The Memphis Grizzlies didn’t set out to find the next Ja Morant. But in the ever-unpredictable world of NBA roster building, smart teams don’t wait around for “what ifs” to become “now whats.” And over the past seven months, the Grizzlies have been quietly laying the groundwork for a contingency plan-one that’s now coming to life through the emergence of Cam Spencer.
Let’s be clear: Morant is still the face of the franchise. When he’s on the court, he’s the emotional spark plug and the most dynamic talent Memphis has.
But in a league where injuries and off-court uncertainty can turn a season on its head, the Grizzlies have done what good organizations do-they prepared. And in the process, they’ve reshaped Spencer from a floor-spacing specialist into a legitimate point guard who’s not just holding down the fort, but thriving in the role.
Since December 1, when head coach Tuomas Iisalo began handing Spencer the keys to the offense, the 25-year-old has responded with poise and production. He’s averaging 13.7 points, 7.8 assists, and 3.6 rebounds while shooting a blistering 48.5% from the field and 45.7% from deep.
Those are not empty-calorie numbers. Spencer is outpacing Morant in assists (7.8 to 7.5), committing far fewer turnovers (1.8 to 3.2), and doing it all on significantly fewer shot attempts (13.7 to 21.2) in similar minutes.
And this isn’t stat-padding against bottom-feeders. In 2026, Spencer’s averaging 8.5 assists per game, and six of those seven contests have come against playoff-caliber teams. That’s not just stepping up-it’s delivering under pressure.
This evolution didn’t happen by accident. It started back in May, when Spencer committed to an offseason of targeted development.
Iisalo and his staff recognized the unique weapon Spencer already had-his shooting-and set out to weaponize it even further. The goal?
Turn a catch-and-shoot threat into a pull-up assassin out of the pick-and-roll. That shift forced defenses to play him tighter, opening up passing lanes and creating a ripple effect across the offense.
“He really has a unique skill in his shooting,” Iisalo said. “So we set out with the clear objective of leveraging that shot even more… instead of being that catch-and-shoot guy, becoming a guy who can pull up out of pick and rolls.”
That change has been as much about mindset as mechanics. Spencer’s role has been re-engineered, not just expanded. He’s no longer a spacer waiting in the corner-he’s the guy initiating the action, reading the floor, and making the defense choose between giving up an open look or collapsing and risking a dime to an open teammate.
And Spencer’s gravity is real. Whether he has the ball or not, defenses have to account for him.
That kind of respect doesn’t come easy in the NBA. It’s earned through consistency and shot-making, and Spencer’s done both.
But the real story here is how he’s handled the transition to point guard. It’s not just about racking up assists-it’s about controlling tempo, making the right reads, and avoiding mistakes.
Over the past six weeks, Spencer’s assist-to-turnover ratio is better than 4-to-1, putting him among the league’s elite in that category. He’s not trying to be flashy.
He’s not forcing the issue. He’s just making the right plays, over and over again.
Defensively, he’s held his own too. No one’s confusing him with a lockdown defender, but he’s improved enough to make the position switch viable. That’s a credit to both his work ethic and Iisalo’s system, which demands engagement on both ends of the floor.
And let’s give some flowers to the front office here. Zach Kleiman and his team didn’t panic when Morant’s future became uncertain or when Scotty Pippen Jr. was ruled out for the season.
They didn’t rush into a splashy trade. Instead, they bet on internal development.
They saw something in Spencer that others didn’t-and they gave him the structure, support, and opportunity to grow.
Spencer’s background helps. He’s a two-time national champion from UConn, where he learned how to win in a system built on discipline and execution. That experience has translated to the pro level, where he’s proving he can do more than just play a role-he can lead.
Right now, the Grizzlies sit in the final Play-In spot, a position that reflects both the adversity they’ve faced and the depth they’ve built. Spencer’s emergence gives them something they haven’t had in a while: flexibility.
If Morant returns and recommits, Memphis suddenly has one of the league’s best backup guards. If he doesn’t, they’ve already got a starting-caliber point guard who’s integrated into the system and earning the trust of his teammates.
Cam Spencer’s rise isn’t just a feel-good story-it’s one of the most impressive individual developments of the NBA season. It’s a reminder that with the right coaching, the right plan, and the right mindset, internal growth can solve problems that too often get answered with desperate trades or big spending.
The Grizzlies didn’t replace Ja Morant. But in Cam Spencer, they’ve found something just as valuable: a player who’s evolved into a solution, not just a stopgap.