Ja Morant’s confidence didn’t fade after the Grizzlies’ crash: “This is my team”

NEW YORK – As Ja Morant exploded into the air with one fantastic play after another on Monday night in Brooklyn, it was a shining reminder that one of the NBA’s bright young stars had returned after nearly a full season away from the sport.

Morant lost almost the entire 2023-24 season due to a series of problems, some of which were his own fault and others beyond his control. Now he was back, breaking through the Nets’ defense, twisting and twirling mid-jump – a swashbuckling rim chaser who racks up frequent flyer miles at every arena he visits.

The Grizzlies have certainly been hoping for games like this for a year. Last season was full of complications and defeats. Morant was suspended for 25 games and subsequently injured all but nine. Everyone else seemed to have thought of something too. After two straight 50-win seasons, Memphis accumulated 55 losses and an injury list so long that their insurers might not have covered all of them.

Even though this was all a lost season for the franchise, there was plenty of excitement to see what the Grizzlies would look like if they found themselves again. Monday at Barclays Center was a reminder that the Grizzlies are still developing and still waiting for good health. But even though the Western Conference landscape has changed around them in the two seasons since the Grizzlies were last at full strength, they don’t believe their place in it has changed.

“Still confident,” Ja Morant said. “It was two years ago. I don’t even know who won the championship two years ago… Two years ago it doesn’t matter. Last year doesn’t matter either. So all we can focus on is now, achieving our successes and running our business. The confidence never wavered.”

The Grizzlies have had an inconsistent start so far. After the loss to the Nets, they are 4-4. Injuries continue to plague her. They didn’t make it until November before losing Desmond Bane (strained right oblique) and Marcus Smart (sprained right ankle). each from week to week. GG Jackson, who showed promise last season, was injured before the start of training camp and has yet to play.

However, Morant is as exciting as ever, despite being more of a facilitator than a scorer this season. He averages 9.7 assists per game while averaging just 28.3 minutes per night. His scoring has dipped to start the year (20.7 ppg), fueled by poor shooting numbers (21.4 percent on four 3-point attempts per game).

But the Grizzlies are committed to playing fast, and few are better suited to do that than Morant. Their offense hums, but efficiently; Memphis ranks 10th in the NBA in points per 100 possessions.

They’ve done this while also incorporating a lot of new (and newer) parts. Smart, who played just 20 games in his first season in Memphis in 2023-24, and Morant have already played on nearly half as many possessions together this season as they did last season. No. 9 Zach Edey has slowly made progress and impressed head coach Taylor Jenkins. He did that even though the Grizzlies have vowed to play even faster this season, implement a new offensive system and have hired almost an entirely new coaching staff. According to Inpredictable, Memphis leads the NBA in the fastest average time to take a shot, half a second less than three years ago.

Jaren Jackson Jr. believes that despite all the new input, the Grizzlies won’t need much time to find a rhythm. He assumes that the team will have gotten used to each other after ten games. And despite the missed time on the pitch, there were no major losses in the team’s development.

“Because everyone is around each other all the time,” he said. “There is still a certain level of chemistry between you. You travel together, you still practice together, you watch film together, so you’re in the same system. It’s not like I’m learning something else while other people are learning something. We’re all learning the same thing.”

It is this shared history that drives optimism. The Grizzlies’ core – Jackson, Bane, Morant and Jenkins – is in their fifth season together. Key contributors have also spent significant time with the franchise. Santi Aldama is in his fourth season and this year he has been an important part of the rotation and more than just an occasional starter. Scotty Pippen Jr. took advantage of a midseason opportunity last year to go from a two-way deal to 26 minutes per game this season. Brandon Clarke is in his sixth season with the organization. And even though Smart and Morant haven’t played much together, Morant believes their time on the floor in practice and playing together is enough to build muscle memory.

“As far as chemistry goes, man, we’ve known each other for a while, coaches, and they do their best mixing the teams together so you get familiar with everyone on the team,” Morant said. “For me as a point guard, I just have to know where they want to be and then go out there and execute with who, you know, who is on the court.”

The Grizzlies have received surprising contributions from Jaylen Wells, the No. 39 pick in the 2024 draft, and Jay Huff, a journeyman center who finally appears to have found a place in the league. But Edey is of course the biggest newcomer. The 6-foot-11, two-time Naismith College Player of the Year picked up a fast pace after a slow start. Edey was fouled less than 15 minutes into his NBA debut; On Monday against the Nets, he had 25 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and just one foul in 29 minutes.

His size, skill and willingness to learn stood out and gave the team confidence to realize his potential. In his first few months in the NBA, Edey had to go from being the center of a plodding offense (Purdue ranked 324th and 218th in adjusted tempo in his last two seasons, according to KenPom) to finding his share in the Grizzlies’ speed machine.

“We’re trying to give him an easy path to success out there,” Jenkins said. “I think he has a really good IQ. He has a really good feel for the game, but now it’s about figuring out the physicality and the speed. The timing is completely different than what he was exposed to. It’s a different system. They are different teammates. A lot is thrown at him. I think the impact he’s making defensively is pretty impressive. He and Jaren protect the paint, the rim and then on offense. It’s just a matter of how fast we want him to play, you know, because we ask everyone. We’re not trying to change our style of play where he can be a threat behind the defense, he can be an early target for us.”

That will take some time, although Edey could prove to be a quick learner. If and when he does, it will be interesting to see how the Grizzlies fare in the West. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves have made great strides since the last time the Grizzlies were contenders, and the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns are two veteran-led teams that stood out earlier this season.

But Morant hasn’t lost faith in his team. This year could prove to be the right time for the franchise rather than a complete reboot.

“This is my team,” he said. “I trust my team every step of the way.”

(Photo by Ja Morant: Mitchell Leff / Getty Images)