MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Tuomas Iisalo has won as a head coach. Now he's in his first season in the NBA thrust into the position as interim head coach with the Memphis Grizzlies on track to make the playoffs with only nine games left.
His first game as the interim head coach was unsuccessful as the Grizzlies fell behind by 20 points early, fought back, but ultimately lost 134-127 to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“A lot of times, you don't know what happened during he game before you watch video,” Iisalo said after the loss. “I can already say we (didn't do) the basics in the first half, so we've got to do a better job.”
The native of Helsinki, Finland, has one plan: Take it one day at a time.
Iisalo got the job Friday hours after Memphis general manager Zach Kleiman fired coach Taylor Jenkins. Kleiman defended the stunning timing of the firing as being in the Grizzlies' best interests. Two assistants also left with Jenkins, leaving Iisalo short-handed against the Lakers.
Kleiman told reporters after the Grizzlies' morning shootaround that a core principle is urgency to explain why he fired Jenkins.
Asked if he hopes making this move now with the Grizzlies starting a stretch with eight of the final nine opponents either playoff clubs or contending for a play-in spot helps Memphis salvage the season, Kleiman said he is focused on how the Grizzlies operate. It's still possible, at least mathematically, that Memphis could get back to No. 2 in the West, and it’s highly unlikely the Grizzlies will fall into the play-in tournament range.
“I'm responsible for everything,” Kleiman said. “I'm responsible for coaching. I'm responsible for the roster. I'm not trying to absolve myself of anything. I'm excited to see what this team can do the rest of the way, but this was the conclusion that I came to that this was in the best interest of the team and we push forward with this group.”
Kleiman said no players were consulted about the move to fire Jenkins. The Grizzlies were off, and those in the locker room before tipoff called the move surprising. GG Jackson said he was brushing his teeth when friends started calling asking if a firing he knew nothing about was true.
Reserve guard Scotty Pippen also was shocked to learn the news on social media.
Pippen said the Grizzlies have not played well recently, returning home after a 1-4 road trip. He pointed to competitiveness as an issue that has been an issue at team meetings.
“We all kind of know it’s kind of the elephant in the room," Pippen said. "Just like we’re not playing as well as we need to be playing defensively, offensively. And teams are making us pay for it.”
Kleiman helped hire Jenkins in June 2019 after his own promotion to executive vice president of basketball operations. The GM also did not answer a question about what he wants from Memphis' next coach.
Jenkins had been the fifth longest-tenured coach with his current club in the league, behind only San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich, Miami’s Erik Spoelstra, Golden State’s Steve Kerr and Denver’s Michael Malone — all of them with NBA titles. In this season with a maturing roster, the Grizzlies' results against the NBA's best weren't good.
The Grizzlies were 0-4 against Oklahoma City, losing those games by 24, 13, 17 and 21 points. They’re 3-6 so far this season against Houston, Denver and the Lakers, the next three teams ahead of them in the West. All season, the Grizzlies were 33-9 against teams at or below .500 and 11-20 against winning clubs.
Jenkins, with a career record of 250-214, was the winningest coach in franchise history for a team that launched in 1995. He had the longest tenure for a Grizzlies' coach since Lionel Hollins took over in the 2008-09 season before his contract was not renewed after reaching the Western Finals in 2013 with a 56-26 record.
But Jenkins has been criticized for continuing to use too many players at a point in the schedule when the rotation needed to be tightened and questioned for his late-game timeouts and other decisions. Asked about reports of two-time All-Star Ja Morant’s frustration over the Memphis offense, Kleiman repeated this was his decision.
Morant, who has missed the last six games with a left hamstring strain, played against the Lakers. He said that while he was glad to be back on the court, having a different voice talking in the huddle was a change he didn't expect. Jenkins had beeen his coach since Morant was drafted with the second overall pick in 2019.
“It's tough for me,” Morant said after the loss to the Lakers. "I had coach Taylor since I got here. Everything I've done in a Grizzlies jersey has been under him. That's always tough. It's my first time really experiencing a coach leaving since I've been hooping.
“It was a lot to process.”
Now Iisalo takes over. He came to the NBA as a Grizzlies assistant this season as the first Finnish-born coach in the league. Iisalo played and coached in Europe, including in 2024 when he was head coach of Paris Basketball, winning the EuroCup and honors as that league’s coach of the year. He also coached Telekom Baskets Bonn between 2021-23 and Crailsheim Merlins between 2016 and 2021.
As for whether he wants the Grizzlies job past this season, Iisalo said he is only worried about the team, the stretch run and making this late change as seamless as possible.
One day at a time.
“There's no reason to be going to the future,” Iisalo said.
But he saw improvement after the Grizzlies got off to a bad start, a theme all too common.
“I thought it was encouraging,” Iisalo said. “The goal of the game is to win ... but it was encouraging to me after that lackluster start, we did a lot of things a lot better in the second half.”
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Clay Bailey, The Associated Press
