Balance has been the Memphis Grizzlies' calling card all season long as they have had to navigate long stretches of injuries to the player rotation. The most notable time missed is Ja Morant's unavailability for 26 of the team's 69 games and counting as he is out for their next game on March 19th with hamstring soreness.
Other lengthy absences include Desmond Bane missing 12 games, Santi Aldama missing 16 games (questionable for next game), Luke Kennard and Zach Edey missing 15 games, GG Jackson missing 44 games, and Vince Williams Jr. missing 52 games. Despite the influx of injuries to their primary rotation, the Grizzlies are one game back from the second seed in the West.
Also, balanced scoring has been paramount as they have five players averaging double-digit points and eight players averaging at least 9.1 points, led by their big three who all average over 19 points. However, a recent performance from one of their big three members in a loss showed just what the Grizzlies can't afford to happen when the playoffs arrive.
Grizzlies are 0-3 when one of their big three scores 40+
The Grizzlies have had a 40-point outing by each of their big three of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane, all happening within their last 10 games. They went 5-5 in those 10 games with three of those losses coming when they scored over 40 points.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 42 points in a last-second loss to the San Antonio Spurs with Ja Morant and Desmond Bane unavailable on March 1st. Ja Morant scored 44 points in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers when he led the team in points, rebounds, and assists. Desmond Bane scored 44 points in a loss to the Sacramento Kings on March 17th with Ja Morant unavailable.
On the contrary, when excluding his 42-point outing, the Grizzlies are 9-2 when Jaren Jackson Jr. has scored 30+ points this season. Although it has been a small sample size this season, the team is better when the scoring is balanced throughout the big three and the roster in general.
The big three has only been healthy enough to play together in 30 of the team's 69 games this season, with them all scoring 20+ points in only three of those games (2-1 record). Availability is important, especially for a team that hasn't had their big three play all of their playoff games in their last two series losses (Ja Morant missed four games out of 12).
While availability is at the top of the priority list, getting all three players in cohesion at the same time will ultimately determine how far this team can make a run in the Western Conference.