Can a team be better without their star player? The Memphis Grizzlies are 18-2 in the 20 games they have played this season without Ja Morant. The high level of play with Morant on the sidelines has raised the question: are the Grizzlies better without Ja?
While it may be easy to ask the question, concluding is much more difficult. The NBA season is long and rigorous, most players don’t play all 82 games. Morant is no different and his physical playstyle has seen him miss action here and there throughout his young career.
In most cases when a star player goes down with an injury, their team struggles to pick up wins and falls in the standings. The opposite has happened in Memphis this year with Morant out of action, the Grizzlies have looked incredible with Morant and maybe even better without him.
Without Morant
In the social media era that we live in now, NBA fans have flocked to Twitter, Instagram, and Reddit to point out how good the team from Memphis has been without their star point guard. While some may see it as trolling, they might have a point.
As previously stated, the Grizzlies are an eye-catching 18-2 without Morant, but that needs further inspection.
Those 18 wins have come against The Rockets (twice), Kings (twice), Pacers (twice), Trail Blazers, Lakers, Pelicans, Raptors, Nets, Thunder, Clippers, Mavericks, Heat, 76ers, Bucks, and Warriors.
Of course, some of those teams have had injury problems as well. The Ja-less Grizzlies beat the Thunder without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Clippers without Paul George, Mavericks without Luka Doncic, Heat without Bam Adebayo, 76ers without Joel Embiid, Bucks without Jrue Holliday, and Warriors without Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
That isn’t said to discredit what the short-handed Grizzlies have done, but to shine a light on the fact that they were able to step up without their star on the court while other teams could not.
The Warriors and Grizzlies are lucky to have star point guards with Morant and Curry. The two teams have performed very differently without their stars this season. While the Grizzlies are 18-2 without Morant, the Warriors are 3-9 without Curry.
Those teams met on March 28, both Morant and Curry missed the game, the Grizzlies won 123-95. Five Grizzlies finished with double-digit scoring figures: Desmond Bane (22), Dillon Brooks (21), De’Anthony Melton (21), Kyle Anderson (13), and Brandon Clarke (12). It was yet another great performance with Morant out, Melton even did his own Morant impression as he delivered a Ja-like dunk.
The most impressive performance from the Ja-less Grizzlies came back in December. They defeated the Thunder 152-79. The 73-point win is the largest margin of victory in NBA history and the Grizzlies accomplished it without Morant.
The supporting cast in Memphis is fantastic, that is very obvious at this point.
Desmond Bane has made tremendous strides in his sophomore season and should be in the running for Most Improved Player, if not a lock for the award.
Bane has been great with Morant on the court, but with Morant sidelined he becomes the go-to man in terms of scoring for the Grizzlies.
Jaren Jackson Jr. has quietly become one of the best defenders in the NBA. He leads the NBA in total blocks (167) and blocks per game (2.3). To go along with his great defensive stats, Triple J is also averaging 16.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Jackson Jr. has developed into a Defensive Player of the Year candidate, which has been huge for his team.
A huge reason for the Grizzlies’ success without Morant on the floor is backup point guard Tyus Jones. Jones is once again leading the league in assist-to-turnover ratio (7-to-1). Jones had the best assist-to-turnover ratio in the NBA in each of the previous three seasons and set the record in the 2018-19 season with a 6.96 ratio.
As a starter, Jones has averaged 14 points and 8.3 assists per game. Jones’ ability to step up has been a huge reason for the Grizzlies’ success.
The great depth of the Grizzlies goes beyond Bane, Jackson Jr., and Jones. Dillon Brooks, Kyle Anderson, Brandon Clarke, Steven Adams, and everyone else on that team has stepped up and filled their role perfectly as they have adopted a next-man-up mentality.
That mentality was installed by head coach Taylor Jenkins. Jenkins for some reason has not got enough credit for the job he has done with the Grizzlies this season. Jenkins should be a lock for Coach of the Year with the job he has accomplished.
With Morant
Ja Morant has been phenomenal this season.
Like Desmond Bane, he also made huge improvements from last season. Morant has raised his game and has evolved from a star player to a true superstar in the NBA.
In his first all-star season, Morant has averaged 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. He will likely become the first guard to ever lead the league in paint points per game, 16.8.
It has been a historic season as Morant has broken franchise records and emerged as an MVP candidate. On Feb. 28 against the San Antonio Spurs, Morant broke the internet with countless highlights as he broke the Grizzlies franchise record for points with 52 points.
What was the previous record for points in a single game in Grizzlies history? 46 points by Ja Morant, on Feb. 26, two days before he scored 52 points and broke the franchise record, again.
As Morant has emerged as a superstar, his team has emerged as a contender. At the time of writing, they are the number two team in the West with a 53-23 record and hold a five-game lead over the Warriors.
It’s been hammered in everyone’s head that the Grizzlies are 18-2 without Morant this season, but what is their record with Morant? This season the Grizzlies are 35-21 with Morant on the court, meaning they have a 63% winning percentage with Morant on the court. It’s not the 90% with Morant out, but that is still incredible.
Verdict
No, in my opinion, the Grizzlies are not better without Ja Morant.
The Grizzlies are just good.
They might have the deepest roster in the NBA. A roster that features an MVP candidate, Morant, a MIP candidate, Bane, a DPOY candidate, Jackson Jr, and a COY candidate, Jenkins.
The Grizzlies are very close to locking up the No. 2 seed in the talented Western Conference, which would be the highest seed that has ever been earned in franchise history. They don’t earn the No. 2 seed without Morant.
While it is fun to hypothesize about how the 2021-22 Grizzlies without Morant might be the best team ever, it just isn’t true. The Grizzlies are at their best when they have everyone available to play.
That should be very worrisome for Western Conference teams as Morant is going to get quite a bit of rest before the playoffs as he misses time with a right knee injury. No team in the league wants to see a healthy Grizzlies squad, they are so deep and so well-coached.
They are a team that has bought into being with one another and just wants to win, no matter who is on the court. Morant has the same mentality, as you can see in the joy on his face watching his team thrive with him out.
It’s rare for a professional team to be this bought in, but then again, this Grizzlies team is special. As we inch closer and closer to the NBA playoffs, their chemistry seems to grow, and they seem to be getting better. They celebrate each win as if it was a championship game because they love winning with one another because at the end of the day they are a team.
