Tuomas Iisalo Uses ‘13 Holes, 12 Plugs’ Analogy to Explain Grizzlies’ Challenge

Five days before the Memphis Grizzlies open the regular season, Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo compared an NBA team in season to a boat with 13 holes and 12 plugs.

He made the comparison Friday night after a 117-98 preseason win over the Charlotte Hornets at FedExForum, in postgame comments posted by Grind City Media. Memphis finished its exhibition schedule 3-1.

Iisalo said the Grizzlies spent the week before the finale running what was basically a second training camp at home.

"I can say that all of the areas need work, and it's a constant process," Iisalo said. "Once the season gets underway, I think somebody once said it's like having a boat with 13 holes and 12 plugs, and you keep moving them around because there's really very little practice time. Every team is extremely prepared for each game. So you're constantly just trying to patch it up."

"And what I've liked about our team is whether we're training with intensity or we're training what we call conceptual type of stuff, which isn't as taxing physically, we are making improvements," Iisalo continued. "And that speaks to the commitment from these guys from the first day of training camp."

That first day was Sept. 29 at Belmont University in Nashville. Memphis stayed through Oct. 2, then played three exhibitions in five days: a 132-123 win in Atlanta on Oct. 5, a 122-118 home loss to Orlando on Oct. 7, and a 104-100 win in Chicago on Oct. 9.

Seven days without a game followed, a stretch Iisalo said the team treated as a second camp.

A year ago, Memphis went 25-57 and missed the playoffs. The Grizzlies lost 564 games to injury and illness in 2025-26, an NBA record, according to the team's game notes. Scotty Pippen Jr. had surgery on both big toes during that season.

Iisalo said his locker-room message Friday was that tired legs and good habits beat fresh legs and bad habits.

"You could see it that this group, there are a lot of guys who were here last year and don't want to go through that anymore, and probably never again," Iisalo explained. "We have others who have talked about this, [Isaiah] Stewart, who's been in that type of situation."

Detroit traded Stewart to Memphis on June 24 for three future second-round picks. He spent seven seasons there. The first four were losing seasons.

That same week, Memphis drafted Cameron Boozer third overall. Six days after the first round, it traded Ja Morant to Portland for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.

The Grizzlies had already moved Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah at last season's trade deadline, a deal that brought back Walter Clayton Jr.

Ty Jerome arrived in Memphis on a three-year, $27.7 million contract and was limited to 15 games in his first season by a right calf strain. He made 10 starts across his six seasons before that.

This preseason, Iisalo said Jerome has found a better balance between moving the ball and being aggressive.

"Then we have others like Ty Jerome, who is now in a situation he's never been in his career yet and wants to make it, I think," Iisalo said. "The stars are [aligned] well for us to have everybody very locked in for this season and keep improving."

"But there's no illusions," Iisalo continued. "This is preseason. Teams play guys maybe a half, maybe three quarters, maybe three and a half quarters. Wednesday, when we start the season, then it's going to be very different."

Charlotte made 26 of its 30 free throws Friday, and Memphis was called for 30 fouls. Iisalo said keeping opponents off the line is the last hurdle left.

"We have to keep that mindset that we keep improving," Iisalo said. "This is not just for the first months or for the season. Overall, we have started something new, and we're building something new. So keeping that perspective in mind, that in the NBA there are no quick wins. You can only do a lot of damage in the short term. You've got to build things up in the long term while maintaining this type of sense of urgency."

"That's really the hardest balance to find overall," Iisalo continued. "It's not to just say that just by showing up, and say, 'Hey, just trust the process.' The improvement's not going to happen by itself. The improvement happens by immersing yourself every day and struggling through and doing that day after day after day without losing the enthusiasm. So that's really the challenge that the season presents, and how all good programs have been built."

Iisalo is entering his second full season as head coach. Memphis promoted him to interim coach in March 2025 and named him the permanent coach that May.

The Utah Jazz visit FedExForum on Wednesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. CT.

Memphis then plays four road games in seven days. The trip opens Oct. 23 at Golden State and ends Oct. 29 in Portland, where Morant now plays.