Story by
"A recipe for disaster" - Cousins blames Grizzlies' "military-style coaching" for fallout with Morant
- Story by
- "A recipe for disaster" - Cousins blames Grizzlies' "military-style coaching" for fallout with Morant
DeMarcus Cousins is taking the side of Ja Morant in his current predicament with the Memphis Grizzlies . Most NBA talking heads have criticized Ja's actions, including DeMarcus' co-hosts on "Run it Back." However, Boogie looks at things differently.
He believes that the coaching staff is at fault here for using a style that is not applicable in the "modern" NBA. And because the front office is backing Coach Toumas Iisalo, Cousins thinks it's time for Morant to find a new home.
Advertisement
"It's time to move on. This ship has sailed. I think the Grizzlies have made their decision on who they are siding with when they decided to suspend Ja Morant . Obviously, they're siding with this coaching staff," said Cousins.
Iisalo has a detailed and disciplined style of coaching
The coaching staff that Cousins is referring to is led by Finnish head coach Iisalo, who has made his mark in Europe, having been named a two-time Bundesliga Coach of the Year and the 2024 French League Coach of the Year. The Grizzlies hired him in July 2024 as Jenkins' assistant, and when Taylor was fired, ownership put him at the helm.
Advertisement
As a bench tactician, Iisalo is known for his detailed and disciplined coaching style. He is intense, strict, and doesn't tolerate anything that he thinks is getting in the way of winning. However, while this approach worked wonders and produced results for him in various European leagues, Cousins believes it won't be effective in the NBA.
"This was a coaching staff that was brought in with a militant style of coaching. Doesn't blend well with everybody. Doesn't blend well with modern basketball. That's something that's embraced overseas, in the European league. They like the military style because they also lack talent, where we don't. So they have to be more fundamental. They have to be well-coached to cover up for those other areas. So this style of coaching combined with modern-day basketball is a recipe for disaster," added Boogie.
Advertisement
Frustration is part of the game
After Iisalo took over from Jenkins, the Grizzlies went from 44-29 and 5th place in the Western Conference to 44-38, needing the play-in tournament to make the playoffs, where eventual champions Oklahoma City swept them in the opening round.
On Friday, the Grizzlies were 3-2 on the young season when they hosted the Lakers . Morant struggled with his shot during the game and was visibly frustrated. They lost, and Ja reportedly challenged Tuomas' leadership after the game.
Advertisement
The Grizzlies suspended Morant for one game due to conduct detrimental to the team, but Cousins says they should have left it on that court and moved on.
"Frustration is a part of sports; let's not act as if it's not. If you disagree, it's because you're a nerd and you never played the game. That's simple as that. Frustration is a part of sports. If you think we're not human beings, if you don't think we have emotions when we're playing on the field or on the court or whatever, respect this sport we're playing," Boogie explained.
That is a part of the game, and this is the part that pisses me off. Stop dehumanizing these people. Stop acting like people aren't human beings. Stop acting like people don't have feelings because it's a real thing, and you can't just sit here and turn it off like it's a switch in life. That's not how life works," he added.
Advertisement
Cousins says the fact that Morant scored 28, including the go-ahead basket in their win against the Phoenix Suns one game earlier, proves that he is as serious as Iisalo in winning. Ja was frustrated in the loss to the Lakers, but DeMarcus says players have feelings that coaches have to understand.
Boogie has a point, but that's how he operated during his playing days, and that's probably one of the reasons why Cousins couldn't land a job later in his career.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Nov 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
