How Ja Morant Can Take the Grizzlies to the Next Level
The Memphis Grizzlies went 10-2 without Ja Morant in the lineup, which tantalized the fanbase about his eventual return. Unfortunately the Grizzlies would drop his first game back against the Oklahoma City Thunder, in a rare stinker for the suddenly red hot Memphis squad.
After back-to-back home losses, they head out West for a three-game road trip against Golden State, Sacramento, and Phoenix. The progress they made during the winning streak was invaluable, and you don’t want to give up ground in the standings by losing these games on the road.
The Grizzlies sit in 4th place in the Western Conference with a 19-13 record. After making the playoffs a year ago, they’ve now got larger aspirations and want to not only get back, but make a run in the postseason. Given their recent on court success, the Memphis faithful suddenly have hope that they’ll be able to do just that.
Morant is the star of the team and nobody is questioning that, but they need to find a way to have him at his best while still allowing the other playmakers on this team to succeed. Dillon Brooks, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. all shot the ball well in his absence and they need to keep that up moving forward.
The averages aren’t going to be the same, but they need the effectiveness to still be there. Those guys can all knock down shots but Bane especially was such a good playmaker during this recent stretch that the team will need to utilize him in a more prominent role moving forward.
The Grizzlies bench stepped up during this stretch as well, most notably Tyus Jones and DeAnthony Melton. Jones went into the starting lineup and Melton’s role as the first guard off the bench increased. Both of these guys have the ability to impact the game in a variety of ways.
Jones is a solid scoring point guard who makes plays for his teammates while rarely turning the ball over. Melton does a little bit of everything; he is an improving scorer, a great defender, and the effort in which he plays with is contagious.
The Grizzlies know their depth is better than most clubs, but the difference in play from before Ja Morant was injured and after was noticeable. The young guys were making shots which was nice, but the biggest change was on the defensive end of the floor.
They went from the worst defense to the best and there’s no reason they shouldn’t be one of the better defensive units in the league for the remainder of the season. Morant isn’t a great defender, but he is serviceable and he wasn’t the reason they were struggling on that end before.
This Grizzlies team needs Morant to be his superstar self for them to reach their full potential, but look for him to try and get the other guys going early in games as well. He still needs to look to score, but they’re going to need a whole team effort if they want to stay in this 4th seed position moving forward.
-Chris Kern
Twitter: @ChrisKern11