3 Grizzlies who will benefit from Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension
By Mark Nilon
Coming into the 2023-24 season, the Memphis Grizzlies are preparing to take on an initial 25-game slate without superstar Ja Morant due to a league-issued suspension following yet another social media incident involving a suspected firearm.
Luckily, Taylor Jenkins has managed to guide his teams to rather significant heights during some of the guard’s previous absences, as they sport a record of 31-15 in such instances over the last two seasons.
Along with immaculate coaching, the Grizzlies have managed to stay more than afloat without their centerpiece in tow thanks to their impressive collection of players that, excitingly, managed to become even stronger this offseason.
This assortment of talent will find itself being put to the test during the first few months of the upcoming campaign in an effort to make up for the loss of Morant and, when looking at the roster, there are a few players in specific that could shine as a result of this added responsibility.
Grizzlies who will benefit from Ja Morant’s suspension
3. Jaren Jackson Jr.
Jaren Jackson Jr. finds himself coming off a career-best campaign in 2022-23 where he earned his first All-Star nod and was bestowed the illustrious Defensive Player of the Year award.
And while he established himself as a true anchor on the less glamorous side of the ball and, subsequently, the club’s second-best player, there’s an argument to be made that the big man was held back from serving as a true difference-maker on the offensive end of the game.
Despite his standing as the team’s co-star alongside Ja Morant, Jackson finished last season ranking fourth in total shot attempts per game and fifth in long-range attempts.
With both Dillon Brooks and Tyus Jones (ranked third and fifth, respectively, in shot attempts last year) being offloaded this summer, it was already expected that the 23-year-old was slated to see an uptick in touches and overall usage in the scoring department.
However, now with Morant’s suspension, one should only expect that his 13.0 shots on average will see a significant bump, which could realistically help his odds of clinching his second-straight All-Star selection and perhaps even an All-NBA moniker along the way.