3 Memphis Grizzlies players who have stepped up the most in absence of Ja Morant

The Memphis Grizzlies have played a lot of really good basketball in the nine-game absence of All-Star Ja Morant.

The team went 7-2, including seven consecutive wins without the bonafide superstar and seventh-leading scorer in the NBA this season. The team is 20-4 overall this season in games that Morant does not play.

We are expecting Ja Morant to return from injury against the New Orleans Pelicans on April 9, the first time he’s been listed on the injury report as something other than “out.”

Before we see the potential return of the NBA’s most improved candidate, we’re taking a look at three players who stepped up and kicked it into another gear after Morant went down with his injury on March 18.

First up, is Xavier Tillman Sr., the second-year forward out of Michigan State.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Xavier Tillman Sr. made the most of his minutes

As we’ve said before, Tillman has been the odd-man out of the rotation, for the most part, this season, averaging just under 13 minutes per game. That may seem like a decent amount, but the bulk of his minutes have come in garbage time and he’s only appeared in 51 games this season.

But, since Morant went down, his number has been called a few times to play meaningful minutes and he’s delivered more often than not.

Tillman had a standout performance against the full-strength Phoenix Suns on April 1. He played 28 minutes and absolutely stuffed the stat sheet, recording 13 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds in the surprising win for the Grizzlies.

Tillman has shown he deserves time on the floor, but there just aren’t enough minutes to go around right now. That could change in the playoffs, especially if one or two post players get in foul trouble, it could create an opportunity for Tillman to step up once again.

If Kyle Anderson leaves the team next season as a free agent, Tillman could be the perfect fill-in for the veteran. But, that’s a conversation for another time.