By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The Memphis Grizzlies parted ways with Taylor Jenkins and handed the team to former Telekom Baskets Bonn and Paris head coach Tuomas Iisalo, who is currently serving in an interim role.
The Finnish tactician made his debut as interim head coach against the Los Angeles Lakers but couldn’t find a way to win. After the game, he shared his thoughts and insisted that his team must improve.
“A lot of times, you don’t know what happened during the game until you watch the video. But I can already say we didn’t do the basics in the first half, so we’ve got to do a better job,” Iisalo said.
However, he found positives despite the loss.
“I thought it was encouraging. The goal of the game is to win, but after that lackluster start, we did a lot of things better in the second half.”
With the playoffs looming, the Grizzlies are 44-30 and sit fifth in the Western Conference standings.
“There’s no reason to be thinking too far ahead. We just have to focus on improving every day.”
The team’s star, Ja Morant, spoke about the surprising coaching change.
“It’s tough for me. I had Coach Taylor since I got here. Everything I’ve done in a Grizzlies jersey has been under him. It was a lot to process,” Morant admitted.
The Memphis Grizzlies are still on track to secure direct playoff qualification but are just two wins ahead of the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and Minnesota Timberwolves.