In a season where the Memphis Grizzlies have been defined as much by who isn’t playing as who is, something unexpected is starting to take shape: a team that’s learning how to thrive without leaning on its stars. With Jaren Jackson Jr. missing the start of the year and both Ja Morant and Zach Edey back on the injury report, the Grizzlies could’ve easily unraveled. Instead, under the guidance of assistant coach Tuomas Iisalo, they’re building a healthier, more sustainable brand of basketball-one that’s less about individual brilliance and more about collective execution.
Jackson Jr., now back in the lineup and playing a key role in Memphis’ recent surge, put it plainly after a win over the Clippers: “You’ve really got to come together, it’s not going to be a one-man job.” That’s been the theme of this stretch.
No hero ball. Just team basketball.
And it’s working.
Iisalo, who’s brought a fresh perspective since joining the staff, emphasized how the team dynamic has evolved. In recent years, the Grizzlies often defaulted to a predictable formula: Morant creating everything on offense, Jackson Jr. holding down the defense.
That formula worked-until it didn’t. It put too much on too few shoulders and left the supporting cast underdeveloped and underutilized.
But this season’s injuries forced a change. With the stars sidelined, players like Vince Williams Jr., Santi Aldama, Cam Spencer, and Jaylen Wells have stepped into bigger roles.
And they haven’t just filled in-they’ve grown. The offense now flows through multiple hands, and the defense rotates with purpose.
The Grizzlies are learning to win with a system, not just talent.
“So that’s it. The other guys have shown a lot of growth,” Iisalo said.
“Now it’s much, much healthier, the whole thing.” He didn’t just mean physically.
He was talking about the structure, the chemistry, the way the team moves as one. “It’s very easy to talk about one player or another,” he added, “but all of it is just how the whole team is working.”
That’s a critical shift for a franchise that’s been so reliant on its stars. Iisalo pointed out that he already had a good sense of what Morant and Jackson Jr. needed to succeed.
But with injuries constantly disrupting the lineup, they couldn’t build the right environment around them. Every game felt like a scramble, with the stars asked to carry the load on both ends of the floor.
This time around, the adversity has been different. Still painful, but manageable.
The Grizzlies didn’t collapse under the pressure. They adapted.
And now, with trade season officially underway following the December 15th deadline, they’re showing signs of a team that’s more than just its top names.
The win over the Clippers wasn’t just another tally in the standings-it was a statement. Seven players scored at least eight points.
Five hit double figures. Jackson Jr. led the team with 18 shot attempts, but the offense didn’t revolve around him.
Ball movement was crisp, defensive rotations were sharp, and the energy was collective. This was a team that had clearly grown through the grind.
And that’s what makes the future so intriguing.
When Morant, Edey, and Jackson Jr. are all healthy and back on the floor together, they won’t be returning to a team in disarray. They’ll be stepping into a system that’s been stress-tested and strengthened. A team that no longer needs them to do everything, but still knows how to elevate when they do.
The Grizzlies aren’t just surviving the chaos-they’re evolving through it. And if this version of the team keeps trending upward, their stars might be walking into the most complete, most balanced Grizzlies roster we’ve seen in years.