comments shed light on why the team […]

Get the Three Six Mafia mix ready. Something worth sampling is finally brewing on Beale Street, even as the Memphis Grizzlies navigate some early-season absences. After stumbling to a 4-11 record, Tuomas Iisalo has strung together back-to-back victories while developing something that can’t be drawn up on a whiteboard: attitude. Not recklessness. Not immaturity. Just […]

The Memphis Grizzlies limped into FedEx Forum carrying a five-game losing streak, four straight road defeats, and no Ja Morant or Jaren Jackson Jr. Their most faithful fans left celebrating a demolition of the Sacramento Kings. It was all made possible by the most efficient home debut ever for any Bluff City big man. Zach […]

The Memphis Grizzlies showcased a masterclass in team basketball on Thursday night, routing the Sacramento Kings 137-96 in a statement win, despite being without Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. The victory not only snapped a five-game losing streak for Memphis but also saw the Grizzlies set a franchise record with 42 assists while committing […]

The Memphis Grizzlies need no reminders of how thin their margin for error is without Ja Morant. Analytics, film, and the standings have delivered the message every night that the All-Star has missed over the past few years. Fourteen games into a season they thought would reestablish their place in the Western Conference hierarchy, Tuomas […]

The clock is ticking toward the NBA’s trade deadline, and for Tuomas Iisalo’s banged-up Memphis Grizzlies, this season’s calculus is uniquely complex. With the specter of Ja Morant’s injury-riddled availability and long-term commitment levels hanging over every decision, President of Basketball Operations Zach Kleiman operates in a space between present and future. What the Grizzlies […]

The Memphis Grizzlies expected turbulence this fall, but not a full-on identity crisis. Fourteen games into Tuomas Iisalo’s first season, with a 4-10 start and Ja Morant sidelined, the offense has sputtered into predictable, stagnant patterns. The silver lining has been the rise of the 24-year-old Spanish forward whose blend of size, touch, and feel […]

The promise of a new era for the Memphis Grizzlies has been tempered by a familiar sting. After months of envisioning a triumphant return to Western Conference contention, the first 14 games have been sobering for Tuomas Iisalo’s Memphis Grizzlies. A familiar, gut-wrenching reality set in early, as evidenced by the 4-10 start. Then the […]

The Memphis Grizzlies are on a three-game losing streak after falling 131-95 to the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. It was a loss that had head coach Tuomas Iisalo call out the entire team for their lack of effort. Iisalo, who is 43 years old, seemingly did not like the effort he saw from the Grizzlies […]

Fans looking for any positive signs from the Memphis Grizzlies were left with only a silver lining on Veterans’ Day. A 133-120 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden was a pretty sour bite from the Big Apple, as was the injury update on Brandon Clarke. However, Tuomas Iisalo did provide a […]

Rumors surrounding Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies have heated up, leading to speculation around the NBA about whether the team will ultimately part ways with their All-Star point guard. Since the start of the 2025-26 season, a level of unrest has existed between Morant and first-year head coach Tuomas Iisalo. This tension that had […]

In light of Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant’s recent suspension for arguing with coaches and misconduct during his postgame media availability, which led to trade speculation, head coach Tuomas Iisalo cleared the air. The Grizzlies first-year head coach says the two have moved on from the incident. Iisalo provided an update on where the team […]

Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant has been suspended one game by the team for “conduct detrimental to the team,” the organization announced on Saturday afternoon. This suspension for Morant comes not even 24 hours after the Grizzlies’ NBA Cup loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, a game in which they lost by five […]

For a new coach in the NBA, the first few games are a Rorschach test of potential. Fans of Ja Morant’s finger-pointing Memphis Grizzlies are still trying to get a full grasp on what kind of picture Tuomas Iisalo is trying to paint though. An Opening Night triumph against the New Orleans Pelicans ignited the FedExForum […]

As Tuomas Iisalo’s Memphis Grizzlies kick off their training camp, the air is thick with competition, camaraderie, and a palpable sense of urgency. After a rollercoaster 2024-25 season that saw the team navigate a late-season coaching change and playoff heartbreak, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.’s Grizzlies are embracing a fresh start. At the heart […]

In the high-stakes poker game of NBA free agency, the Memphis Grizzlies entered the offseason holding a limited hand. With their financial resources rightly prioritized towards securing franchise cornerstone Jaren Jackson Jr., the front office was relegated to operating as a “room team,” possessing just one significant tool: the room exception. It was with this modest […]

NBA Media Days would be nothing without a few clichés and backslapping before the season starts. Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies were no exception. When pressed on how owner Robert Pera’s ballooning fortune influences the willingness to flirt with the NBA’s punishing luxury tax, EVP/GM Zach Kleiman masterfully sidestepped the specifics while heaping praise on the […]

Tuomas Iisalo’s Memphis Grizzlies face a challenging start to the 2025-26 NBA season with key frontcourt players Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Edey, and Brandon Clarke sidelined due to injury. While their absence is a significant setback for the team’s playoff aspirations, EVP/GM Zach Kleiman’s front office found inexpensive offseason additions that could prove crucial in […]

The Memphis Grizzlies made one of the most underrated signings of the 2025 free agency period when they secured Ty Jerome on a three-year, $28 million deal. While the basketball world focused on blockbuster trades and max contracts, EVP/GM Zach Kleiman landed what could be the missing piece in the Grind City championship puzzle. Playing […]

The Memphis Grizzlies were riding high last season, flirting with a top-four seed through the NBA All-Star break. Then the slide down the standings began. High expectations paired with the wasting of that early success led to the amplification of lingering frustrations. Taylor Jenkins was eventually relieved of the head coaching duties and so Tuomas […]

In the sporting and gambling worlds, opportunity is everything. Although large market media narratives and marquee names often dominate NBA award conversations, the smartest players know to look for value in overlooked situations. All of that can be found with Scotty Pippen Jr. and Tuomas Iisalo’s made-over Memphis Grizzlies this season. EVP/GM Zach Kleiman’s latest […]

Early-season tinkering in the NBA is not just fun for the fans; it is essential to front offices in identifying gaps before the trade deadline. That is especially true for the Memphis Grizzlies as the franchise enters the 2025-26 season with Ja Morant’s first new head coach and fresh questions about their identity under Tuomas […]

The re-prioritized Memphis Grizzlies pulled off one of the most surprising trades of the 2025 offseason when they shipped Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and a bundle of first-round picks. While the draft capital rightfully grabbed headlines, it’s Caldwell-Pope’s role as a versatile win insurance policy that […]

A franchise cornerstone suddenly departing is often met with uncertainty and angst. When the Memphis Grizzlies traded Desmond Bane, a homegrown star and one of the NBA’s premier shooters, to the Orlando Magic for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, and a haul of four unprotected first-round picks, EVP/GM Zach Kleiman signaled a profound shift in the […]

The Memphis Grizzlies have made franchise-altering changes heading into the 2025-26 season. Trading Desmond Bane to the Orlando Magic was just one of many moves made to get the most out of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.’s potential. The pivotal decisions from EVP Zach Kleiman began at the coaching ranks in March, with Tuomas […]

A decision by Memphis Grizzlies EVP/GM Zach Kleiman to remove Taylor Jenkins and promote Tuomas Iisalo to head coach on March 28, 2025, was one of the most dramatic late-season moves in recent NBA history. Jenkins, a former NBA Coach of the Year winner, won more basketball games on Beale Street than anyone before hitting […]

Basketball diehards are now counting down the days and weeks rather than months for the return of meaningful games at all levels. Players are gathering for cardio-based chemistry building ahead of training camp. As for the league in general, the 2025-26 NBA schedule release offered the first real glimpse into the routes every team must […]

It can be hard to pinpoint over the smell of freshly cut football fields, but true hardwood fans are already taking in the small wafts of basketball trickling into the sporting conversation. The release of the 2025-26 NBA schedule not only added to that anticipation but also added clarity to organizational expectations to a certain […]

With the full Memphis Grizzlies’ NBA schedule now unveiled, the team faces one of the toughest campaigns in the league. Extensive road trips, brutal back-to-backs, and early-season tests will challenge their depth and stamina from the opening tip. At the same time, Ja Morant returns as the centerpiece of the Grizzlies, ready to shoulder the […]

For Zach Kleiman’s rebooted Grit-and-Grind Memphis Grizzlies and GG Jackson, the NBA Summer League grind sessions represented opportunities far more valuable than only on-court repetitions. Coming off a frustrating sophomore campaign derailed by injury, the 20-year-old is still working to be included in the franchise’s long-term plans alongside Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. As […]

Zach Kleiman’s Memphis Grizzlies are entering uncharted territory under new head coach Tuomas Iisalo, but the Finnish tactician is not abandoning the franchise’s Grit-and-Grind DNA. In fact, Iisalo is evolving it in a way that still works with a Three Six Mafia album. After a summer of intensive development through both Salt Lake City and […]

Ja Morant’s regrouping Memphis Grizzlies are heading into 2025 Las Vegas NBA Summer League action with a clear opportunity to evaluate key pieces for the upcoming season, Tuomas Iisalo included. The Finnish coach was thrown into the fire as a first-year assistant, being elevated to the lead chair with less than two weeks remaining before […]

The Memphis Grizzlies’ offseason plans were abruptly recalibrated when rookie center Zach Edey underwent surgery for excessive ligamentous laxity in his left ankle, sidelining him indefinitely. With their 7-foot-4 anchor of the future expected to miss a significant portion of the 2025-26 season, new head coach Tuomas Iisalo faces an early defining challenge. Yet within […]

The Memphis Grizzlies made a bold move in firing head coach Taylor Jenkins with just nine games left in the regular season and promoting assistant coach Tuomas Iisalo. EVP/GM Zach Kleiman’s decision came as a shock to many given the team’s playoff trajectory and Jenkins’ established role in shaping the franchise’s recent success. Jenkins has […]

The Memphis Grizzlies had some decisions to make going into the offseason, and one of them was finding a new head coach after firing Taylor Jenkins toward the end of the season. It looks like they are staying with familiarity and hiring Tuomas Iisalo, according to Grizzlies PR. “The Memphis Grizzlies today announced the team […]

As Ja Morant’s Memphis Grizzlies regroup from a first-round playoff sweep at the hands of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s near-perfect Oklahoma City Thunder, EVP Zach Kleiman faces a pivotal offseason to elevate the franchise from perennial playoff hopeful to bona fide championship contender. With a young core led by Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., the offseason roster-building […]

The Memphis Grizzlies entered the NBA Playoffs with hopes of making noise as a young, hungry team. Instead, Jaren Jackson Jr. was among many handed a harsh reality check by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder, who completed a first-round sweep with a dominant performance that left EVP Zach Kleiman searching for answers. The series, […]

The Memphis Grizzlies are dealing with Ja Morant rumors already but there is reason for optimism after being swept by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder. A budding chemistry between rookie center Zach Edey and guard Scotty Pippen Jr. offers a foundation for the future. If nothing else was learned by the Grizzlies, Executive Vice […]

The Memphis Grizzlies failed to figure out Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s Oklahoma City Thunder without Ja Morant (hip) so Tuomas Iisalo’s maiden 2025 NBA Playoff run unfortunately ended sooner than hoped. Yet, amid the first-round exit disappointment, an unlikely hero emerged as a foundational building block. The losses were tough, sure, but Scotty Pippen Jr.’s relentless energy, […]