The breakout star becomes an “engine” like Stephen Curry in a unique role

In a league conditioned to shine the stars, Tuomas Iisalo was careful to shift his attention to the relationship the tissue that holds the Memphis Grizzlies together. After the win over the LA Clippers, the first-year NBA head coach did it again, putting backup point guard Cam Spencer as Stephen Curry– as an “engine” not in scale or fame, but in gravity, pace and decision-making.

This is it is not a new developmentbecause Spencer was great while Ja Morant got better.

“Yes, not just tonight,” Iisalo said. “I think I said two weeks ago that I was very surprised more people weren’t talking about him. He was great.”

Really amazing. Over the past two games, the 25-year-old has gone 13-for-16 from three-point range, part of a broader surge that has seen him connect on 35-of-55 attempts (63.6%) in the last 10 competitions. During that 7-3 stretch for the Grizzlies, the 24-year-old averaged 16.9 points, 5.2 assists and 2.4 rebounds in 25.5 minutes per game.

For Iisal, Spencer’s Stephen Curry-level efficiency is a case study in system synergy versus the glorification of the individual. He claimed that Spencer’s success was fundamentally related to Grizzly functionality‘ second unit, which has become one of the most powerful benches in the league.

“I’ve noticed that there’s a tendency in the NBA to talk about the individual and what the individual does,” Iisalo noted. “But if you asked Cam, he’d be the first to say that because the unit is very functional for them to play (well). He loves playing with those guys.”

Spencer’s evolution from spot-up specialist to on-ball orchestrator fundamentally changed his NBA trajectory. It brings out the best in everyone’s selfless approach to the game.

“Jock is setting great screens on him, Vince is opening up spaces for him on the perimeter,” Iisalo detailed. “Even Santi Aldama, they’re having a lot of fun playing. Cam just happens to be the engine of that unit.”

However, that engine had to be rebuilt during the summer.

The Grizzlies are shutting down Cam Spencer

The offseason overhaul now has the UConn alum moving to the offense with a better-tuned transmission. Spencer’s shot distorts coverage, forcing defenses to rush him above the crease and open lanes for others. The difference now is that he can punish overreactions with the ball in his hands.

“(Spencer) has been tasked with making plays on the ball a lot of times and that’s something he really hasn’t done before this summer,” Iisalo explained. “He’s one of those guys that has expanded his skill set and created a different type of niche.”

From shooting specialist to decision-making engine in a powerhouse unit, Cam Spencer’s story is no longer overlooked. It’s a revelation that’s gaining value daily on the NBA’s most improved player and markets, and not one the Grizzlies will give up this season.

“His value in terms of the league is completely different because (Spencer) was a shooting specialist, an off-ball shooter. Now he’s a guy who can make decisions on the ball; you can play him next to another coach,” Iisalo said. “It’s really, really expanded his skill set, and Cam is doing a really, really high-level job right now.”

The ultimate proof is that Spencer can no longer be ignored and is now actually a prominent name on the board.

“I bet he’s a featured player on opponents’ scouting reports right now,” Iisalo suggested. “That says a lot about him.”

For a Grizzlies team facing more injury scares than Ja Morant and Zach Edey, the rise of Cam Spencer has been both stabilizing and catalytic. It may not be the center of attention, but like the model it increasingly resembles in function, its presence changes the geometry of the floor and, increasingly, the results on the scoreboard.