The days between the end of NBA All-Star weekend and the first game to begin the post-All-Star break always provide added entertainment for the bored crowd. This year the Grizzlies found themselves in the thick of unwarranted rumors circulating about the status of their star point guard in the offseason.
On the "Real Ones" podcast, Howard Beck of The Ringer said a league executive mentioned Ja Morant as a name to "keep an eye on" this summer if the team flames out early. The Dallas Mavericks trading Luka Doncic makes this not seem impossible but the Grizzlies and Mavericks scenarios don't compare.
However, there is basketball to be played and the Grizzlies return to the court with Ja Morant on the road against the Indiana Pacers on February 20th. The solution to putting rumors like that to rest is to win, and the Grizzlies will begin the second half of the season in the two-seed position in the Western Conference standings.
In the Ja Morant era, the Grizzlies have two first-round losses and a second-round playoff loss. They lost to the Utah Jazz as a number eight seed in their first playoff appearance with their core of Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson Jr. in 2021. What followed was a surprise two-seed season that saw them defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves in round one before losing to the eventual champions, the Golden State Warriors, in the second round in 2022.
Following season-ending injuries to starting center Steven Adams and top reserve forward Brandon Clarke and Ja Morant's off-court issues, the Grizzlies fell as a two-seed to the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2023 playoffs. Now that they are on pace to finish with another top seed in the Western Conference, what does the team need to change to make a deep playoff run?
Maintain their new offensive efficiency
The Grizzlies offense, specifically in the halfcourt, always presented them with the most problems in their contending years. While young, their 2021-22 season ended against a veteran Warriors team but Ja Morant missed the final three games of that series due to a knee injury and Desmond Bane was a shell of himself that entire series due to a back injury he played through.
The following season the team had no answer for the LeBron James and Anthony Davis tandem due to the depletion of their frontcourt depth without Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke. So getting lucky with health would need to happen for the Grizzlies to have a chance at a deep playoff run, and they are currently the healthiest they have been in two years.
However, maintaining their high-level offensive execution and getting Ja Morant back to his superstar level will determine the Grizzlies' 2024-25 contending status. Their offensive ranks include (via Fox Sports):
- 1st in points per game
- 5th in field goal percentage
- Tied for 6th in three point percentage
- 2nd in offensive rebounds per game
- Tied for 3rd in assists per game
- 2nd in points in paint per game
Continuing close to that level will make the Grizzlies a tough team to defeat in a playoff series. To continue that level, the team's big three of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane will have to lead the charge as the "veterans" as they have the most playoff experience on the roster. Coach Taylor Jenkins has already implemented the change, it's just about maintaining to give the team their best chance at advancing in the playoffs.