Coach Taylor Jenkins made his first bold move of the season last week when he decided to keep surging Rookie of the Year candidate Jaylen Wells in the starting lineup upon the return of Marcus Smart and Ja Morant. This move had been a major discussion point in Grizzlies circles since Marcus Smart was traded to the team last offseason.
The 6'3" former Defensive Player of the Year was the starting point guard for the Boston Celtics for two seasons after being a floating starter and rotational combo guard for most of his career. With the Grizzlies already starting one of the best backcourts in the league with Ja Morant and Desmond Bane, Marcus Smart was expected to make the Grizzlies a three-guard starting team as the replacement for former small forward Dillon Brooks.
Marcus Smart started all 20 games he played last season but only six of those games were at the small forward position with Ja Morant and Desmond Bane. With such a small sample size, the Grizzlies didn't know what they had with that lineup, therefore setting the stage for the team to begin this season with them as the projected starters.
Marcus Smart on the sense of urgency needed from him to provide a spark to the team: pic.twitter.com/6qF9VykxCg
— Bluff City Media Grizzlies (@bcmGrizzlies) November 28, 2024
However, after a slow start to this season on the offensive end shooting 3-18 from three, suffering another injury after five games, and the 6'8" rookie Jaylen Wells' seamless fit with his shooting and defensive prowess, Marcus Smart coming off the bench became a reality. Smart's acceptance of the role and willingness to be a mentor for Wells has led to his best stretch this season.
Keeping the same energy
Marcus Smart's energy has always been a sticking point in his career no matter the role that was set for him and his move to the bench with the Grizzlies kept with that trend. He scored six points and provided four assists and (+11) +/- against the Portland Trail Blazers in his first game after the announcement of Jaylen Wells as starter for the near future.
He followed that up by helping to completely flip an early 11-point deficit against the Detroit Pistons in the Grizzlies' next game. Smart entered the game towards the end of the first quarter with the Grizzlies down nine points and after immediately falling down 11 points, he led the charge to give the Grizzlies an 11-point lead when he went back to the bench midway through the second quarter.
Marcus Smart doing what Marcus Smart does. 😠 pic.twitter.com/CbrYurLEVp
— Grizzlies On FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Grizzlies) November 28, 2024
He finished that game with his best stat line of the season with 25 points, five assists, four rebounds, 3 steals, and (+25) +/- on 8-12 shooting (7-11 from three). He followed that up with 11 points, six assists, four rebounds, two steals, and (+5) +/- in the Grizzlies victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday.
The Grizzlies have unlocked the version of Marcus Smart that is best suited to help take the team over the top as a Western Conference contender. His role as a bench contributor with high-level starting-type minutes was what the Grizzlies needed and his acceptance of that role as the team's veteran leader was the last domino to fall.