In a league that often shines its brightest lights on the biggest names, the Memphis Grizzlies are finding their spark in a different kind of star. First-year head coach Tuomas Iisalo isn’t just building a team-he’s building a system. And right now, the system is humming thanks to a player who wasn’t supposed to be the headline: Cam Spencer.
Coming off a strong win over the LA Clippers, Iisalo took a moment not to spotlight a traditional star, but to praise the engine quietly powering one of the NBA’s hottest bench units. Spencer, who’s been filling in during Ja Morant’s absence, is doing more than holding down the fort-he’s redefining his role and, in the process, helping reshape the Grizzlies’ identity.
“Not just tonight,” Iisalo said postgame. “I think I said two weeks ago that I'm very surprised more people aren't talking about him. He's been just tremendous.”
And he’s not exaggerating. Over the last 10 games, Spencer has been on a heater-35-of-55 from beyond the arc, a scorching 63.6%.
That’s not just hot shooting; that’s gravity. That’s forcing defenses to stretch, rotate, and react.
It’s the kind of shooting that warps a defense and opens up the floor for everyone else. He’s averaging 16.9 points, 5.2 assists, and 2.4 rebounds in just 25.5 minutes a night during a 7-3 stretch for Memphis.
That’s high-impact basketball in a compact package.
But Iisalo isn’t just impressed with the numbers. He sees Spencer as the embodiment of what makes this second unit so effective: cohesion, trust, and role clarity.
“There’s a tendency in the NBA to talk about the individual and what the individual is doing,” Iisalo said. “But if you would ask Cam, he would be the first one to say that because the unit is very functional, they’re playing well. He loves playing with those guys.”
And it shows. Spencer’s transformation from a spot-up shooter to a true on-ball creator hasn’t just elevated his own game-it’s lifted the entire second unit.
Whether it’s Jock Landale setting hard screens, Vince Williams Jr. spacing the floor, or Santi Aldama cutting and stretching defenses, the group is thriving. Spencer is the connector, the decision-maker, the one making it all go.
“He’s the engine in that unit,” Iisalo said. “They’re having a lot of fun playing.”
But this version of Spencer didn’t arrive by accident. It was built in the offseason, piece by piece.
The UConn product spent the summer retooling his game, expanding his handle, and learning to make plays off the dribble. That work is now paying off in real time.
“He’s a lot of times tasked with the on-ball duties, and that’s something he hadn’t really done before this summer,” Iisalo explained. “He’s one of those guys who’s expanded his skill set and carved out a different type of niche.”
That niche? A secondary creator who can shoot the lights out, run the offense, and punish defensive overplays.
It’s a rare combination-and one that’s becoming increasingly valuable. Spencer’s evolution has turned him from a niche shooter into a versatile weapon, someone who can play next to another ball handler or take over stretches on his own.
“His value in terms of the league is completely different,” Iisalo said. “He was a shooting specialist, an off-ball shooter.
Now he’s a guy who can make decisions on-ball. You can play him next to another handler.
That has really broadened his skill set.”
And the rest of the league is taking notice. Spencer’s name is no longer flying under the radar-it’s showing up on scouting reports. He’s the guy opposing coaches are circling, the player defenders are being prepped for in film sessions.
“I bet he is a feature player right now on the opposing scouting reports,” Iisalo said. “That says a lot about him.”
For a Grizzlies team dealing with the constant uncertainty of injuries to stars like Ja Morant and Zach Edey, Spencer’s rise has been more than just a nice story-it’s been a stabilizing force. He may not have the spotlight, but his impact is undeniable.
Like the player Iisalo subtly compared him to-Stephen Curry-it’s not about the volume or the flash. It’s about the gravity, the pace, the decisions.
It’s about how one player can quietly shift the geometry of the floor.
Cam Spencer isn’t just fitting in-he’s changing the game for Memphis. And if he keeps this up, the conversation around him won’t be about how surprising his play is. It’ll be about how essential he’s become.