Herrington: As Grizzlies drama passes, spotlight shifts to coach Tuomas Iisalo
Memphis Grizzlies guard Cam Spencer (right) drives the lane against Houston Rockets defender Jabari Smith Jr. (left) during action on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
Chris Herrington
Chris Herrington has covered the Memphis Grizzlies, in one way or another, since the franchise’s second season in Memphis, while also writing about music, movies, food and civic life. As far as he knows, he’s the only member of the Professional Basketball Writers Association who is also a member of a film critics group and has also voted in national music critic polls for Rolling Stone and the Village Voice (RIP). He and his wife have two kids and, for reasons that sometimes elude him, three dogs.
Looks like they were just crashing out. Not cracking up.
I’m speaking, of course, of the Memphis Grizzlies’ late unpleasantness, the week that launched a thousand articles, podcasts, streaming videos and particularly arm-waving social media posts featuring entirely speculative Ja Morant trades.
It’s been a journey: Morant quiet-quitting on a high-profile, highly winnable game against the Lakers, then publicly spouting off after apparently being called out in the locker room. A team suspension and a loss without Morant in Toronto. An unhappy ordeal of a return against Detroit, with a combative postgame. A more settled second game back against Houston, still in a loss. And then a normal-to-promising weekend: A win over a bad Dallas team and a loss to a great Oklahoma City team, both featuring better chemistry and communication than had been seen since at least the opening homestand, and featuring probably the two best first halves the Grizzlies have played this season.
So is all that over? At least for now?
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Memphis Grizzlies Tuomas Iisalo Ja Morant Jaren Jackson Jr. Subscriber OnlyAre you enjoying your subscription?
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