The Memphis Grizzlies played their first contest without Ja Morant this season after the star point guard went down with a leg injury in the team’s last contest. Morant will only be out for “a couple of weeks” with a sprain in his knee.
Still, after a tough start, this Grizzlies team will need to stay afloat without him if they want to take another shot at the NBA Playoffs.
The Grizz got off to a hot start in that respect by demolishing a Sacramento Kings team that had some injury-related issues in its own respect. The Kings played without Harrison Barnes, Maurice Harkless, and Richaun Holmes. Here are three takeaways from that game.
Takeaway No. 1: The Memphis Grizzlies can excel offensively without Ja Morant
The most obvious worry here in relation to Ja Morant’s injury was the team’s ability to stay afloat offensively without the team’s leading scorer and assist man.
They did more than just stay afloat.
Memphis scored 128 points (their highest total in six games) against the Kings who, granted, have one of the worst defenses in the league. Still, this is an extremely positive sign. While backup PG Tyus Jones didn’t pick up much of the slack scoring-wise, he recorded eight assists in 24 minutes.
Dillon Brooks, Desmond Bane, De’Anthony Melton, and Jaren Jackson Jr. picked up the scoring slack, each scoring at least 14 points on the night. That said, the Grizzlies may need a single guy to step up and be this team’s leading scorer consistently.
I’m looking at Desmond Bane or Dillon Brooks to become the guy in the coming weeks.