Iisalo adjusting to new duties as Grizzlies Interim Head Coach, Morant returns to lineup

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Life moves fast in the NBA and the postseason is approaching even faster for the Memphis Grizzlies. Just four games remain on the team’s regular season schedule, the first on Tuesday night against the Charlotte Hornets.
was handed the reins as interim head coach just nine games before the postseason. He is adjusting on the fly to being a head coach in the NBA. The Finnish native has head coaching experience with great success in Europe, but becoming top dog in the NBA in the middle of the season is very different.
“Well, there’s certainly a lot more media duties,” Iisalo joked at practice on Monday. “As an assistant, you get to make all the suggestions in the world, but it’s not really your skin in the game. So you have to own it when you’re in that position as a head coach.”
Iisalo immediately took on one of the toughest parts of the Grizzlies schedule, losing three games at home to the Lakers, Celtics and Warriors before picking up two needed wins on the road over the and
Five games were played before Iisalo got his first opportunity to host a practice with his team. He maintained that the stage of the year and the urgency of the postseason means there will not be wholesale changes to the way the Grizzlies play.
“If you had a coaching change in Europe, you would have two to three days time to put something, install, go in some direction. We didn’t have that,” Iisalo said. “Luckily, we have all the big pieces in place. Just like we’ve been saying from the first day on: no big changes, just small things.”
One “small,” but noticeable change has been the use of Grizzlies center, Zach Edey. Edey’s had four of five games with double digit rebounds since Iisalo took over, including setting the franchise rookie record with 21 against the Pistons. He had 14 such games in the entirety of the season before then.
Edey’s minutes have also increased with the coaching change, from 20.8 for the season to 29.7 in the three games of April. Iisalo even used Edey in a closing role against the Pistons without their star player, Jalen Duren.
“We set more ball screens now. On defense a few different philosophies. Same group of guys, same team. Just a few little changes,” Edey said.
The Grizzlies won their game over the Pistons without Ja Morant, who missed the game due to food poisoning. Iisalo expects him back for Tuesday’s game against the Hornets.
“He’s doing great,” Iisalo said. “Fortunately, he’s feeling a lot better already, and that’s obviously a big load off everybody’s mind. It was unfortunate that it came right before the game that he can’t go, and our guys really stepped up in his absence. Super, super excited to have him back.”
Tip off Tuesday is 6 p.m. in the Spectrum Center.