Kris Murray moved from Memphis's bench units into the starting group. "We wanted to see him also there together with the starters," coach Tuomas Iisalo said. He praised Murray's work on Brandon Miller: "arriving with the ball, not fouling, and being there on every catch."
Ty Jerome is becoming Memphis's full-time point guard, a role coach Tuomas Iisalo says he has never had in his career. "He's found a better balance between moving the ball and being aggressive." Cameron Boozer is "essentially a second playmaker" at power forward.
Two point guards at once is by design for the Grizzlies. "A lot of our triggers or actions or sets are built so that we have 2 handlers," coach Tuomas Iisalo said. Don't read much into preseason minutes, though: once the season starts, "it's going to be very different."
Grizzlies' Cedric Coward says he wasn't fully himself in his first three preseason games. "I made good plays and stretches, but I think it's all about being reliable and consistent." He entered what a reporter called his best preseason game aiming to stay himself throughout.
GG Jackson on where his offensive game stands for Memphis: "I don't think it's where it needs to be, but it's on the right trajectory to being something good in my opinion." He credited learning to keep it simple early in his career with helping him find himself.
"Obviously very rusty." Tuomas Iisalo on Zach Edey's first game back for Memphis after about nine months out. Memphis grabbed 46% of its own misses with him in: "that's really what he gives." Orlando's shooting big men pulling him off the rim was "a very high-level challenge."
"It's like I got another point guard next to me almost at 6'10." Grizzlies guard Ty Jerome on Cameron Boozer, who he said can dribble, pass and shoot alongside him. Boozer was the first name he gave among the new playmakers around him.