Marcus Smart, Derrick Rose have no time to waste as Memphis Grizzlies seek answers

Marcus Smart is used to familiarity. No matter what coaching and strategical changes were made during Smart's time with the Boston Celtics the previous six seasons, he knew Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would be on the court with him.

Things have been a lot different so far in his first season in Memphis. Not just for him, but for fellow veteran offseason acquisition Derrick Rose.

Smart played mostly on the ball at point guard in his first Grizzlies game. In his second game, Friday night's 110-108 loss to the Denver Nuggets, he started on the ball and played more off the ball throughout the game.

The Grizzlies (0-2) are fighting an uphill battle with injuries to Luke Kennard and Santi Aldama, plus Ja Morant's 25-game suspension. If those guys were available, the rotation would look a lot different, but Smart is having to figure it out.

Even through that learning process, he has maintained a solid level of play. He finished Friday with 20 points and five assists.

"It's a challenge, but it's a great one," Smart said. "It's different from coming from Boston. You got guys that do different things. It's just been fun for me to try to figure out everybody's tendencies, where they like the ball, things that they like to do and that they do very well."

Then there's Rose.

Derrick Rose nearly willed Memphis to victory

It took some time for the 35-year-old veteran to get going, but when he did, it was showtime. The crowd was as its peak as Rose willed the Grizzlies to an early fourth quarter run. He hit two 3-pointers and nailed a mid-range jumper to give Memphis a 98-97 lead midway through the fourth.

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins was playing Rose for a long stretch near the end of the third and early into the fourth quarter, so he gave Rose a quick break before subbing him back into the game less than three minutes later. In Rose's first play, he read the eyes of two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and stole the ball away from the center while he wasn't looking.

Rose finished the game with 16 points on 6-for-14 shooting. He has been open about how the Grizzlies have given him an opportunity to show that he can still play, and Friday was the best example of that yet.

"This too shall pass," Rose said. "Not too high, not too low. Stay even-keel. ... I'm just trying to find a groove. Trying not to shoot that many shots, trying to get the feel for the game."

Grizzlies are 0-2 but they're not panicking

Jenkins inserted John Konchar into Friday's rotation as well after holding him out of the season opener. Maybe Kennard's absence opened the door for the opportunity, but it might take more than Kennard's return to get Konchar back off the floor.

Konchar only scored two points, but he played 30 minutes and added six rebounds. He may not have been awarded them on the stat sheet, but Konchar certainly help the Grizzlies keep extra possessions alive on offense. With Steven Adams out, that extra rebounding presence can go a long way.

"He just makes those intangible plays," Jenkins said. "It may not show up in the box score, but 30 minutes, first game action, I thought he did a really good job."

Kennard won't play against the Washington Wizards on Saturday, Jenkins said before the game. Aldama is considered day-to-day, but he has yet to make his season debut.

The Grizzlies are 0-2, but the energy in the locker room doesn't scream panic. Smart and Rose are a reason for that.

"It's a work in progress," Smart said. ". . . It's going to take a little time, but we're eager, we're hunger and we're ready."

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Grizzlies need Derrick Rose, Marcus Smart to fill Ja Morant void