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By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Since taking over the Memphis Grizzlies as the interim head coach, Tuomas Iisalo went directly into a challenge to clinch a berth in the 2025 NBA Playoffs presented by Google.
In a postgame press conference, the 42-year-old Finnish tactician used his experience as a head coach in Europe to counter possible stress stemming from the playoff hunt.
“I don’t know how other coaches do it, but I never saw the need to look past tomorrow or today,” he discussed a battle to reach the Playoffs or settle for a spot in the 2025 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament.
“There is a concept called relegation in Europe that is an existential threat to the whole franchise. Maybe it is something very hard to deal with or understand when it’s a closed league,” he explained his approach, “Being in that situation twice, when you feel responsible for the whole future of the franchise and everybody’s jobs, because when you go down a level, you don’t have the same budget and for sure don’t have the same roster, or people in the office. So, I have been twice in that situation, and that has taught me a lot about how to approach also these type of situations.”
“It’s just one day at a time, you control the controllables, you do everything you can in that timeframe. No matter where we end up, our games will continue after the Regular Season. And we will be at our best when the postseason starts,” added Iisalo.
Currently tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves in sixth place of the Western Conference standings, the lowest seed leading directly to the Playoffs, the Grizzlies focus on a three-game road trip consisting of games against the Miami Heat on Thursday, the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, and the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday.
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