The Memphis Grizzlies were tied in the first round with the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night without All-Star guard Ja Morant, as he works to recover from a wrist injury he sustained in Game 1. Thriving without the 23-year-old superstar, the Grizzlies rallied to an early lead and never looked back, tying one of their most exciting first-round series at 1-1.
In what has become a bewildering trend in the past few years, Memphis continue to look for ways to win when they are missing their best player. In the 2021-22 season, Memphis was 20-5 without Morant, even stealing 39 points against the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in the playoffs, and 10-8 in the current season. What would Memphis find without its star?
While he will have his share of notable blocks and steals, Morant is a below-average defender on and off the ball. Struggling to stay in front of his man and fight through screens, not all of his shortcomings can be hidden by DPOY teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. in the playoff frame.
The Grizzlies have many problems when Morant is on the court.
Since joining the league, Memphis has a defensive rating of 111.7 with Morant playing, and a 108.6 defensive rating with Morant out. For reference, his 111.7 average would have been 13th in the league last year, while his 108.6 would have been the fourth-best defense. Although Morant’s backup Tyus Jones doesn’t offer a significantly different skill set on defense, his reduced workload on offense allows him to put more effort into the team’s defense, allowing the Grizzlies to shut down opponents when Morant is out.
In addition, Morant is consistently ranked in the top 10 in the NBA turnover per game, which is somewhat expected from a young and highly used player. While they thrive in their pace and transitions, the Grizzlies have always been sub-par in their slow halfcourt attack, which is where Morant fuels these painful turnovers.
Tyus Jones, on the other hand, leads the league in assists-to-turnover ratio this year at 5.6, playing with a steady, calm presence that helps Memphis be careful with the ball in their games without Morant on the field. Obviously, some credit can be given to head coach Taylor Jenkins, who has been notable for his ability to keep the team calm and in control when a franchise player comes out.
Still, it’ll be an interesting conversation going forward if Memphis continues to win without Morant as the series resumes this Saturday in Los Angeles. Look for Memphis to play around the improved guard defense and slow things down in contrast to Morant’s speed.