Grizzlies Enter Camp in Better Health After Injury-Ravaged Season

The Memphis Grizzlies opened training camp Tuesday at Belmont University's Crockett Center in Nashville, Tennessee, the second straight year the school has hosted them. Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo discussed the roster's health that day in an availability reported by Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal.

Memphis lost 564 games to injury and illness last season, an NBA record, according to the team's game notes. The Grizzlies used 48 different starting lineups. No team used more. Twenty-nine players started at least one game, a league record, on the way to a 25-57 finish.

Bigs and point guards give Iisalo's offense its structure, and both groups were short-handed a year ago.

"The biggest difference for us is the health situation at this moment," Iisalo said. "Last year we had a lot of injuries going into the season at our bigs and our point guards. Really the players who give a lot of structure to the game were missing. This year we're in a much more fortunate situation, which I would hope helps us in the preparation."

Ja Morant sat out the entire 2025 preseason with a sprained ankle. Zach Edey was still recovering from offseason surgery on his left ankle and played 11 games all season. Ty Jerome strained his right calf about four minutes into the preseason finale at Miami on Oct. 17, 2025, and played 15 games.

Scotty Pippen Jr. had surgery on his left big toe in October 2025 and did not make his season debut until Feb. 6. Ten games later, he needed the same procedure on his right big toe.

General manager Zach Kleiman said at Monday's media day that Edey is cleared for full-speed, full-court work. At Belmont, Iisalo described the 7-foot-3 center as being in "ramp-up phase two" and not yet cleared for two-a-day practices, Sam Dicus of Belmont Vision reported.

Twelve players in camp were not with Memphis a year ago, and Iisalo compares their adjustment to learning a new language.

"You might have been successful in another place playing basketball a certain way, and I might have been, but for them to work, we have to find common ground, certain shared behaviors on the court, which is our idea of speaking a common language on the floor," Iisalo explained.

Memphis traded Desmond Bane in June 2025, Jaren Jackson Jr. in February, and Morant to Portland on June 29. Edey, the ninth pick in 2024, made the All-Rookie First Team before his ankle surgery.

Jerami Grant and Kris Murray came back in the Morant deal. Isaiah Stewart arrived from Detroit in June. The Grizzlies drafted Cameron Boozer third overall in June and traded for the rights to Karim López, the 21st pick. Cedric Coward, the 11th pick in 2025, made the All-Rookie First Team last season.

Iisalo took over March 28, 2025, when Memphis fired Taylor Jenkins with nine games left. Last season was his first full season, and he rejected the idea of a fresh start at media day Monday.

Camp ran through Friday. Memphis holds an open practice Sunday at FedExForum, then plays the Atlanta Hawks on Monday at 6 p.m. CT in its preseason opener.