Analysis: Grizzlies and Ja Morant improve offensive ability under the leadership of new coach Isalo

Last season, Thomas Isalo let Ja Morant control the team, and the Grizzlies' offense also improved. The Memphis Grizzlies made a bold move with only nine games left in the regular season: fired head coach Taylor Jenkins and promoted assistant coach Thomas Isalo. The decision of executive vice president and general manager Zach Kleiman was shocked by many, considering the team's playoff trend and Jenkins' important role in the team's recent success. Jenkins has the most wins in team history and has been competing for the top four for most of the season. However, Isalo quickly left his mark on the team, and under the leadership of Ja Morant, Desmond Bain and Jaren Jackson II, the team's offensive ability has been greatly improved.

Despite 15 challenging trials, including a first-round sweep by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Isalo's outstanding performance was enough to earn him the official head coach position. Fans should easily understand the reasons. Under Isalo, Ja Morant's Grizzlies made a significant improvement in offense. However, the team's pressure is still huge because the team's bosses have high expectations for the new lineup. Some data trends reveal fans’ expectations for the opening lineup next season. One of the most direct and influential changes to the Grizzlies Ja Morant is the shift in offensive philosophy, especially in how the Grizzlies can use Ja Morant. Led by Jenkins (usage rate 30.7%), Morant was once dissatisfied with the team's offensive system, which often took the ball away from him, emphasizing positionless offense and ball transfers, while ignoring his dynamic organizational offensive ability. Isalo formulated an offensive system based on Morant's strengths, allowing him to control the offense (usage rate of 34.6%).

The substitute, trained in Europe, made an informed decision. As Isalo clearly instructed the All-Star player to take control of the offense, Morant's usage and efficiency soared simultaneously. The 25-year-old, led by Isalo, has never played less than 20 points per game for at least 27 minutes. In three of the first six games the new coach coached, Morant scored at least 30 points.

Real shot percentage: 57.9% (+1.9)

Effective shot percentage: 55.1% (+5.7)

Routage percentage: 10.1 (-2)

Score: 28.4 (+6.1)

Three-point shot percentage: 37.9% (+8.8)

Basket percentage: 48.1% (+3.2)

Isalo's system also emphasizes speed and offensive rebounds, which complements Morant's ability to speed up the pace and create conversion offensive opportunities. Under Isalo, Morant ranked sixth in fast break scoring conversion rate, while the Grizzlies' offensive efficiency is still at the top of the league. In short, Morant's increased participation makes the offense smoother and the coordination is closer. This is expected to continue next season.

"I think Thomas is a good coach," Morant said in a resignation interview. "For me, watching the game video with him or just talking about basketball, seeing him and what I saw on the court is the same. I wouldn't say it was a surprise, but it was really exciting."

fans should be lined up to see what happens next, as all the signs (including Isalo's appointment) suggest that the Grizzlies will keep this core roster and hit the Western Conference Finals again.

Thomas Isalo builds the team culture

Isalo's influence is not limited to Morant, but Desmond Bain and Jaren Jackson Jr. have also improved. Bain's average score has increased significantly from 18.7 points when Jenkins coached to 23.3 points. Bain's three-point shooting percentage has also improved (from 38.5% to 43.5%). Isalo's system encouraged Bain as the second star to take on more of the organization's offense, thus liberating Morant, allowing him to shoot open balls and create a wonderful cut in the backcourt.

Jaren Jackson, although his score dropped slightly (from 22.4 points per game to 20.1), he is still the main defensive end and benefited from Isalo's emphasis on diversity in the frontcourt. His usage rate is still close to star level, although he relies more on defenders on the offense. The unique skill set is a double-edged sword. Jackson's defensive performance allowed Isalo to try out various squads to maximize space for Morant and Bain, while Jackson or Zach Eddie often served as screens in the high pick-and-roll.

Isalo is able to fully unleash Morant's potential while improving the level of substitute stars and maintaining the team's identity during turbulent times, which is of great significance to his future development. Isalo has a full offseason to build the team culture, and he has the opportunity to address defensive instability and integrate young players like Scotty Pippen. Despite the disappointing playoff performance, Isalo's short coaching career demonstrated the Grizzlies' organized, balanced, and unyielding spirit.

"I have a lot of confidence in Thomas' future coach of the Memphis Grizzlies," Clayman explained. "The teams at all levels coached by Thomas are disciplined and hard-working, and are closely linked on both ends of offense and defense, and always exceed expectations. We expect Memphis to be the same."

The decision to cancel Isalo's temporary coaching label reflects the team's confidence in building around this core, and the overall strength of the team is obvious. Next season, it depends on how Isalou brings the team together. Kleiman bets on this.