MEMPHIS – The message was clear from Taylor Jenkins after the Grizzlies returned from the All-Star break desperately seeking the consistency that eluded them the previous month.
“Put in the work to get to the best versions of ourselves over these next six weeks of the season,” Jenkins has repeated in several team meetings and practices. “Whatever it takes.”
While the post-break sample size remains relatively small since the schedule resumed nearly two weeks ago, the initial results have been significant and encouraging for Memphis. Entering the weekend, the Grizzlies are starting to resemble the squad that closed out the calendar year of 2022 as one of the league’s most dominant teams.
Ja Morant is back to producing record-setting quarters and stacking triple-doubles.
Jaren Jackson Jr. has been a beast on both ends of the floor, rejecting or altering nearly every shot within his reach defensively and rejuvenating the offense when it slips into rough patches.
Role players have regained their rhythm, highlighted by backup center Xavier Tillman filling in admirably in the middle the past two weeks amid the injury absence of starter Steven Adams.
Collectively, it’s contributed to a 3-1 stretch from the Grizzlies since the break. That includes three straight victories heading into the final stops on a four-game road trip that carries them to Western Conference leading Denver on Friday, then onto Los Angeles for matchups with the Clippers on Sunday and Lakers on Tuesday.
There’s no better time for the Grizzlies to regain their identity, with nine of the next 10 games against teams currently locked into the playoff mix. And six of those 10 games are on the road, where the Grizzlies snapped an eight-game losing streak away from FedExForum with Wednesday’s victory in Houston to start the current trip.
“We just have to keep it up and be more consistent, more disciplined, locked in,” said Morant, who in the win streak has averaged 27.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 50.8 percent from the field. “We’ve been able to put time in as a team and work on some things, clean up some things. And our coaches are always instilling confidence in us and allowing us to play with freedom. When we play like that, we know we’re a very hard team to beat, clicking on both ends of the floor.”
Morant participated in Friday morning’s shootaround in Denver wearing a protective mask after being listed on the NBA’s injury report with a nasal fracture, an injury that surfaced since Wednesday’s game in Houston. He is considered available and is expected to play against the Nuggets.
Apart from a fourth quarter meltdown in Philadelphia, the Grizzlies have strung together remarkable stretches of basketball the past four games to rekindle their groove. Even in their first game back from the break, the Grizzlies built a 17-point lead on the road against the Sixers in a game that resembled a physical, 1990s-era defensive slugfest. But the offense fell flat in the final minutes as the Sixers closed the game on a 24-8 burst to cement the Grizzlies’ largest squandered lead of the season.
However, the defense has stifled opponents and the offense has gradually blossomed in the three wins over the Nuggets, Lakers and Rockets.
Against a Denver team that tops the NBA in offensive efficiency, the Grizzlies held the Nuggets to their lowest total of the season and to just 40.4 percent shooting from the field in a 112-94 victory. Two nights later, the Grizzlies completely swarmed the Lakers in setting a franchise record with 41 points off 26 Los Angeles turnovers. Memphis also scored 86 points in the paint.
The Rockets were essentially target practice for the Grizzlies, who nailed 17 shots from 3-point range and improved to 15-2 this season when shooting at least 40-percent from deep. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the recent run has been their ability to limit mistakes.
Memphis has not committed more than 12 turnovers in any of its past six games, dating before the break, and has registered more steals (51) than turnovers (50) during that span.
“We took All-Star break to kind of look ourselves in the mirror and tried to use it like a reset button to get back to playing Grizzlies ball,” veteran guard Tyus Jones said. “And the last few games are a good sign of that. We’re trying to take some of the positives and use it as momentum moving forward.”
The Grizzlies are using this current stretch to sharpen themselves for what should be a third consecutive trip to the NBA playoffs under Jenkins. The schedule underscores that notion with multiple games against the same teams in a short span of time.
The Grizzlies face the Nuggets on Friday for the second time in seven nights. They split the first two matchups, with the home team winning on their respective courts. So the third and final showdown will determine the season series between the top two teams in the West standings.
Memphis (38-23) has 21 contests remaining and trails Denver (44-19) by five games. On Sunday, the Grizzlies face the Clippers for the first of three meetings between them this month. And Tuesday will mark the third Grizzlies-Lakers tilt in a 20-game stretch for Memphis.
A unique March will also see the Grizzlies play the Rockets three times and both the Warriors and Mavericks twice. A total of eight games in the West standings separate second-placed Memphis and 10th-placed New Orleans with just over five weeks left in the regular season.
Put in the work to get to the best versions of ourselves over these next six weeks of the season. Whatever it takes.
“Obviously, we know we have different challenges every single night,” Jenkins said. “But it’s always about our mentality. On the road, we’ve got to take on just a harder mentality, swag, trust, discipline and belief each and every day. Our defense always gives us a chance to win. Once we get our halfcourt offense clicking consistently, we can have some really good nights.”
And when that continues to happen, the Grizzlies will truly see a familiar version of their best selves in the mirror.