"I had them figured out" is what Ja Morant had to say about their first-round series loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Grizzlies' exit interview media availability. Memphis was leading 67-40 when Morant left the game in Game 3 after being injured on a dunk attempt, and the rest was history.
"What if" is a theme for the Grizzlies' era of contention, with Ja Morant leading the way as he has gotten hurt at the most inopportune times. The ankle injury he suffered in their first play-in tournament game against the Golden State Warriors likely cost them the opportunity to avoid the Thunder in the first round.
However, we live in a "what is" society, and Ja Morant did get hurt, and the team blew a 29-point lead in that pivotal Game 3 at home before getting swept 4-0. Now, the team that the Grizzlies were ahead of just two seasons ago is miles ahead of them with a chance to make the Western Conference Finals.
While the Thunder have looked like the best team in the NBA for the majority of the season, the Grizzlies were next in line for over half the season before the bottom fell out. One key ingredient has separated the Grizzlies and Thunder, and Memphis will need to unlock it to reach championship contention.
Again, Ja Morant must reach MVP-caliber status
Thunder star point guard, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, led the NBA in points per game this season with 32.7 points, and is the odds-on favorite to win the MVP award. He was the runner-up for the award last season, falling short against the player he is favored to beat out for the award this season, Nikola Jokic.
Life changes quickly in the NBA, as most would've probably had Ja Morant ranked ahead of Gilgeous-Alexander on their top point guard list following his 2021-22 season, when he finished seventh in MVP voting. Not only has Shai surpassed Ja in the player column, but his team has reaped the benefits of it, especially with his consistent availability.
Morant showed signs of the MVP candidate we saw three years ago down the stretch of this season, so next season will need to be his true breakout year. After playing a combined 59 games the last two seasons, Morant being more available and continuing the momentum he displayed in the last month of the season will go a long way in the Grizzlies' climb to catch the team that once looked up to them.