How Ja Morant revitalizes the Memphis Grizzlies
People have thrown this edgy phrase that "Ja Morant won't fix everything" for the Memphis Grizzlies, but Ja Morant surely fixes a lot of their woes.
It’s about that time. Ja Morant is returning from his 25-game suspension. During this stretch, the Memphis Grizzlies have struggled mightily, sporting a 6-18 record and sitting as the 13th seed in the Western Conference — falling 6.5 games behind for the play-in tournament.
In the meantime, there’s a trendy phrase thrown around on Grizzlies Twitter/X: “Ja Morant won’t fix everything.” Sure, he may not fix everything. Maybe a truth hidden through the dominant powerhouse teams like the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs in the mid 2010’s, not every contender is flawless. However, their strengths and their greatness — from individual and team standpoints — ultimately outweigh the weaknesses on his quest for immortality.
So to circle back, having Ja Morant back will help a lot of the Grizzlies’ woes in this early stretch. His prowess as a slasher and as a passer should help the Grizzlies climb closer to the expectations and past thresholds offensively — in hopes of rallying back into the playoff picture over the next 57 games.
Points in the paint
Let’s start with the center of his attack: his driving prowess.
Morant has solidified himself as one of the best players in the league at getting downhill. Just two seasons ago, he led the NBA in paint scoring with 16.6 points a game, becoming the 1st guard to lead that category in over a decade. Whether it’s from a screen-and-roll, from a cut, or in isolation situations, Morant is an automatic paint touch.
At the moment, the Grizzlies don’t have that sort of presence on the floor from the perimeter. Jaren Jackson has been an isolation phenom, and Desmond Bane has taken another sensational leap as an offensive weapon. Other than those two players, the offense is pretty much “swing, swing, shoot” or “swing, drive, kick, shoot” when those 2 players aren’t on the floor.
As a result, the Grizzlies are scoring just 45.7 points in the paint per game (26th in the NBA), after back-to-back seasons at the top of the list with roughly a dozen more points per game.
Yes, the Grizzlies likely need more than just Morant, Bane, and Jackson when it comes to rim pressure. However, their leaps and Morant’s arrival prevent the offense from stagnating when a star needs a rest — a major symptom of the Grizzlies’ struggles in the early going.
And with Morant, he’s so elite at getting to his spots in the paint that it opens up so more attacking points and commands the defense’s attention. It should also help the Grizzlies’ continued quest of elevating their halfcourt offense.
Assists per game
The Memphis Grizzlies have usually been one of the league’s best at moving the ball, trending in the top-10 in assists per game each season in the Ja Morant era. The head of the snake, obviously Ja Morant, has established himself as one of the premier playmakers last season — averaging 8.1 assists per game. This season, with the absence of Morant and Smart, the Grizzlies are missing two guys that resided in the top 20 in assists per game each of the past two seasons. As a result, the Grizzlies are only dishing out 23.8 assists per game — 28th in the NBA.
At the end of the day, players have to make shots to generate assists. However, Morant will create totally different looks than what’s being generated at the moment.
When he has the ball in his hands, he stirs a dynamic where it’s either “let Ja get to the tin” or “leave players like Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr.” He has a way of distorting the defense, and identifying the right read at the last possible moment for an open look.
Taking his passing aside, he draws assist opportunities for his teammates with his cutting. He thrives off a stampede cut, and he can also punish a defense for trying to cheat a DHO to get to the basket.
With a floor general of Morant’s caliber, the ball should pop more often to create a better rhythm and flow in the system.
Transition offense
The Grizzlies have made transition offense their bread and butter the past several years, and that’s in large part to Ja Morant. He stars as a human highlight reel, creating the spectacular in a blink of an eye.
The Grizzlies’ offense just hasn’t been getting out and running to start the season. They haven’t been flying down the court. Once making lobs a staple in its system, the alley-oops have suddenly vanished. They’re averaging 11.7 fast break points per game — 27th in the league — after 4 years of scoring at least 17 points in transition per game and ranking in the top 4 in 2 of them (1st in half of those seasons).
Morant should restore that magic.
However, with Morant returning and Bane emerging as an elite transition threat, the Grizzlies could create better scoring opportunities with their transition offense. At the same time, it should alleviate the troubles the Grizzlies have had building a formidable halftime offense — while rebuilding some of that fast break excitement once again.
Smaller numbers
Free throw attempts. The Grizzlies’ differential between their own and opponents’ free throw attempts cannot be overstated. The Grizzlies are 27th in free throw differential. Morant is elite at drawing contact in the paint and getting to the foul line the past few years. Coupling his foul drawing with Jaren Jackson Jr. — who’s getting to the free throw line at career-best levels this season (6.2 attempts per game) — should tilt that discrepancy closer to their favor.
Corner 3-point shooting. The Grizzlies are 4th in corner 3 frequency this season, but they rank 30th in accuracy — converting just 30.3% of their attempts. How does Morant help that? He’ll draw cleaner looks from downtown, and now Desmond Bane is gifted more catch-and-shoot opportunities, where he’s still elite. Luke Kennard’s return should help as well. In addition, the Grizzlies have shot 37.6 and 36.8% on corner 3’s the past two seasons. It’s not great, but progression to the mean is inevitable, right?
Overall, Ja Morant just changes the dynamic for the absence-riddled Memphis Grizzlies. It’s a sign that roles are beginning to normalize.
Under the radar through his rough start, the point guard situation will be drastically upgrade. Coming into the season, Derrick Rose was expected to be on the fringes of the rotation, while Jacob Gilyard would be playing more in Southaven. Now, they’ll have an All-NBA point guard — one that’s averaged roughly 27 points and 7 assists over the past 2 years — running the ship.
In the meantime, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. won’t command the attention they’ve been getting the past 2 months. They’re finding their stride offensively, and it should only help diversify the Grizzlies’ offense and making it more potent.
How high they climb offensively will be a “TBD,” but he should help them at least get out of the gutters — 30th in offensive efficiency.
Morant’s return, with Smart and Kennard joining him around that time, will normalize the rotation and minutes distribution better. Morant, Smart, and Kennard shift 3 players out of the rotation. In addition, guys playing in the starting lineup and/or heavy minutes won’t have that same workload. With a smaller role, they need to find consistent impact, but maybe fewer responsibilities next to more NBA-caliber playmakers help them get into a better groove.
More importantly, Morant’s arrival should add some juice. Morant will surely be motivated upon his return — one for putting himself in a situation to be unavailable the past 25 games, but because he’s back in his thrived role as “overlooked.” Analysts are taking about other young guards or young teams, and dropping Morant in their rankings for reasons that aren’t basketball.
Morant’s energy should feel like a shot in the arm for a Grizzlies team looking to find its edge and swagger. An espresso shot added to a coffee. A second wind. However you want to spin it, that’s how Morant’s present should rejuvenate this team.
He’ll be excited to be back on the floor, the team will be equally pumped to have him back, and that alone should recharge this team.
So, sure. Ja Morant may not fix everything for the Memphis Grizzlies, but it’s undeniable he helps revitalize them through many of their early woes.
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