The Grizzlies fell to 3-3 on the season after losing their first NBA Cup game at home to the Los Angeles Lakers. While the struggles of Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. scoring a combined 23 points (21 points less than Luka Doncic's 44-point outing) were apparent, the frustration from their star point guard was the headline of the night.
Following a 3-14 shooting night in a little under 31 minutes of playing time, Morant was visibly frustrated with the coaching staff. He repeatedly answered any question asked by the local media during a postgame interview with “go ask the coaching staff.” With a lot of season left, as October just ended, where do the Grizzlies go from here?
Serious conversations need to be had between the leaders and coaching staff
Ja Morant took on the leadership role of the Grizzlies this season, by default, following the departure of Desmond Bane this offseason. The star guard has mostly been looking and sounding better in that role by taking accountability when the team lost disappointing losses to the Heat and Warriors, and making clutch plays in wins over the Pelicans and Suns.
However, his effort was called into question against the Lakers as he settled for threes and looked lethargic throughout the second half of their loss. He is now shooting 5-32 from three on the season after shooting 0-6 against the Lakers. The Grizzlies held a 15-point halftime lead, but head coach Tuomas Iisalo's playing rotations were questionable in their demise as well.
Morant has averaged a little over 28 minutes per game this season, which isn't sustainable for a team that is missing four rotation players. His co-star, Jaren Jackson Jr., is only playing a little over 27 minutes per game as well. Simply put, the Grizzlies need more from their best players, but they also need them on the court more for that production to be more consistent.
Regardless, the game was still in the balance when the frustrations seemed to boil over for Morant the most during the second half. He mentioned that he isn't hurt, and he and Jaren have played all games to this point. Tuomas Iisalo is a first-time NBA head coach learning on the job, but it appears the handling of his stars is already at a crossroads.
November begins a new month, and bad games happen, so there is time to heal whatever could be manifesting. It is up to the relevant parties to take control and prevent what could be a promising season from falling completely off the tracks.