Thoughts on Grizzlies hiring Tuomas Iisalo as new head coach
The Memphis Grizzlies officially make Tuomas Iisalo the newest head coach. My thoughts on the hire, his performance as interim, and how he utilized the team's core pieces.
The Memphis Grizzlies announced that they will be elevating Tuomas Iisalo from interim to permanent head coach.
Zach Kleiman said the following of Iisalo in the press release:
“I have full confidence in Tuomas serving as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies going forward. Tuomas’ teams at every level have been disciplined, tenacious and connected on both ends of the floor, consistently exceeding expectations. We look forward to the same in Memphis.”
This morning, I wrote my assessment on Iisalo’s performance and the Grizzlies’ coaching search going forward. My portion on Iisalo, revised:
After the coaching change, the Grizzlies went 5-10 in the final games — 0-4 against the Thunder, 1-1 in the play-in, and 4-5 to close the regular season.
It’s tough to gauge what really felt super different, but some stuff stood out. Iisalo’s willingness to adjust his rotations and minutes stood out, immediately shrinking to an 8-9 man rotation with a revolving door around those 8th and 9th spots to find something — integral after Jaylen Wells’ season-ending injury. Aside from the 51-point thrashing against the Thunder, the team’s urgency was a bit more evident, although a few bad quarters cost them different games down the stretch. He didn’t have great moments with his substitution patterns, then timeout and challenge management.
The stark differences shined in individual play. Once Iisalo took over, ball screens were more, and heavily, emphasized — which played to Ja Morant and Zach Edey’s strengths. While Santi Aldama and Luke Kennard struggled to find a consistent rhythm with the ball in their hands less, Scotty Pippen Jr. was a role player who excelled with his two-way play. Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. were pretty good — great in some areas, but struggled in some — although our lasting impression is their struggles with Oklahoma City’s defensive pressure.
I do want to point out some notable personnel difference whenever he took over.
Zach Edey went through the starkest differences. Through the first round, he’s leading the NBA in screen assists (5.3) and points generated from them (12.3). When Iisalo took over, he closed the regular season leading in this category (5.6 and 13.1, respectively). His impact on the glass and as a shot-blocker was felt more, especially in the box score, a byproduct of Iisalo leaning on him in the absence of Brandon Clarke. It seemed like Iisalo’s tweaks utilized Edey’s strengths more effectively rather than the low screening system the majority of the season.
Ja Morant’s scoring uptick boomed, as he returned to being the focal point of the offense — averaging 22.3 field goal attempts per game in his final regular season game, 21 in the play-in, and 17.7 in his three play-in games. Through those segments, he didn’t average six or more assists in any of them. Assists are a two-way street, but so Iisalo has to find a way to unlock his passing a bit more. His passing off drives felt infrequent compared to past years.
Jaren Jackson Jr.’s offensive role felt diminished from the eye test, but his shot volume remained the same. However, he went from third on the team in touches before Jenkins’ firing, to fifth at both the end of the regular seasonand postseason — behind Ja and Bane, then Pippen and Santi Aldama in the regular season. The Grizzlies looked to find something using Jackson in a power forward role. Iisalo has to find a way to maximize Morant and Jackson without it coming at the expense of the other.
The main thing that caught my eye with Desmond Bane after the coaching change is his three-point volume. He was shooting 5.8 three’s per game before the coaching change, then averaged between 7-8 per game in the three segments of Iisalo’s run. Bane’s growth as a live-dribble creator and a secondary playmaker has been wonderful the past few years, but can feel a bit exposed at time — career-high 12.7 turnover percentage this season. The most optimal version of Bane is one where he’s letting it fly. He’s too potent of a shooter to average roughly six three-pointers per game. It has to trend closer to 10 to maximize his game and his fit next to Ja and Jaren.
Finally, in the play-in and end of the regular season, the Big 3 averaged the most field goal attempts per game by a wide margin. Jackson, the third-highest in this category, took roughly seven more field goals on average than the whoever was 4th between Pippen and Aldama.
While Iisalo’s job is to maximize the roster, the clear pecking order was established with a plan to play to the strengths of its key players.
I have pointed to a statement regarding my opinion of Iisalo with his prospects of becoming the next Memphis Grizzlies head coaching:
Don’t overestimate how much he could’ve really changed, but don’t underestimate what he could alter with a full offseason to establish his regime.
Iisalo made it clear that he took over that time was of the essence, and he didn’t have time for drastic changes. He had 15 games in 28 days with only two practices in that span. Sure, more rest and practices would have been available if they took care of business in the 7-8 play-in game, or in the regular season. However, point remains, not much time to change anything.
Iisalo’s principles from his EuroLeague coaching career offer the best pathway in what could change.
Defensively, Iisalo’s pick-and-roll defense is a core piece. He strived to keep it a 2v2 action as much as possible with an aggressive hedge with the perimeter defender getting screened plugging into the passing lane to prevent the roll. Trust is also a big component of the team’s defense.
Offensively, his points of emphasis boil down to speed and movement — pushing the pace for early advantages, 0.5-second decision-making, attacking the paint, and spacing. The team also saw an uptick in pick-and-roll with his hire, an integral part of his system in Europe.
Finally, he has good endorsements from the players. He’s a coach willing to listen to them, holding people accountable, and not putting up with any bulls— that gets in the way of winning.
Morant provided the biggest endorsement during exit interviews:
“I feel like Tuomas is a good coach for me. Going into my film sessions with him or just talking about the game of basketball, seeing and hearing that he sees the same thing I see out there on the floor, I wouldn’t say it’s been surprising, but it’s been very exciting because we continue to just pick each other’s brain, trying to find the best solution for us offensively. He’s a big-time competitor.”
While the record is uninspiring, the circumstances were unprecedented. Tuomas Iisalo’s promotion is a cultivation of his track record in Europe as well as the areas of coaching that are seen behind the scenes. While now we assess what’s ahead with an offseason of roster decisions, it’s far more likely Iisalo shows more of what he can provide as a NBA head coach — and thrive in the process.
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