Heading into his first full season as the head coach of the Memphis Grizzlies, Tuomas Iisalo has a two-headed monster at the top of his pecking order who are entering their prime years. Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are both two-time NBA All-Stars, have won NBA awards, and made All-NBA/All-Defensive teams, but have yet to complement each other's game fully.
Ja Morant is best when used in pick-and-roll situations, and what figured to be a lethal combination with Jackson Jr. used in those sets has yet to happen consistently. Jackson Jr.'s offensive game took a minute to develop into what it has become lately, so now is the time to fully unleash its best players in the same sets.
With the regular season just weeks away, and Jaren Jackson Jr. ramping up his rehab from his turf toe surgery, they don't have much on-court time to figure it out right away. However, they are entering their seventh season together, so it shouldn't take long to make that connection on the court when Jaren returns.
Grizzlies fans have waited years for an effective Morant-Jackson Jr. pairing
Former Grizzlies' head coach Taylor Jenkins had a mostly successful tenure with the franchise, but he could never figure out how to utilize Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. at the same time consistently on offense. Injuries to each player (Jaren in the early years and Ja lately) played a part in that, but utilizing Jaren in even pick-and-pop situations with his unique ability as a floor stretcher rarely materialized when he and Ja played together.
Tuomas Iisalo spoke at the Grizzlies' training camp media session and talked about plans to utilize them together, emphasizing fitting the right personnel around them. He sees Jaren Jackson Jr.'s unique ability to stretch the floor as an asset to unlock both Morant's and Jackson Jr.'s games this upcoming season.
The Grizzlies fanbase has longed for their two best players to be operating at their highest levels together, which has likely led to their downfall in the playoffs in the past. The team made the decision to build around their two stars this offseason despite the inadequacies to date, but now feels they have a coach who will unlock that potential.
Memphis fans can rejoice knowing they will likely see their stars emphasized more in the pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop scenarios together. Iisalo's system feels like it is what the franchise needed to take the next step with Morant and Jackson Jr. leading the way. The next step is to see the action on the court.