Grizzlies predicted to be significantly ‘worse’ in one particular area in 2023-24

This coming season, the Memphis Grizzlies will find themselves taking to the floor for the first 25 games of action without star centerpiece Ja Morant in tow as a result of his impending suspension.

While the team has certainly managed to weather similar storms in the past, as they boast an overall record of 31-15 over the last two years without their prized point guard in the mix, and sport an incredibly talented supporting cast headlined by All-Star Jaren Jackson Jr., budding star Desmond Bane, and trusty veteran Marcus Smart, it goes without saying that Taylor Jenkins’ squad is expected to take a bit of a step back with Morant sidelined.

Though the 24-year-old’s presence is bound to be missed in a myriad of ways during the first few months of action, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey predicts that the one area of their game that is certain to regress as a result of his absence is the pressure on the rim when on offense.

Grizzlies to see their rim pressure on offense ‘worsen’ without Ja Morant

"“In each of Ja Morant’s four NBA seasons, the Memphis Grizzlies have taken significantly more shots at the rim when he’s on the floor. And it’s not hard to see why,” Bailey.“The 24-year-old is a relentless driver (he finished second in both drives per game and field-goal attempts out of drives per game in 2022-23), and the Grizzlies don’t really have anyone who can replace that during his season-opening 25-game suspension. Given the fact that that’s almost a third of the campaign, it’s safe to assume the team’s overall rim pressure will take a hit.”"

Despite measuring in at just 6-foot-2, throughout his four-year career Morant has proven himself to be one of the most noteworthy interior scorers the game currently has to offer.

In 2022-23, the team’s primary scoring option attempted 375 of his 1214 total shots at the rim, converting at a 66.4 percent clip, equating to 16 percent of the team’s total attempts on the season in only 61 games played.

To put this into perspective, this conversion rate is at around the same efficiency as prolific stars of a much bigger stature such as Julius Randle (67.7), Paul George (69.9), and even his fellow Grizzlies cohort in JJJ (68.9).

While many anticipate that the Grizzlies will still be a title contender with Morant sidelined for, as Buckley mentioned, “a third of the campaign,” the team as a whole is expected to see far less thunderous dunks and, in turn, a lesser frequency in the rim pressure department.

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