The Grizzlies' early-season struggles continued in a blowout home loss to the Houston Rockets on November 5th. They have now lost four games in a row to fall to 3-6 on the season, including losing three consecutive games at the FedExForum.
Ja Morant's struggles continued as he shot 6-19 from the field and 1-7 from three against the Rockets, bringing his season averages to 20 points on 38% shooting (14% from three). A notable revelation made by Morant's postgame comments was the lack of spacing the team has right now, due to their shooting deficiencies throughout the roster.
However, the situation that began all the drama from Morant in the last week hasn't changed much, as Tuomas Iisalo's playing rotation isn't making much sense for a team missing four players to injury. If the team wants to snap their skid and get on the right track, he will need to adjust his philosophy before things become worse.
Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. need to play together more often
The Grizzlies' two stars have had questions about their ability to coexist throughout their time together, as one seems to play better when the other isn't on the court. However, Tuomas Iisalo was hired to figure that out. Instead, he has played his two stars separately more often than they have in the past.
Last season, Morant and Jackson Jr. shared the court for 21.4 minutes per game, and that number has dropped to 14.6 minutes per game this season. Iisalo runs a system that demands maximum effort from his players in short bursts, but it has sacrificed longer runs for players who need more time to gain a rhythm.
After players playing low minutes became an issue under former head coach Taylor Jenkins last season, Tuomas Iisalo has begun this season with the same method. While former assistant coach Noah LaRoche had the biggest effect on the Grizzlies' offensive system last season, which didn't maximize Morant's play style, it feels like Iisalo had an effect on players' minutes when he was in the assistant spot.
Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. need to play more than 30.0 and 28.8 minutes per game. Also, Jackson Jr. needs to attempt more than the six shot attempts he had against the Rockets. Coaches come and go, and Iisalo has already alienated Ja Morant this season. He will need to adjust his style if the team wants to have any chance at moving past their early slide and drama this season.