Tuomas Iisalo’s tenure leading a Ja Morant-led Memphis Grizzlies squad experiencing a mid-season crisis has gotten off to a rocky 0-3 start against an historically difficult schedule. The Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics got first dibs at the Finnish coach. Then Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors (44-31) handed Iisalo's Grizzlies (44-32) a third straight loss since Taylor Jenkins was let go in late March. The 134-125 defeat in the FedEx Forum underscored the steep learning curve the 42-year-old faces in the NBA, with Curry’s relentless brilliance proving too much for his retooled defensive schemes.
“There are no magic tricks,” Iisalo quipped. “It's just coming up with a better defensive game plan. Something with more clarity, because the clarity always comes before the intensity. You need to know what you are going to do, so that you can do it hard. That is where it starts from. It starts with me, our staff, and then the players. We have to be ready when the game starts and do the simple things well.”
Curry, widely regarded as the greatest shooter in NBA history, torched the Grizzlies for 52 points, including 12 three-pointers, in a performance Iisalo called “a sight to behold.” Despite a specific first-quarter strategy to limit Curry’s long-range opportunities, the Warriors star found ways to break free. Ja Morant (36 points), Desmond Bane (19 points), and Jaren Jackson Jr. (22 points) just could not keep up.
Still, Tuomas Iisalo has been encouraged by how the locker room has responded to a coaching change while taking more than a few shots to the chin over the last 10 games (2-8).
“I know our guys were giving everything they had,” stressed Iisalo. “For example, you look in the second half, and there are no longer scripted situations where you can put two guys on (Curry). He is so good at getting rid of the ball and relocating. You cannot relax for even half a second because he will find some space and then use that space in order to get his shot off. It's a sight to behold, how he operates. He is nonstop and constant and hunting for those opportunities.”
The Grizzlies, who had successfully contained Curry (15 total points in two games) earlier in the season under Jenkins, struggled to adapt as the 36-year-old guard exploited every sliver of space.
“For example, in the first quarter against (the Warriors), we had a specific strategy that we did not want (Curry) to get those three-point shots. We wanted to channel (those actions) to someone else,” Iisalo explained. “He found a way to get going anyway. It's very hard to stop a player of that caliber, but these are growing pains. Could not ask for more from the guys. These are not mistakes of effort but from a lack of practice time. We will get there once we get a couple of reps tomorrow.”
Stephen Curry’s movement without the ball proved particularly vexing. In the second half, to double-team the future first-ballot Hall of Famer faltered as he deftly passed and relocated for open shots.
“(Curry) got a lot of looks and different types of looks,” sighed Iisalo. “With a player of that caliber, who we've actually done a tremendous job (defending) throughout the season, he was still able to find ways to get open. Once he gets into that zone, it's very difficult to get him out. I mean, we're talking about the best shooter, certainly the best movement shooter of all time, and he was in that zone. After that, it becomes extremely hard to stop him.”
Tuomas Iisalo earned acclaim in Europe before joining Ja Morant's misfiring Grizzlies, but even the well-traveled coach had to acknowledge the challenge of implementing his system with limited preparation. Jenkins’ departure after a 22-19 start to the season thrust Iisalo into the role with little time to adjust, and Wednesday’s matchup against Stephen Curry's Warriors did little to ease those growing pains.
