Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. add attitude to the ‘holistic’ ways of Tuomas Iisal

Prepare the Three Six Mafia mix. Something worth tasting is finally brewing on Beale Street, even as The Memphis Grizzlies are dealing with some early season absences. After falling to a 4-11 record, Tuomas Iisalo has racked up back-to-back wins while developing something that can’t be drawn on a chalkboard: attitude. Not recklessness. Not immaturity. Just a willingness to get under everyone’s skin and redefine the tone of a team still searching for stability. With Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. among many injuries to nursesThe Grizzlies (6-11) have settled into a sharper, more confrontational style of play.

Fortunately for their postseason hopes, Iisal’s Grizzlies are starting to look like a team that’s creating an identity instead of waiting to bounce back. Jock Landale led the charge against a fan who called out Morant’s leadership. Zach Edei is back to patrol the paint. Morant reaffirmed his love for Memphis on social media before trash talking Klay Thompson. Santi Aldama was more aggressive. Jaren Jackson Jr. was last heard by ClutchPoints channeling Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s portrayal in HBO’s Winning Time to remind his teammates that this “long season” is a marathon, not a sprint, emphasizing the need for patience and perseverance in the midst of adversity.

Beneath the wins, losses and injury concerns, the first-year NBA head coach is building something deeper with his players. Speaking recently about the death of Rodney Rodgers and Chris Paul’s retirement announcement, Iisalo revealed the philosophical basis that guides his approach to coaching.

“The most important thing in this whole thing is relationships,” Iisalo began. “That’s what I look at in good relationships with staff members, with players. It’s something that goes beyond basketball, it’s more important. It’s about what you do with the time you have together and that’s what we focus on.”

It’s easy to distinguish between short-term goals and lasting memories and how to value them.

“A lot of times you focus on the wins and losses,” Iisalo continued, “and then when you look back, you remember what happened in between. That’s the time you spend with great people.”

Asked how he plans to build those relationships with Morant and Jackson when they return, Iisalo split his answer between the hardwood and whatever awaits at home.

“Well, there’s two things. There’s things on the field,” Iisalo said, “where we talk about those things to find good chemistry in what we’re doing. It’s looking for input from (Jay Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.) on how to do things, how they’ve done it before, because there’s some familiarity with it.”

The second component reveals where Iisal’s coaching philosophy really excels.

“Off the field, it’s getting to know the man behind the player,” emphasized Iisalo. “That’s a big part of how I see it.”

This approach is not something Iisalo developed overnight or borrowed from another coach. No, this is the basis of the Finnish tactician’s origin story.

“I did my coaching qualifications around 2009 and I was asked how I see holistic coaching. It was a big term at the moment,” laughed Iisalo. “To me, it’s about first coaching a human being, then coaching an athlete, and then coaching an athlete in a particular sport. You have to have good relationships with all of that and understand all three levels of those relationships.”

That world view is starting to show itself as a tighter, more connected and purposeful locker room. In a league where injuries and losses are inevitable, Tuomas Iisal’s focus on human connections offers a reminder that basketball, at its core, is about the people who play it. For a Grizzlies team still in the standings, that foundation could prove more valuable than any early season winning streak.

Even without their stars on the court, Memphis is finding its edge again. The attitude they develop, the edge they uncover and the relationships Iisalo cultivates could be what carries these Grizzlies through the long season Jackson Jr. referred to, turning a rough start into something meaningful by season’s end.