Memphis Grizzlies continue success without Ja Morant
Ja Morant’s MVP campaign is currently being banged up … by his own teammates.
The All-Star point guard is averaging 27.6 points per game on nearly 50% shooting this season, dishing out 6.7 assists per contest and has led Memphis to the second-best mark in the Western Conference.
So with Morant tweaking his knee against Atlanta on March 18, and Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo set to bring their squads into Grind City over the course of the next 10 days, Memphis fans were presumably nervous.
But instead, something cool happened for the Grizzlies.
Memphis beat Brooklyn on March 23, 132-120, leading by as many as 14 in the third quarter.
Then, the Grizz blasted the reigning-champion Milwaukee Bucks 127-102 on Saturday.
The Grizzlies have adjusted historically well this season to life without the former Rookie of the Year, sporting a 17-2 record without Morant and posting the third-highest winning percentage in NBA history playing at least 10 games without an All-Star.
Morant put confidence in his teammates, tweeting out a GIF of the phrase "hakuna matata," or "no worries," after his injury was confirmed Tuesday.
But how have the Grizzlies achieved such success without their do-it-all wunderkind?
Improved ball movement emerged as a big part of Memphis’ sustained success. The Grizzlies average 27.2 assists per game with Morant out of the lineup, a figure that ranks fifth in the NBA and marks a two-assist improvement over times when Morant is running the point.
Memphis had 34 assists against Indiana on Wednesday.
"We think 10 of our 11 guys had an assist, multiple guys with even four or five assists," Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said after defeating the Pacers. "Everybody eats you know. It's just a confident mentality."
The Grizzlies have also remedied their poor 3-point shooting with their star stapled to the bench. Morant, for all his strengths, isn’t the best long-ball shooter, making 34% of 3-pointers, and Memphis shoots 33.7% from distance with Morant in the lineup.
However, with Morant sidelined, the Grizzlies 3-point percentage rose to 38.2%. Memphis’ true shooting acumen lies somewhere between these two extremes, but Jenkins believes that an increased focus on ball movement helped break his team’s shooting slump.
"Back-to-back nights with you know, great 3-point shooting," Jenkins said Wednesday. "But that's all starting with great ball movement, great spacing, the attention to detail, our drill work and just simple revolving around the ball and making that early pass."
The Ja-less Grizzlies have benefited from an easier schedule. Memphis’ opponents in its 19 games without Morant have a combined winning percentage of .465, and the Grizzlies have played the bottom feeding Trailblazers, Kings and Pacers twice in that stretch.
But Morant also watched victories over Philadelphia, Dallas and Milwaukee from the bench, and it appears Jenkins’ confident, pass-first philosophy succeeds with or without his star on the floor.
