MikeCheck: Grizzlies focus on execution – not excuses – as Iisalo eyes summer league finish line
Michael WallaceLAS VEGAS – Not even logical rationale was an acceptable excuse.
That’s why Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo quickly dismissed fatigue as a potential factor after Memphis fell short Tuesday night for the fourth time in six summer league games. A sluggish and inconsistent offense combined with a leaky defense haunted the Grizzlies yet again.
Don’t dare chalk that up to exhaustion.
Instead, it was the byproduct of inconsistent execution.
Having played six total games over 10 days across two summer leagues, the expectation is to see gradual and steady improvement from these young and developing Grizzlies.
When asked if that workload might be taking a toll, Iisalo was short and direct.
“No,” he responded after Tuesday’s 96-84 loss to the Warriors at the NBA 2K26 Summer League. “It’s as simple as that. These are highly conditioned athletes, and we have plenty of guys right here. We were rested. It’s not that. We need to do better on the court.”
Although the results of games in summer league play are hardly what matters most, Iisalo and the Grizzlies don’t want to take these opportunities to make progress for granted.
After losing two of their three games in the four-team Salt Lake City Summer League to open the month, the Grizzlies have dropped two of their first three in a Las Vegas field comprised of all 30 NBA teams.
Tuesday’s loss eliminated the Grizzlies from advancing to the championship tournament in Las Vegas, which begins this weekend. Memphis was looking to make it back to the summer league title game for the second consecutive year after losing in last year’s championship game.
Still, the Grizzlies aim to end summer league on a positive note with two games left. Memphis faces Atlanta on Thursday before wrapping up with a weekend game in the consolation field.
Iisalo has been satisfied with the energy his team has played with in stretches this summer. But sustaining execution has been a challenge, especially defensively as opponents have routinely found success driving into the lane to score or dish out for open 3-pointers. An inability to keep opposing teams off the offensive boards for second-chance points has also cost the Grizzlies.
Among the biggest issues has been a lack of production at the point guard and center spots. Those problems have offset some quality play the Grizzlies have gotten on the wings from second and third-year roster players in Cam Spencer, Jaylen Wells and GG Jackson.
Those three, who all saw action in NBA games last season for the Grizzlies, have combined to average 48.5 points, 12.3 rebounds and 9.1 assists per game in Las Vegas.
Rookie guard Jahmai Mashack has been the biggest surprise on the roster with his all-around impact on both ends, which including filling in as the starting point guard Tuesday. The No. 59 and final pick of last month’s NBA Draft out of Tennessee provided another stat-stuffing effort with 15 points, five rebounds, four assists, four steals, four turnovers and a block.
The Grizzlies outscored the Warriors by 17 points in the 23 minutes Mashack played.
“There’s definitely the right amount of energy, but it needs to be focused on the right things on the court,” Iisalo said of the team’s overall play these past two weeks. “We can definitely do better on the defensive end. We need to keep improving.”
Growing pains are part of the building process.
Iisalo took over as interim coach last March when Taylor Jenkins was dismissed amid the team’s second-half drop-off after sitting as high as second in the West standings. Iisalo was promoted to the full-time role after the season ended in a first-round playoff loss to eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City.
One of the reasons Iisalo decided to work as the NBA’s only head coach guiding his team in summer league play this month was because he sought a hands-on approach to setting his foundation and culture with Memphis. There have been hurdles along the way.
The Grizzlies have been without rookie lottery pick Cedric Coward throughout summer league as he focuses on the final stages of recovery and rehab from November shoulder surgery. Also sidelined is rookie second-round pick Javon Small, who is battling a slight groin strain and has not played since a July 5 win in the Salt Lake City Summer League opener.
Both Coward and Small were considered among the nation’s elite defenders in college. Small’s absence the past five games has created a huge void at point guard for Memphis, which has struggled to consistently get into offensive sets.
“That’s a challenge right now,” Iisalo acknowledged. “A lot of times, we can’t even get to the creation phase. But there are several things we can do better.”
It starts with tightening up defensively. The Grizzlies have surrendered at least 90 points in four of the six games. That’s a high mark considering the contests are only 40 minutes, eight fewer than a regular-season NBA game.
Poor shooting and turnovers are also priorities to address in the remaining games. Memphis is averaging 16.3 turnovers and shooting only 39.4-percent from the field overall, including just 25.3-percent on more than 30 attempts from 3-point range per game.
There have also been encouraging signs. The Grizzlies’ most dominant stretch of play this summer came when they used a swarming defense to spark transition offense and hot shooting during a 47-20 run Saturday to beat Portland.
The task now is to close out summer league with some consistency.
“When we play to our identity, we do pretty well,” Iisalo surmised. “Ball-pressure, playing fast, sharing the ball. Once those things go out the window, the results usually follow. We have to stay the course. With summer league overall, you want guys to get reps. But you also want to build a culture of hard work and a team-first mentality. And we’ve got to continue to do that.”
Iisalo is challenging the Grizzlies to focus on the opportunities ahead to execute.
Forget the excuses.
Published on Jul 16, 2025
Related content
