Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach Tuomas Iisalo made some news at practice on Thursday with an injury update on Ja Morant. A "day-to-day" designation is significant for a team that is in desperate need of point guard play (no offense to Vince Williams Jr., who has averaged eight assists the last ten games in relief). It is also an opportunity for Ja to change the narrative away from trade speculation to what Morant does best - be an impactful basketball player (when healthy).
Morant's eventual return to the Memphis starting lineup (either Sunday against the Portland Trail Blazers or next Friday against the Utah Jazz are logical spots after Ja was ruled out for tonight's game with the Clippers) will mean Williams Jr. is back as a reserve, more than likely. But beyond rotational tweaks, some key players will directly impact just how big Morant's spark will be for the Grizzlies
Ja and the Big Mane
Zach Edey has had an elite start to his 2nd NBA campaign. He's not just the most positive contributor to Memphis' success, as his +35.5 efficiency differential isn't just the best on the Grizzlies, it's the best in the NBA by 8.3 POINTS PER 100 POSSESSIONS.
That significant output is not an accident. He is an elite rebounder of the basketball and rim protector, and at 7'4", 290 pounds, it should not come as a shock that he's also the league leader in paint touches. To put it plainly, he is dominant in the lane. And he makes his presence known on the perimeter as well as a screener - he averages over three screen assists per game.
And that is with Edey playing only four and a half minutes so far this season with Ja Morant.
A year ago, a rookie Zach Edey, alongside Morant, had an almost +10 net rating in almost 700 minutes played together. Edey's screen setting creates so much room for Ja to operate, not just within his athleticism but also his underrated ability to handle the basketball and create for others.
It's no secret that Ja has had a career-worst start to his 2025-2026 campaign. But if THIS Zach Edey is capable of what he is currently doing without a guard the caliber of Ja Morant, what can be accomplished when Morant is back in the fold? Whether it's offensive spacing off of screens or Edey's ability to negate Ja's (or anyone's) defensive weaknesses, Ja should see more opportunities to succeed.
And if Morant's unable to achieve in this environment? Perhaps he truly is too far gone, as national pundits suggest. But it needs to be seen to be believed...and the time for that test is approaching.
Create a Coward Connection
Ja and Cedric Coward - one of the best-performing rookies of the first quarter of the NBA season - have played 147 minutes together across 12 games. Their net rating as a two-man lineup is +1.1, which is, of course, better than a negative mark but not what you'd like to see between a star guard and an upstart wing.
There are reasons for this - when Ja and Coward played together, a majority of those minutes were with reserves, not starters, and Zach Edey's absence looms large (literally and figuratively). But Coward's stock within the Grizzlies hierarchy has risen to a place where Ja must be able to interact with what Cedric does well in order to reestablish his own place as a franchise pillar.
Coward is a good rebounding wing, meaning that getting out in transition more quickly is certainly possible. And that is, of course, where Morant has thrived in the past. As Ja works to find his offensive mojo once more, easy scoring chances such as these become much more meaningful.
Cedric Coward is not among the most efficient NBA scorers - his 51.6% effective field goal mark is below average at best. But he is among the best in the entire league in efficiency differential. Despite not shooting as well as he'd like, he has shown a capacity to make the game easier for those he plays next to on both sides of the court.
Morant would be wise to lean into that connectivity that Coward possesses. Now is not the time to be proud. Ja doesn't need to force the issue - let the game come to you, and within those reps and minutes, chances are the opportunities will present themselves.
Coward is that good. And Ja, if he wants to prove he is still a star in the NBA, he should let Cedric's malleable nature be part of that redemption story.
This is a very important return to play for Ja Morant. Can the Grizzlies still "call 12" when Memphis needs him most? Is his time at the forefront of the franchise truly done? Or is it time to remind the NBA exactly who he is?
Ja's best chance to make the latter reality is to rely on a little help from his friends.