With nine games remaining in the regular season for the Memphis Grizzlies, head coach Tuomas Iisalo has other priorities in mind ahead of his team’s game against the visiting Chicago Bulls.
The Grizzlies (24-49), after all, were felled by an abundance of injuries, including season-ending ones for star guard Ja Morant, big man Zach Edey and multiple key reserves. Therefore, Iisalo is intent on getting good looks at a number of other players against the Bulls (29-44).
Among the candidates is Olivier-Maxence Prosper, who has assumed a starting role and appears to be making a strong case for himself.
Prosper, a 6-foot-8 forward in his third NBA season and first with the Grizzlies, started the season on a two-way contract before signing a multi-year deal on March 4.
He scored a career-high 31 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the floor in Memphis’ 119-109 loss to the Houston Rockets. He made four of his five 3-pointers and added seven rebounds and two steals.
Prosper scored 11 points in the final four minutes Friday to keep the Kevin Durant-led Rockets from turning the affair into a blowout.
Iisalo has been impressed with Prosper’s approach and work ethic.
“It’s not just putting in the hours, it’s what he puts into those hours,” Iisalo said. “He’s present in every one of those workouts.”
A first-round pick in 2023, Prosper played his first two seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. The Grizzlies signed him after the Mavericks waived him last August.
He said he was grateful the Grizzlies signed him to the multi-year deal.
“It’s just a belief in myself and trusting that everything is going to work out,” Prosper said. “(I’m) staying true to the process, staying true to my work.”
The Bulls are struggling to the finish line, too. They lost for the 22nd time in their past 28 games to fall out of contention for a play-in berth.
In Friday’s 131-113 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Bulls were outscored 69-46 in the second half.
Bulls coach Billy Donovan understands there’s a toughness the team needs to learn in the waning days of the season.
“They really care,” Donovan said. “They really want to do well both individually and collectively, but we get down too much, and we’ve got to become a lot tougher when things aren’t going our way.”
Things were going Chicago’s way in the first half against the reigning NBA champions Friday. They led 67-62 at the half, but a 22-0 Thunder run that started late in the third quarter ended the Bulls’ chances. Josh Giddey made just 1 of 11 shots from the floor and misfired on all eight of his attempts from 3-point range.
Playing Memphis could prove to be a cure for Giddey. He has had five double-doubles in his last seven games against the Grizzlies, including a triple-double in the last meeting, a 132-107 Bulls’ win on March 16.
Collin Sexton scored 22 off the bench to lead the Bulls against the Thunder. He is averaging 21 points in the team’s last three games.
