Oct 25, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo looks on against the Indiana Pacers during the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images Wesley Hale-Imagn Images

Grizzlies' Tuomas Ilsalo Explains Difficulty of Facing Warriors

Originally posted on Memphis Grizzlies on SI
By Logan Struck | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 11:46 AM ET

After winning two of their first three games of the season, the Memphis Grizzlies traveled to San Francisco for — not only their first road game — but also a huge test against the Golden State Warriors.

Unfortunately for Memphis, they could not hang with the Warriors, falling into as much as a 22-point hole before ultimately losing 131-118. The Grizzlies were led by star guard Ja Morant with 23 points and nine assists, but the Warriors had four players score 20+ points, and Memphis struggled to stop them.

What makes the Warriors so difficult to beat?

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After Monday night's game, Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo explained what makes the Warriors a hard team to face.

"They're a very good team. They're a veteran team. They're a smart team," Iisalo said. "They played together for a long time, they have counters for almost every defensive variation, so they do a great job. The excellence of Steph Curry, his movement, he has a great gravitational pull, which opens up layups for the other players, and everybody buys into the system. They play good defense, so it's a very tough team to play against."

Of course, the Warriors are built around their star duo of Steph Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green, who all bring different skill sets to the table, but their intangibles are what make them so dangerous.

Not only do they have great coaching under Steve Kerr, but they have put together a group of some of the smartest players in the league, and they know how to use years of experience to their advantage. Especially when facing a younger team with an inexperienced coach like the Grizzlies, the Warriors have a significant advantage that is hard to fight through.

The Grizzlies still have some hope

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Despite a crushing loss to the Warriors to move to 2-2 on the season, the Grizzlies could make some noise throughout their 2025-26 campaign. Morant is already playing some incredible basketball, and he seems to have matured significantly, yet he still does not have his entire supporting cast on the floor.

The Grizzlies have been playing without five key players so far, yet they have still managed to stay afloat. Once this Grizzlies team gets its pieces all together, they could be dangerous, and Monday's loss to the Warriors is simply a learning experience for this new-look group.

Iisalo is a first-year head coach, but he proved that he knows what makes a team successful. Of course, it is much easier said than done to try to replicate how the Warriors operate, but Iisalo can attempt to build a legitimate threat with the pieces they have.

The Grizzlies move on to face the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, giving them a great bounce-back opportunity.

This article first appeared on Memphis Grizzlies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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