ATLANTA – As the Grizzlies come to grips with their championship potential this season, don’t expect coach Taylor Jenkins to tighten the reins on his playing rotation anytime soon.
On the heels of their latest prolific performance, it’s harder than ever to streamline playing time considering the widespread production from those contributing to the Grizzlies’ recent groove.
And the standards and expectations are only increasing with each opportunity.
“I’ve been referencing the phrase ‘bench mob’ – and that’s not said lightly,” Jenkins assured of the most lethal group of reserves in the NBA this season. “Those guys have to embrace that mentality. When our group is going to sub in, we talk about short-burst intensity. Whoever comes off that bench has to continue to elevate our pace, elevate our movement, elevate our defensive activity. Whatever we ask them to do. I keep saying I want more, more, more.”
Jenkins must count on that depth once again, with star point guard Ja Morant listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game against the Hawks with lower back soreness. Morant aggravated the back when he landed awkwardly after falling to the court on a contested drive to the basket in Thursday’s 144-93 home blowout win over the Warriors.
Morant was listed as questionable ahead of Thursday’s game, but played 17 minutes before he left in the third quarter and did not reenter the game. Morant did not address the back issue after the game but praised his team’s depth and mentality on display during the Grizzlies’ historic performance against the Warriors.
“That’s why we’re never too high, never too low,” Morant said of a Grizzlies team that has won 11 of its past 13 games. “We’ve just got to figure out how we can be more consistent and play how we want to play no matter what team it is or where we are – home or away.”
No team in the league delivers more off the bench than Memphis, which is relying heavily on its depth amid a demanding stretch of games to close out December and head into the New Year. The Grizzlies (19-9) further bolstered their status as the NBA’s preeminent bench when they got a season-high 82 points from reserves in the 51-point annihilation of the Warriors.
Maintaining that level of impact depth is crucial as the Grizzlies face the toughest remaining schedule in the league, according to NBA metrics. That stretch continues against the Hawks (14-14), who have won seven of their last 10 games to position themselves firmly in the Eastern Conference playoff mix.
However, no ascension in the standings has been more impressive than the Grizzlies’ rise in the West, where they sit second behind Oklahoma City after an 11-2 stretch. The consistent production of Memphis’ reserves has only enhanced a season in which frontline stars in Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. are off to the most efficient starts of their respective careers.
With Morant likely sidelined Saturday and veteran guard Marcus Smart listed as questionable after missing Thursday’s game with a shoulder soreness, Jenkins may need to dig even deeper into the bench.
But the box score from the most lopsided game in the NBA this season provides a blueprint for how the Grizzlies function when their stars, depth, defense and high-pace offense align. The season-high 144 points Thursday came without anyone contributing more than 21 points.
That high-score mark came from backup power forward Santi Aldama, who also added a game-high 14 rebounds to notch his career-best eighth double-double of the season. With the Grizzlies leading the NBA in bench scoring at 49.4 points per game, Aldama is emerging as an early contender for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year award.
Morant, Jackson and the other starters aim to set the tone to open games. But reserves Aldama, Jake LaRavia, Scotty Pippen Jr. and others hope to increase the tenacity when they enter.
“When you’re talking about our depth, I think it’s our attention to detail,” said Aldama, who is averaging career highs in scoring, rebounds, assists and 3-point shooting in his fourth season. “That’s important because it’s the difference between winning by a lot or giving (opponents) some life. When you see blood, you’ve got to go get it. That’s what we’re trying to be about.”
Seven different players for the Grizzlies are averaging double figures in scoring, with two more contributing at least eight points per game. Memphis continues to lead the NBA in scoring and has reached at least 110 points in 14 straight games. No team in the league has had at least seven players score in double figures in as many games this season as Memphis.
That depth is also having an impact defensively. The Grizzlies are ranked among the league’s top seven teams in defensive rating, points off turnovers, rebounds and blocks. On many nights, that intensity on that side of the ball increases when the bench enters the game.
“That’s Grizzlies basketball . . . that kind of shows right there exactly who we are,” reserve forward Jake LaRavia insisted. “Right now, we’re doing everything we’re supposed to do.”
No one has been more thrilled about bench contributions than the frontline starters.
Averaging 27.9 minutes through the first two months, this is the first season in Morant’s career that he’s logging fewer than 30 minutes per game. Coincidentally, both Morant and Jackson entered the week averaging the same number of points (22.0) and head into Saturday’s game against the Hawks averaging the same number of minutes (27.9) this season.
On many levels, balance is by design for the Grizzlies.
“I feel like they deserve a lot more credit,” Morant suggested of the bench boost. “There’s not a lot of drop-off. Even when we start off slow, they come in and pick it up for us. And then we get going. It’s definitely a good thing to have on our side, for sure. We just have to keep letting those guys play aggressively as we try to rock out wins.”
The Grizzlies are 7-4 in games Morant has missed this season with previous injuries, with six of those wins by double-digit margins. Pippen has filled in with some of the most productive games of his young NBA career, including his first NBA triple-double in a Nov. 8 win against the Wizards and his first 30-point game Nov. 23 on the road against the Bulls.
The Grizzlies have been getting results all season from their reserves. That’s the main reason Jenkins has remained committed to an extended rotation that sometimes goes 11-deep.
Can the Grizzlies share the wealth and minutes distribution so liberally later in the season and potentially into the playoffs? Jenkins insists that’s a question for a later time. For now, what’s working at a league-best level of production is spreading the minutes throughout the roster.
“I’m definitely well aware of guys finding their rhythm,” Jenkins said. “But if a guy that’s maybe played 20 minutes is only going to get 12 minutes, he’s got to be great in those 12 minutes. Or a guy that’s maybe played 32 minutes, and he only gets 27 or 28, as long as the team’s playing well, I read and react to that.”
With Morant on the mend, it’s time to read and react again.
For the Grizzlies’ blossoming bench, it all adds up to equal-opportunity impact.