Media Day is less than three weeks away for the Memphis Grizzlies and all other NBA teams that are located in the United States and don't have a preseason game scheduled to play outside of the country. That means the Grizzlies are inching closer to knowing how the remake of their roster will form together.
Ja Morant has had a positive offseason, promoting his new shoes, "the Ja 3," and generating positive press around him. Grizzlies fans are hoping that positivity will transition onto the basketball court as the team embarks on a new era under head coach Tuomas Iisalo. Despite entering the season with a new coach and another star who got extended to the largest contract in the team's history (Jaren Jackson Jr.), all eyes will be on Ja Morant for this upcoming season.
It's time for Ja to return to being Ja!
Ja Morant is a winner, and the Grizzlies are a better team with him on the court than they are without him, especially since they went 20-5 run without him during the 2021-22 regular season. Since that season, the team has been a pedestrian 50-76 without Morant in the lineup the last three seasons. 126 games is a lot to miss in three seasons, but that includes the 2023-24 season, in which he missed 73 games because of suspension and a season-ending torn labrum injury.
The Grizzlies had depth for the majority of last season that helped them achieve an 18-14 record in the 32 games Morant missed. However, they might not be afforded that same grace this season without their superstar point guard. His late-season surge to remind the league that he was still a superstar-caliber player was promising, especially since it coincided with their coaching switch to Iisalo.
While the team and the fanbase have confidence that the All-NBA version of Ja Morant will show himself again this season, he will need some injury luck to go his way for the team to keep pace in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies have built another deep roster, but without the additional high-end borderline All-Star player outside of Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., a lot of pressure will be put on those two.
Look, it's the NBA, so a team needing a superstar player to play like one is needed for every team in the league to be successful. The Grizzlies are no different because last year's 18-14 record without Morant would've had them on pace for a 46-36 season, two games below their eighth seed finish with a 48-34 record. It's time for the MVP-caliber Ja Morant to return to form for an entire season.