With their franchise catalyst away from the team indefinitely, their most energetic reserve lost to a season-ending injury and their late-game struggles mounting, the Grizzlies have reached a proverbial fork in their journey.
“We have to step up because there are big shoes to fill. That’s been our motto for a long time. Whenever somebody goes down, everyone’s always ready, everyone’s always working. Come together and do it.”
This path tends to lead one of two ways.
There are now enough legitimate excuses for things to potentially break down and stymie the momentum this team has built the past three years as a burgeoning young title contender.
There’s also ample opportunity for a breakthrough in the face of their greatest adversity.
In either case, the path forward stands to be daunting and relentless for the Grizzlies. They emerged from a devastating weekend facing major challenges on and off the court as they wrap up a four-game trip with Tuesday’s nationally televised game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Guys are in a great place, but obviously, this is a tough time with the Grizzlies right now,” coach Taylor Jenkins acknowledged. “There’s what’s going on with Ja (Morant), and let’s not forget what’s going on with (Brandon Clarke) as well. But our guys are (still) in a good mood. Our togetherness is a thing we always talk about. We just have to go out and continue to work on being our best selves, one day at a time. And our guys are up for the challenge, I think.”
The Grizzlies on Tuesday will again be without All-NBA point guard Ja Morant, who will miss his second consecutive game amid a leave of absence to address personal issues. Morant has been away from the team since the NBA investigated a social media video he posted overnight Saturday while apparently brandishing a gun. The video surfaced hours after the Grizzlies lost 113-97 in Denver, a game in which Morant finished with 27 points and 10 assists.
In that same game, the Grizzlies lost backup forward Brandon Clarke in the second quarter to what was later diagnosed as a torn Achilles that required season-ending surgery. A third key rotation player was also missing during Sunday’s 135-129 loss to the Clippers when starting small forward Dillon Brooks served his NBA-mandated suspension. The one-game automatic suspension was for being assessed a 16th conduct-related technical foul Friday against Denver.
Jenkins has said there’s no specified timeframe for Morant’s return, and that the focus remains on getting one of the league’s brightest superstars the help he needs away from basketball.
“There’s a supportive element to this that we’ve made clear,” Jenkins said while addressing the matter before Sunday’s loss to the Clippers. “There’s a young man that’s got to get some help, and there’s the accountability to the team that we’ve got to stand for. As an organization, we have to support Ja through this learning opportunity, a growth opportunity. He’ll get better.”
At the same time, the Grizzlies (38-25) are tasked with pushing ahead during one of the most demanding stretches of their schedule. After squandering double-digit leads in consecutive losses to the Nuggets and Clippers, Memphis now sits just a game ahead of Sacramento (37-26) in second place in the Western Conference. Friday’s costly loss in Denver gave the Nuggets a 2-1 regular-season series win and a 6 1/2-games lead over the Grizzlies for first place.
Memphis has 19 games remaining, including seven of the next eight against teams that are firmly in the mix to make the NBA postseason. The process now involves coping with internal distractions while bracing for external battles amid the season’s stretch run.
“We have to step up because there are big shoes to fill,” Grizzlies All-Star power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. said of responding to the swirling adversity. “That’s been our motto for a long time. Whenever somebody goes down, everyone’s always ready, everyone’s always working. Come together and do it.”
But the Grizzlies must get far more done when it comes to late-game execution. During a 3-3 stretch since returning from the All-Star break, all three setbacks have come in similar fashion. Meltdowns in the fourth quarter have haunted the Grizzlies in recent weeks, and those problems resurfaced in debilitating ways over the weekend.
Memphis carried a 15-point lead into the fourth quarter Sunday against the Clippers before being outscored 38-17. Two nights earlier in Denver, the Nuggets broke away in a game that was tied at 80 after three quarters with a 33-17 outburst in the fourth.
Ironically, the Grizzlies shot 7-for-20 from the field and attempted only two free throws in the fourth quarter of both games. Memphis also frequently committed turnovers and fouls in both. That was also the case two weeks ago in Philadelphia, where the Grizzlies coughed up a 17-point lead and faded late in a loss to the Sixers in their first game out of the break.
The Grizzlies played to staggering extremes in the second half on Sunday, torching the Clippers with a 51-point third quarter in which Memphis hit 10 three-pointers and didn’t commit a turnover. Then, things played out starkly different in the fourth for the Grizzlies.
It’s a trend they are intent on reversing. Memphis entered this week leading the NBA in third-quarter scoring at 31 points a game, but rank 29th out of 30 teams in fourth-quarter output.
After the loss in Denver, Jenkins said part of the reason for the struggles was because the rotations were scrambled more than usual in adjusting to Clarke’s absence in the second half.
“Trying some different things on the fly,” Jenkins mentioned. “We had a chance to win. We did a lot of great things for three quarters, and then just fell apart and couldn’t score.”
The inability to secure rebounds on both ends also created problems in the closing moments over the weekend. Second-chance points and transition scoring allowed the Clippers to outlast the Grizzlies on Sunday. But with limited depth, Memphis will try to address those concerns against the Lakers on Tuesday before returning home to face the Warriors and Mavericks.
“I’m confident that the team will move forward, that we can continue to stay together, ride together,” said veteran Tyus Jones, who moves into the starting point guard role with Morant out. “We still have a job to do. We’re still striving to improve as a team.”
Jones is coming off one of the best games of his career. He knocked down 5-of-7 shots from three-point range and finished with 25 points, 12 assists and five steals without a turnover while starting in Morant’s absence against the Clippers.
Last season, Jones filled in admirably as the Grizzlies went 20-5 in games Morant missed with injuries. Jones believes he’s ready for the challenge again this season, but knows the Grizzlies can’t reach their full potential until the franchise anchor returns to run the show.
“I’m confident Ja is going to handle his business and continue to do what he needs to do to get himself in the right place,” Jones assured. “And when it’s time to continue to play basketball, he’ll be ready whenever that may be.”
Until then, the Grizzlies will dig in for the biggest set of battles this team has faced.
“I like our fight,” guard Desmond Bane added. “We just have to put it together for 48 minutes.”
And on multiple fronts.