The Memphis Grizzlies will begin the 2025-26 season with a different head coach for the first time since the 2018-19 season. Ja Morant's rookie season began with Taylor Jenkins in 2019, but Jenkins was fired and replaced by Tuomas Iisalo with nine games remaining in the 2024-25 regular season.
It didn't take Grizzlies' general manager Zach Kleiman long to remove the interim head coach tag from Iisalo once the offseason began after giving him an assistant role last offseason. One stark difference in coaching philosophies between Taylor Jenkins and Tuomas Iisalo was noticeable in the Grizzlies' ending to the last regular season, and likely paved the way for key offseason decisions.
The Grizzlies addition of Landale was an Iisalo move
Jock Landale was waived by the Houston Rockets in July after they re-signed Steven Adams and added Clint Capela to round out their center rotation. Landale almost immediately signed with the Memphis Grizzlies as they traded former reserve center Jay Huff to the Indiana Pacers, who fit Jenkins' system.
Iisalo favored former reserve big man Marvin Bagley III over Jay Huff down the stretch of last season after Brandon Clarke was ruled out for the remainder of the season in late March. Huff was more of a finesse big that spaced the floor, while Bagley was more of a physical big who set screens and rebounded.
Iisalo utilized Zach Edey almost strictly in the pick-and-roll with Ja Morant after he was used almost solely as a rebounder and spot-up shooter before the coaching change. Landale's game is predicated on screening and rebounding, which plays into what Iisalo wants to do with his centers on offense.
Landale also mentioned he had prior experience with Iisalo in Europe, which makes for an easy transition to the Grizzlies' intense, fast-paced system emphasizing accountability and pick-and-roll play. He is the ultimate "dirty work" big man with a never-quit attitude, which also aligns with Iisalo's philosophy.
With Zach Edey expected to miss at least the first two weeks of the regular season and Brandon Clarke projected to miss at least the first month of the season, Jock Landale will be asked to fill the void that Tuomas Iisalo wants to fill with his style. The Grizzlies are reshaping their identity this season, and Landale will play a key role even when Edey and Clarke return from their injuries, and he has Iisalo to thank for that opportunity.