DENVER – As the postgame visiting locker room in New Orleans emptied, Ja Morant and Desmond Bane sat together and contemplated the Grizzlies’ latest feat in an amazing week.
Despite a 4-0 record since Morant returned from a 25-game suspension to open the season, the Grizzlies have been remarkable, yet far from flawless.
That’s the point two of the team’s catalysts emphasized as they shifted their focus toward the next set of challenges that await on an increasingly difficult four-game trip.
So, when Morant was informed that he’s averaging nearly 30 points a game since returning to the lineup, the NBA’s reigning Western Conference player of the week graciously pointed out some missed opportunities along the way.
“Maybe I’d average 40 if I’d made some threes,” Morant sighed with a self-deprecating smile. “But a lot of credit goes to my teammates. Without them being (active) on the floor, I wouldn’t have the gaps that I have, the lanes I have (to operate). With them always telling me to be aggressive, it allows me to go out there and deliver for us.”
What Morant has delivered beyond all else is an increasing level of hope that has drastically altered the trajectory of this once fleeting season for the Grizzlies.
Suddenly, a Memphis team that posted the second-worst record in the West only a week ago is now riding the second-longest active winning streak in the NBA with four straight wins.
Suddenly, an offense that ranked 28th among 30 teams through the season’s first 25 games has skyrocketed toward the top of the league in several familiar categories from recent seasons.
During their four-game winning streak, the Grizzlies rank second in the NBA in points in the paint (59.5), third in points scored off opponent turnovers (20.3), sixth in free-throw attempts (26.0) and ninth in field-goal percentage (49.0).
And suddenly, the national narrative around this team is starting to change. The Grizzlies still have a steep climb to emerge from their 6-19 start. But if the past week of successful signs are any indication, Morant’s presence has generated a strong surge toward salvaging a season.
“He’s serving notice not only that he’s back . . . but you’re seeing the (total) confidence level of the team now,” Basketball Hall of Famer and NBA analyst Isiah Thomas said of Morant. “Some players just have that ‘It’ factor. They walk into the room and the team believes they have a chance to win every night. When Ja’s in the room, when number 12 is on that floor, the Grizzlies feel they’re never out of it. He gives them that hope and belief. And that’s more important than any points he scores, any assists he gets or any rebounds he has.”
Thomas, a two-time NBA champion and legendary point guard during the Detroit Pistons’ Bad Boys era, made those comments in an appearance on NBA TV after Morant’s first game back.
Morant had just delivered the first of a thrilling run of highlight moments for the Grizzlies when his game-winning floater at the buzzer lifted the Grizzlies to a 115-113 road win Dec. 19 over the Pelicans. Morant scored 34 points in 34 minutes during his season debut to set a new tone.
The Grizzlies followed that performance by finding different ways to win each time they stepped onto the court. In that first game in New Orleans, the Grizzlies scored 62 of their 115 points in the paint against a Pelicans team ranked in the top 10 in multiple defensive categories.
Two nights later, the Grizzlies used suffocating defense to shut down the Pacers for a 116-103 victory. Indiana entered the game as the NBA’s top scoring team at nearly 130 points a game and exited with their lowest point total of the season.
Memphis then followed that with a breakout performance on offense in Saturday’s 125-119 win in Atlanta, notching its highest scoring output of the season to start the current four-game trip. In that game, the Grizzlies recorded a season-high 76 points in the paint and saw Morant, Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. each contribute at least 20 points for a third straight game.
And then came Tuesday, when the Grizzlies bookended the week with a second mesmerizing effort to win in New Orleans over a seven-day stretch. After rallying from a 24-point deficit to beat the Pelicans on Dec. 19, the Grizzlies came back from 13 points down in the fourth quarter Tuesday to prevail 116-115 in overtime.
The Grizzlies are exceeding to the extremes. After scoring their season-high in paint points in Atlanta, they set a franchise record for most blocked shots in a road game with 17 Tuesday in New Orleans. It was a defensive masterpiece that saw the Grizzlies post a combined 27 blocks and steals, with many of those deflections and forced turnovers leading to transition baskets.
In essence, there’s a new energy permeating the team on both ends of the court during this streak. Although coach Taylor Jenkins pushes back on any notion that the season essentially started when Morant returned, he does acknowledge there’s been a seismic shift.
“It’s definitely not a new season – it’s a new iteration of the season,” Jenkins explained. “We’ve put a lot of work in (the first 25 games), and we’ve got a hole to climb out of for sure. Ja infuses so much into not just his teammates and us, but the organization and the city. These guys compete every day. And as we continue to get whole, you see what we’re fully capable of.”
The Grizzlies moved another step closer to unlocking their full potential with Marcus Smart’s return after the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year missed 17 games with a foot injury.
Smart’s relentless effort on the defensive end resulted in the Grizzlies shutting down the Pelicans in key stretches late in Tuesday’s game. He finished with 13 points, a game-high five steals, three assists and a block. Smart was a team-best, plus-9 in ratio during his 29 minutes.
There was another major moment for the Grizzlies during this run, with Jackson becoming the fastest player in NBA history to record 5,000 points, 600 blocks and 400 made 3-pointers. Jackson accomplished the feat in only 296 career games.
For as much as Jackson’s milestone and Morant’s league honor validate the team’s potential, they are more locked in on helping the team maintain the current edge. The goal is for the Grizzlies (10-19) to gradually work their way up the standings and into the playoff picture.
“First, you want to climb back to .500 and then go from there,” Jackson said of the process ahead. “We know we’re not yet where we want to be. You can get happy from a few games, and we’re riding a wave of excitement right now, which is cool. But we’ve still got a whole lot to build on and prove. And that’s great. We love that.”
The tests grow more difficult from here as the Grizzlies wrap up the trip with a daunting back-to-back set of games. They face the defending champion Nuggets in Denver on Thursday before traveling to Los Angeles to play the much-improved Clippers on Friday.
“To be able to take this momentum from one game to the next game, to the next day, is big-time for us,” Morant said. “It’s just about the team being able to stay consistent, continue to trust in each other and continue to rock out some wins. It’s us getting back to being us.”
Morant’s return last week revitalized this team’s big picture focus.
And the Grizzlies have since served reminders of what they’re still capable of becoming as this season continues to develop.