Memphis Grizzlies name Tuomas Iisalo head coach, remove interim tag
Memphis Grizzlies name Tuomas Iisalo head coach, remove interim tag
Tuomas Iisalo is officially the next Memphis Grizzlies head coach.
Iisalo served as interim coach after Taylor Jenkins was fired with nine games left in the regular season, and he led the Grizzlies to the playoffs. They were swept by the Thunder in the first round, but Grizzlies general manager Zach Kleiman removed the interim tag with an announcement on May 2.
A highly successful coach in Europe, Iisalo joined the Grizzlies as lead assistant ahead of the 2024-25 season. He had a significant impact on Memphis' offense — both as an assistant and as interim coach — and earned praise from Grizzlies players at the end of the season.
"He holds everybody accountable," Grizzlies star Ja Morant said. "But he also instills all the confidence in you."
Iisalo will now have a full offseason to work with the Grizzlies, who will be hoping to make a deeper playoff run after a disappointing season.
'I have full confidence in Tuomas serving as head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies going forward,' Kleiman said in a statement. '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.'
Iisalo is the first Finnish-born NBA coach. He played professionally in Finland before starting his coaching career. After coaching his former team Tapiolan Honka in Finland, he landed a job with Crailsheim Merlins in Germany. He worked there from 2016-21 before leaving for Telekom Baskets Bonn. Both teams had historic seasons during his tenure.
In 2023, he left for Paris Basketball and took them from the EuroCup to the EuroLeague for the first time in club history. He was named EuroCup coach of the year.
"I've grown tremendously," Iisalo said at exit interviews on April 27. "That's the biggest thing. The last 10 years that I coached, it was all as a head coach. And being an assistant coach, it really taught me a ton of things."
What Tuomas Iisalo accomplished as Grizzlies interim coach
Iisalo had very little time to make major changes, taking over with only nine games left in the regular season and having to deal with multiple injuries to rotation players. The Grizzlies went into the playoffs without Jaylen Wells and Brandon Clarke, both of whom would have played significant roles against the Thunder.
The biggest difference from Jenkins to Iisalo in terms of personnel was the consistency of rookie center Zach Edey. He had nine or more rebounds in all but one of the regular season games after Jenkins was fired, and Iisalo spoke very highly of him at the end of the season.
Morant's endorsement of Iisalo certainly didn't hurt his candidacy, and there's reason to believe that partnership could be even more successful moving forward. In Europe, Iisalo was known for his work with speedy point guards, including EuroCup MVP T.J. Shorts.
"I definitely believe that it could be very beneficial for Ja," Shorts said before the NBA playoffs. "I know what he did for me, I know what he did for previous point guards and Ja Morant is on a whole other level."
Reach sports writer Jonah Dylan at jonah.dylan@commercialappeal.com or on X @thejonahdylan.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Forbes
2025 NBA Finals: OKC Thunder Paint Defense Has Pacers Out Of Character
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - JUNE 08: Andrew Nembhard #2 of the Indiana Pacers attempts a lay up ... More against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter in Game Two of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 08, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (Photo by Julio Cortez - Pool/Getty Images) OKLAHOMA CITY – 110 points. That's the line in the sand for the Indiana Pacers during the 2025 playoffs. Through 18 postseason games, they're a perfect 13-0 when scoring more than 110 points and winless at 0-5 when they don't. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, that trend held steady as Tyrese Haliburton's heroic shot just before the final buzzer put 111 on the scoreboard for Indiana. Yet 111 is just barely over that 110 threshold. And in Game 2, the Pacers final tally was 107. It took a monster 66-point second half featuring some garbage time to get there, though the blue and gold do deserve credit for reaching that total. And Indiana dropped that game as the Thunder evened the series 1-1. Splitting the two games in Oklahoma City is a good result for the Pacers. But their offense has put up two of their six lowest scoring games in the playoffs so far to open the NBA Finals. OKC's defense is a monster. They are limiting the Pacers by cutting off the paint, and it's become the biggest issue to address for the Eastern Conference champions. 'They sell out to the paint. They are willing to give up a multitude of shots, three, mid-range, whatever it is, so we don't get in the paint,' Pacers center Myles Turner said. 'Now it's just about making a decision [and] In Game 1, Indiana won despite scoring just 34 points in the paint, their second-worst in the playoffs, but overcame it with red-hot jump shooting and solid-enough defense. They drove to the basket 48 times, which is about average for their playoff run but still below their regular season norm of 50.3 per game. The challenge of penetrating OKC's interior is no secret. Guard Ben Sheppard noted as much in between the first two battles of the series. 'I feel like they take away the whole paint. They're flying around everywhere,' Sheppard explained. 'They play a tight-knit defense… it's like five [defenders] on a string.' In Game 2, with a known challenge in their way, the Pacers scored just 34 points in the paint again. The problem persisted. It was tied for their second-lowest in the playoffs and regular season. They had exactly 48 drives again, though many of them came late. After one quarter, the Pacers had zero points in the paint and made only a pair of two-point shots. They were shut down. A core part of their offensive identity is missing in this series, and they need to re-capture it. 'We have to find ways to get the ball in there (the paint), it's just there are so many things that have to go right on a set of two possessions to get the ball into the heart of their defense. You've got to get a stop, a rebound. You've got to be able to get the ball up the floor without a turnover and then you have to be able to get it to the lane and to the rim,' Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle detailed. 'It's a tough task. So we'll look at it. There were some stretches where we did some good things attacking the paint but there weren't enough.' Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) defends against Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese ... More Haliburton (0) during the first half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Kyle Phillips) This is what the Thunder do. They led the league in paint defense during the regular season and have remained dominant in the playoffs. Three of the five lowest scoring-in-the-paint games this postseason have come against them – the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves both mustered just 20 points in the paint against the Thunder, and the Nuggets had a separate game with only 26. In the regular season, two of the lowest points in the paint games also came against OKC. Their work on the less glamorous end of the floor was just as brutal. Teams want to score at the rim but can't against the mighty Thunder defense. Their rim protection is elite and backed by a line of terrific perimeter stoppers. 'I'd say it's kind of our defense as a whole. It starts with pressuring the ball before it crosses halfcourt, stopping teams from scoring in transition so we can set our defense,' Thunder big man Chet Holmgren said of his team's paint presence. 'Defending actions, the screens, slide-outs, whatever, kind of controlling them within those. It makes it harder to get to the paint in the first place. It starts early. Making sure we have each other's back at the rim if somebody does get beat.' Those tactics are crushing the Pacers offense. They can't generate clean drives. They're frustrated, and it shows. Forced shots and stalled possessions are creeping in. With no simple answers, players have been forcing the issue. It's not how the blue and gold want to play. They need to figure out how to get into the paint. Maybe individual brilliance can be enough, but that isn't the right blueprint. The more viable path to success lies in the details. They need to set harder screens. They must keep the ball circulating and move with purpose as players. If there's space, Indiana has to take it. On Tuesday, multiple members of the team described needing to play with pace and keep the rock moving from side to side quickly as possible solutions. They are necessary and must be executed well. The Thunder defense is terrific. Breaking it down is challenging. But the Pacers have to. They need to find their offensive rhythm, regain their identity, and hit that 110 threshold with consistency. That's their win condition. 'Ball movement and player movement will help,' guard Andrew Nembhard said, simply as he always does. He shared what is known – that's it's a point of emphasis for OKC to take away the paint. The Pacers still have to move toward the rim. If they don't, they won't reach 110 points often enough to win four times in this series. Without their offensive thesis, they're in trouble. It's currently their biggest problem to solve in the 2025 NBA Finals, and it's up to the coaching staff and players to adjust and find solutions. It's the only way forward.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Shaq Announces He's Not Watching Rest of NBA Finals
The Oklahoma City Thunder played a complete game from start to finish on Sunday evening, tying the NBA Finals at one game apiece with the Indiana Pacers. The Thunder were able to defend their home court with a dominant performance on both sides of the ball, getting their first win of the series after their thrilling and dramatic Game 1 loss. Advertisement The Finals have delivered on the hype so far, with stars like Tyrese Haliburton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander putting up big numbers and making iconic moments. Basketball fans are eagerly awaiting the next game in the series, but one former NBA champion says he won't be watching. After the Thunder tied the series on Sunday night, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith joined NBA TV for post game coverage. O'Neal took the opportunity to express his gratitude that he could leave after Game 2, as Charles Barkley would join post game coverage for the next two games in Indiana. 'Indiana stole one. I'm just glad it's not the old format, that 2-3-2. Remember that format? That 2-3-2? So now we have a series. I won't even be watching,' O'Neal admitted. Advertisement The old Finals format would have resulted in three straight games in Indiana, which could have had adverse effects on Oklahoma City - the higher seed - playing three straight games on the road. 'I'm gonna be in the Bahamas," O'Neal said. His fellow panelists reminded him that he could still watch the game from his vacation, but he doubled down. 'Not in the ocean,' O'Neal said, affirming his stance. Some fans were able to enjoy O'Neal's candor as a funny moment, but some have expressed concern and outrage about how he's covered the league this season. Earlier this year, O'Neal admitted to not watching the Detroit Pistons despite the fact that they were a playoff team and had been one of the most compelling stories in basketball. Advertisement O'Neal, Barkley, Smith and Ernie Johnson will be heading to ESPN next year for a revival of "Inside the NBA." The show has come under fire for the lack of actual basketball analysis from some, but O'Neal's comments seem to indicate that more of the same could be on the way, even at a new network. Shaq Announces He's Not Watching Rest of NBA Finals first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 9, 2025
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Grizzlies Make Announcement After Major Zach Edey News
Grizzlies Make Announcement After Major Zach Edey News originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey was selected No. 9 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft. A superstar at Purdue, Edey immediately stepped into a prominent role with the Grizzlies who were looking for a stabilizing frontcourt presence to replace Steven Adams. Advertisement It was an up-and-down rookie campaign for Edey, who averaged 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds in 66 games. Making the All-Rookie First Team for his contributions to the Grizzlies, Edey left a lot of reason for optimism in Memphis that he can be a longterm contributor in the starting lineup. Starting 55 of the 66 games he appeared in, Edey was a regular in Memphis' first five. Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14)© Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images On Saturday, some unfortunate news was announced regarding Edey and his health. ESPN's Shams Charania reported on X that the Canadian big man is set to undergo ankle surgery that will cost him part of the 2025-26 NBA season. Advertisement "ESPN reporting: Memphis Grizzlies All-Rookie center Zach Edey re-sprained his left ankle in an offseason workout this week and will undergo surgery to re-stabilize the ankle," he wrote. "Edey will likely miss the beginning of the 2025-26 NBA season." Shortly after, the Grizzlies made this news official with an announcement: "The Memphis Grizzlies today announced the following medical update for center Zach Edey: During an offseason training session this week, Edey re-sprained his left ankle. Imaging revealed excessive ligamentous laxity, which will require Edey to undergo surgery to address the laxity and re-stabilize his ankle. A preliminary timeline will be provided following surgery, but Edey is expected to make a full recovery." Advertisement Related: Ja Morant Sends 9-Word Message on NBA's Unexpected MVP Decision Related: Grizzlies Star Sends Ja Morant Message After Trade Report This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
