MEMPHIS – Ja Morant wants nothing more than to end up on the same squad as Jaren Jackson Jr. when teams are set by player captains just prior to Sunday’s All-Star Game in Salt Lake City.
But if that doesn’t happen, and the Grizzlies’ two catalysts end up on opposing rosters that night, expect arguably the NBA’s most explosive dunker to attack the league’s top shot-blocker.
And don’t expect either of them to back down. Morant and Jackson become the first Grizzlies teammates in franchise history to represent the team at the same All-Star Game. Memphis Hustle center Kenny Lofton Jr. will also participate in All-Star Weekend in the Rising Stars game and G League showcase events.
“I’ve always said I wanted us on the same team – I want me and Jaren on the same team,” Morant reiterated as the dynamic duo shifted their thoughts to All-Star Weekend. “But if we end up on different teams, well it ain’t too much about (being) homies inside those lines.”
Morant smiled as he delivered that message. It also serves as a metaphor when it comes to the overall plight as the Grizzlies enjoy a much-needed break in the season before loading up for the NBA’s stretch run to the playoffs.
In other words, the Grizzlies are one of the league’s most talented and lethal teams when they’re aligned. And at times, they can also be their own biggest obstacle if things get off track.
That much has been clear through the first 57 games, with the Grizzlies posting the NBA’s second-best home record at 24-5 and on pace to produce their best mark at FedExForum in franchise history. But the same team has struggled on the road, where they are 11-17 and have lost seven consecutive games away from Memphis heading into the All-Star break.
At 35-22 overall, the Grizzlies sit second in the Western Conference behind the Nuggets and are positioned in the same spot where they finished last season. That campaign ended with Memphis pushing eventual champion Golden State to six games before falling in the second round of the playoffs, a series that ended with Morant sidelined by injury for the final games.
The stated goal throughout this season has been for the Grizzlies to take the next step and solidify themselves as legitimate championship contenders. Morant has emerged as an All-NBA talent, two-time All-Star and MVP candidate. And Jackson has elevated his game on both ends of the floor after missing the season’s first month to recover from offseason foot surgery.
Jackson punctuated his dominance entering the break with a near-historic effort in Wednesday’s 117-111 win over the Jazz. He tallied 26 points, nine rebounds, a career-high five steals and four blocks in 31 minutes. Jackson ended up one block shy of becoming the first player in NBA history register five made 3-pointers, five steals and five blocks in a game.
In their best and most complete form, the Grizzlies matched a franchise record by winning 11 consecutive games from December into January, when they essentially tied Denver for the West’s best record. But a Jan. 22 knee injury that sidelined center Steven Adams contributed to a downward spiral in which Memphis lost eight of nine games amid their toughest stretch.
Home wins over the Bulls, Timberwolves and Jazz along with a hard-fought loss in Boston allowed the Grizzlies to regain some rhythm and momentum heading into the seven-day break.
“There’s been a lot of good work over the first 57 games,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “We’re challenging the guys to appropriately take a break from basketball every now and then, and just think about what we’ve got to do to get better in the second half. But rest up, freshen up physically and mentally, and let’s get back for this final stretch.”
Players are scheduled to report back to Memphis on Tuesday and practice Wednesday before departing to Philadelphia to face the Sixers on Thursday in a TNT broadcast game. That places the Grizzlies on the national stage yet again, this time to commence a hotly contested final two months of regular-season play, particularly in a reloaded Western Conference.
From a personnel standpoint, the Grizzlies will continue to work sharpshooting guard Luke Kennard into the primary rotation in hopes his career 43-percent 3-point shooting will bolster the offense. On the other side of the break, Adams will be on the back end of the three-to-five week reevaluation window in his recovery from a PCL sprain in his right knee.
If the Grizzlies can avoid any further injuries to their core, they can rebuild some late-season chemistry with a trusted group that was just starting to gain momentum once Jackson and shooting guard Desmond Bane returned from their respective injuries.
“We have to tune it up and tighten up a lot,” Jackson said. “We’ve got so much that we want to improve on, and that’s all a part of it. I think we’re just looking forward to focusing in and really getting to that last push because we know we can play a lot better, and we have. The improvement is right around the corner.”
The Grizzlies have won at least 35 games before the All-Star break for just the third time in franchise history. The mission is to get back to the dominant level of play they showed during the 11-game winning streak, when Memphis registered a top-five rating in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
Overall at this point, the Grizzlies continue to lead the NBA in points in the paint at nearly 60 per game and they were also among the league leaders in offensive rebounding and second chance points before Adams missed the past 11 games.
Currently, Memphis is second in the NBA in defensive rating, third in pace, fifth in net rating and eighth in opponents points per game. The blueprint for effective play hasn’t changed. Finding a level of consistency, especially when playing on the road is the second-half priority.
And there’s some urgency in that quest coming out of the break, with eight of the Grizzlies’ next 12 games on the road. That stretch includes matchups against improved and reloaded playoff contenders in the Sixers, Nuggets, Clippers, Lakers and Mavericks.
“The stuff we go through day in and day out, it can get tiring, and you never know what someone is going through mentally,” Morant said when asked if the break comes at the right time for the Grizzlies. “Just speaking for us as a team, it’s good for everybody to be able to reset, then get us a practice in and lock back in for the second half of the season. And go back to playing our style of basketball, getting wins out there, that’s bigtime for us.”
This break is bigtime, too, for a team that needed one.
They’ll have a little fun, then collectively catch their breath for the season’s stretch run.