MEMPHIS – The belief remains steadfast.
Amid a turbulent start that has already included multiple injuries, a team-imposed suspension of the franchise’s biggest star and struggles to establish a new system, Jaren Jackson Jr. is confident the Grizzlies are soon headed for steadier ground.
“It’s going to take buy-in from everybody, but we’re fully capable,” said Jackson Jr., an eight-year veteran and longest-tenured member of the team. “We have all the tools and pieces, and we have everything that we need to be successful. It’s not something I’m too worried about. But urgency has gotta be there.”
Those levels of optimism and transparency come as the Grizzlies (3-5) are already facing a critical stage, just three weeks into Tuomas Iisalo’s first full season as coach.
Memphis has lost three straight games after opening a difficult four-game homestand with Monday’s 114-106 setback to the Pistons a night after falling in Toronto to the Raptors. The stretch started with last Friday’s frustrating home loss to the Lakers, which means the Grizzlies have played three games over a span of four nights.
They’re in the midst of their most challenging stint of the season, as the homestand continues Wednesday against the Rockets, Friday against the Mavericks and Sunday against the defending NBA champion Thunder. Then comes a road trip to face the Knicks, Celtics, Cavaliers and Spurs.
This relentless early-season schedule doesn’t allow the Grizzlies much time to gripe as they grind through some initial growing pains. Perhaps that’s part of the reason why Jackson Jr. was adamant about setting a positive but clearly pointed tone in assessing his team’s predicament.
That process included Iisalo and the team’s two franchise cornerstones acknowledging they’ve moved past the tension that surfaced last weekend. Star point guard Ja Morant publicly and privately voiced frustrations with some criticisms and decisions from the coaching staff.
Morant’s postgame comments came after Memphis squandered a 14-point lead in the second half of a 117-112 loss to the Lakers, which led to him sitting out Sunday’s loss in Toronto to service a one-game suspension. Morant was back in the starting lineup Monday and finished with 18 points and 10 assists for his first double-double of the season in the loss to Detroit.
Both Morant and Iisalo declined to elaborate on how they have worked to resolve the issue, but both said they were focused on helping the team improve moving forward.
Finding some level of consistent execution would be a start. Against the Lakers, the Grizzlies played a solid first half to build a 14-point lead before stumbling down the stretch on both ends.
Against the Pistons, it happened in reverse order as the Grizzlies fought all the way back from a 21-point deficit in the third quarter to get within three points before the Pistons regained control. Detroit scored 33 points off 20 Memphis turnovers, marking the second time in eight games an opponent has converted the Grizzlies’ miscues into 33 or more points.
“That’s obviously a lot,” Iisalo surmised of a unit that ranks 25th in the NBA in offensive efficiency. “In our current offense, we would benefit from winning that battle.”
Iisalo also pointed out the need to get off to better starts.
“This is not just in the regular season, we also had it in the preseason – really good fourth quarters,” Iisalo continued. “That’s obviously very good that we have this extra gear, but it would make more sense to put it in right away in the first quarter. We’ve got to be ready to play from the first moment on.”
Reinforcements could soon be on the way to aid in the cause. Grizzlies second-year center Zach Edey was assigned to the G League’s Memphis Hustle to participate in practices this week in his return-to-play process following recovery from summer ankle surgery.
Iisalo said Edey remains on the same timeline the team initially released Sept. 26 on the eve of training camp, which projected him to be reevaluated in six-to-nine weeks. This Friday would mark the six-week period on the short end of that reevaluation window.
A first-team NBA All-Rookie selection last season, the 7-foot-4 Edey would immediately address the Grizzlies’ issues with rebounding and rim protection on defense. He also thrived offensively in the pick-and-roll system alongside Morant late last season when Iisalo was interim coach.
For now, as was the case after previous losses, Morant accepted responsibility for needing to do more to get the Grizzlies on track. That begins by limiting the turnovers and increasing the pace.
“We need more pace and flow (offensively),” Morant suggested. “I feel like we come out a little flat, and guys begin to get comfortable. It’s tough to get out and run, having to play against a set defense when (opponents) are making shots. We have to rebound and get out and run.”
Morant expressed the same sense of urgency as Jackson Jr. in taking advantage of this homestand.
“It’s a very important stretch if we want to win games,” Morant said. “We have to be better.”
Despite all of the challenges the Grizzlies are facing, the willingness and belief are there.
The consistent execution and results must now follow.