The Memphis Grizzlies avoided a scare when it was announced that Ja Morant suffered a knee sprain and not a more severe injury like many fans feared. He’s still going to miss some time, but it’s not the season-ending injury it could’ve been.
No definitive timeline has been announced, but knee sprains can keep guys out from anywhere from a couple of weeks to several months. Morant is expected to be re-evaluated in a couple of weeks, which will give training staff a better idea of how long they’ll be without him.
The Grizzlies will be extra cautious when it comes to his recovery, even if it costs them some games. They are thinking long-term as they have to do what’s best for their franchise player. For now the front office appears confident that they can win some games without him and stay in a competitive spot regarding the playoff picture for when he returns.
Memphis was blown out by the Hawks in the game Morant suffered the injury, but they followed that up with a blowout of their own over the Kings the next game. Dillon Brooks led the way with 21 points, but it was ultimately offense by committee which led to the Grizzlies earning the win.
This is a Grizzlies roster with a lot of hungry young players who feel like they have something to prove. And without Morant leading the charge, they’ll need guys to step up on the offensive end of the floor. Tyus Jones is more than capable of running the offense as he’s one of the more efficient backup point guards in the game. So much so that he set an NBA record with a 6.9 assist to turnover ratio during the 2018-19 season.
The issue with this team is consistency, and with Ja Morant not on the court, they can’t afford to have off nights. Two main guys in Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane, have gone through their fair share of cold stretches this season, but this team needs both of them to play well to have a chance to win games.
The Grizzlies are used to fighting and outworking their opponent on a nightly basis, but this season they’ve struggled to maintain that playing style. Their defense in particular has to improve during this stretch if they’re going to win games against the NBA’s top teams. In short, they need to get back to playing Memphis Grizzlies “Grind City” style basketball.
The Grit N’ Grind Grizzlies, with guys like Tony Allen and Zach Randolph, embodied the city of Memphis perfectly, and while this is a whole new group, they’ve generally still tried to emulate that toughness and grit. The NBA has changed significantly in the past few years, but a tough-minded team that gives 100% effort on both ends of the floor can still win a lot of games.
The Grizzlies bench unit was one of the best in basketball last season, and this season, they’ve been a model of inconsistency. They’re still very productive in other ways, but this group can go ice cold in an instant on the offensive end of the floor.
While you never want to play games without your star player, the Grizzlies are going to be able to learn a lot about themselves during this stretch. Memphis has a promising young core, and many feel they have a chance to become a threat in the Western Conference in the next couple of years.
If that happens, players are going to need to be more consistent and step up their offensive production beyond Ja Morant. Guys will be forced to step up during this stretch, and hopefully when he returns, they can put all the pieces together and go on a big run heading into the postseason.
-Chris Kern
Twitter: @Chriskern11