As bad as the current four-game losing streak has been for the Memphis Grizzlies, they still find themselves in a good position to finish the season with homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. However, they will need to stop the bleeding quickly and they have a golden opportunity against a deflated Dallas Mavericks team on March 7th.
Losers of seven of their last 10 games, the Grizzlies have had everything you can name that has gone wrong with them. From defensive breakdowns to offensive shooting slumps and injuries to their top players, the Grizzlies have struggled to get off the mat.
Late-game execution was at the forefront as they became the first team since the 2002 Seattle SuperSonics to lose three consecutive games on a last-second shot with less than six seconds left. However, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated them by 17 points on March 5th to stop the clutch performance misery.
As they attempt to regather their pre-All-Star break peak, the Grizzlies will need these players to turn around their performance in the critical areas needed to maximize their season.
Ja Morant's shot
Ja Morant's season has been up and down,, to say the least after missing 73 games last season due to suspension and injury. He has suffered different injuries throughout this season that have caused him to miss 24 games and had him questioning if he should've played their last game due to discomfort with his shoulder.
Morant began the season looking closer to his old self as he averaged 21 points and eight assists on 45% shooting from the field and 32% from three before suffering the AC Joint Sprain. Considering he is a career 46.7% shooter from the field and 31.3% shooter from three, that matches closer to what he has been throughout his career.
Since that moment, he has missed 12 games due to lingering issues with the shoulder and is averaging 21 points and 7 assists, but shooting only 41% from the field and 25% from three. While Ja Morant hasn't been the greatest shooter from three in his career, he has kept his attempts below five per game.
This season, he is attempting 5.2 attempts per game and is shooting only 28.4%, including shooting 14.6% on 6.8 attempts since the All-Star break. As the status of his shoulder being a lingering issue continues to be monitored, the team will need him to lessen those attempts from behind the three-point line and put that into action in other ways to maximize his effectiveness on the court.
Desmond Bane's three-point attempts
While Ja Morant's three-point attempts need to go down, Desmond Bane's attempts need to go up for the Grizzlies. Bane is a career 40.9% shooter from three, and although this is his worst season, shooting 37.7%, his attempts per game (5.8) are his lowest since his rookie season.
Desmond Bane attempted 8.6 threes per game last season and made it at a 38.1% clip, so the Grizzlies need him to get closer to that, as his scoring and shooting are almost as critical as Morant's. Bane is one of the best shooters in the NBA, and while he has expanded his game to be a more complete scorer, his three-point shot is his best asset.