NASHVILLE — The conversations started in April.

Then-Memphis Grizzlies interim coach Tuomas Iisalo had exit interviews with players and gave them an idea of what he wants from them over the summer.

Just as the Grizzlies worked swiftly to name Iisalo head coach five days after those exit interviews, Iisalo wanted players to be ready to play quick. Now he is building an offensive system prioritizing pace with two buzzwords.

Speed kills.

The first day of Grizzlies training camp at the Crockett Center at Belmont University in Nashville concluded on Sept. 30. While Iisalo spoke highly of the players being well conditioned, it might take more than that to meet his practice standards.

“We all might need an inhaler,” Ja Morant said.

Speed kills

When Iisalo spoke on Sept. 29 at media day at FedExForum, he repeatedly highlighted speed and intensity as priorities within the new offensive identity.

Those changes were put on display at practice.

Iisalo and his new staff introduced drills different from those of previous years. Practice was intense, but the feedback from players was what Iisalo wanted.

“It felt like it was straight to the point,” Santi Aldama said. “There was no time wasted. We were talking about speed kills and we were making sure everything is fast, to the point. I felt like it was super efficient.”

Setting the tone

Every time the Grizzlies do an offensive action, they want the movement and decisions to be purposeful. That’s another area where the speed must translate. Iisalo doesn’t want players sucking the air out of the ball. Quick decisions and connectivity are needed.

Playing fast can sometimes lead to rushed errors, but it could also be a way for players to focus more. There’s no time to overthink.

While Morant said mistakes were made on the first day, he added that the team was locked in on the attention to details.

This is his seventh season. Each of his training camp practices had been while Taylor Jenkins was the coach. He acknowledged this season’s version had some differences.

“It might have been one of the toughest ones for me,” Morant said. “I feel like it was by far probably the best day one that I’ve had in my career for sure.”

Tuomas Iisalo’s take on speed

The Grizzlies emphasizing speed is not necessarily a new tactic. They were one of the fastest teams in the NBA year after year under Jenkins and led the league in pace even last season.

However, Iisalo emphasizes that it’s more than that. He calls it a “philosophy.”

While coaching in Europe, he mainly planned for one or two games per week. The NBA’s quick turnaround, with three or four games in a seven-day stretch, is why he’s emphasizing not wasting movements.

Quick decisions are important with the Grizzlies going to an offense that prioritizes pick-and-roll. Teams can sometimes become too dependent on a primary ballhandler in those systems, but Iisalo wants players ready to make quick reads.

“Generally, if you can be the faster party, it’s going to be very difficult for the other team to keep up with you,” Iisalo said.

Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at damichael.cole@commercialappeal.com. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.