As Ja Morant’s misfiring Memphis Grizzlies enter the stretch run, the Taylor Jenkins-led squad is at a March Madness crossroads. Despite recent flashes of brilliance from Desmond Bane and a roster brimming with talent, the Grizzlies have been plagued by inconsistency and injuries. A new knock to Jaren Jackson Jr. (ankle) has fans and analysts alike questioning whether this team can truly contend in a stacked Western Conference.
The Grizzlies are well past the grief stage and fully on to acceptance of the situation, Bane to Damichael Cole (Memphis Commercial Appeal).
“Until we start to prioritize the little things for 48 minutes, we’ll be mediocre,” Desmond Bane sighed. “We’ll be the same team that we’ve been — good enough to make the playoffs, and we’ll see where we take it from there. If we start to embody those little things, I really feel like the sky is the limit for us.”
Little things start with the traditional stats that just scratch the surface of several issues.
- Points
- season total: 122.9 (2nd)
- before break: 123.3 (1st)
- since break: 120.8 (6th)
- Rebounds
- season total: 47.7 (2nd)
- before break: 47.8 (2nd)
- since break: 45.6 (12th)
- Assists
- season total: 29.0 (6th)
- before break: 29.1 (4th)
- since break: 28.5 (10th)
Points, rebounds, and assists are down in Memphis. Advanced metrics show open shots, boxing out, and passing is down as well. As for what the coaching staff wants to see from the Grizzlies going forward?
“It’s urgency,” Taylor Jenkins said. “It’s (being) undisciplined in our transition habits. Point of attack defense. We’re in retreat mode too much. We have got to be more physical on the ball…The rebounding is a huge weakness. This is all things we’re fully capable of doing if we’re committed to it. I’m challenging the guys that this can’t be the case.”
Will the challenge be accepted though? It is just a talent issue? These young Grizzlies are trying to grow up quick but some things, like unforced errors, have been a problem all season.
Bane believes the locker room can turn the tides over the last few weeks of the regular season.
“We’re not going to be able to win at the level we want to if we don’t start taking ownership on that end,” Bane agreed. “You look at all the teams that have went to where we’re trying to get to (they) are really good on that end. It’s just something we haven’t been able to muster up consistently.”
Memphis sure has been coughing up turnovers consistently. The Grizzlies have to capitalize on the opportunities stemming from defensive efforts, not give away points every few possessions. Unique offense that eschews the pick and roll be damned. Getting the drive-kick-shoot offense working again is the next step back into the second seed out West.
- Turnovers Per Game
- season total: 16.3 (29th)
- before break: 16.6 (29th)
- since break: 14.8 (19th)
- Blocks/Steals per Game
- season total: 6 (3rd)/ 8.8 (8th)
- before break: 6 (3rd) / 9.1 (6th)
- since break: 4.9 (9th)/ 7 (25th)
- Opponent Field Goal / Three Point %
- season total: 45.7% (6th) / 35.4% (11th)
- before break: 45.1 (3rd) / 35% (6th)
- since break: 48.5 (26th) / 38.3% (29th)
Shots have to go in too. Drive and kick actions create open looks, which should help, but the Grizzlies are worse across the board. From layups to logo-area long shots, shooting accuracy has been on the wane in the weeks since the NBA All-Star break though. Drives per Game are down significantly, and that should worry Taylor Jenkins. Desmond Ball dribbled a late-second chance away in the loss to the Atlanta Hawks and Ja Morant’s shoulder issues are becoming downright scary.
- Field Goal %
- season total: 48.3% (5th)
- before break: 48.6 (5th)
- since break: 46.5% (17th)
- Three-Point %
- season total: 36.7% (10th)
- before break: 37.5% (6th)
- since break: 30.8% (29th)
- Free Throw Attempts / (%)
- season total: 24.3 (1st) / 78.1% (16th)
- before break: 24.3 (1st) / 76.8% (24th)
- since break: 25.1 (6th) / 86.1% (3rd)
- Drives per Game / Drive Points
- season total: 60.9 (1st) / 32.6 (2nd)
- before break: 62.3 (1st) / 32.6 (2nd)
- since break: 51.9 (5th) / 32.3 (2nd)
Unsurprisingly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City tops the Drive Points per Game chart (33.3). The Grizzlies have few remaining options left to pull out of the playbook. Memphis has few solutions to shake out of this slump. Cranking up the defensive effort without Jaren Jackson Jr. will test Grizzlies rookies Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey’s NBA Playoffs readiness. Desmond Bane and Ja Morant have to attack the rim, get downhill into the paint, and then find teammates who can finish plays to keep up in the Western Conference playoff race.
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