Memphis Grizzlies' weaknesses exposed with Ja Morant still serving NBA suspension
Desmond Bane pointed out maybe the biggest reason why the Memphis Grizzlies are struggling.
Amid all of the moving pieces, the Grizzlies don't have an identity. Something like that is developed through winning and creating good habits, and both of those are areas they are hoping to improve.
As the Grizzlies (3-13) get more of their injured players back, the statistics will look better and wins will come, but certain areas won’t improve until Ja Morant’s 25-game suspension ends. In fact, that identity the team is searching for may not come then, either.
Memphis has been one of the NBA’s most successful regular-season teams under coach Taylor Jenkins. The five years with him syncs to the same season Morant was drafted. Those two have helped shape the identity of Grizzlies basketball.
Rebounding, transition points and fast-break points all have been areas where the Grizzlies have stood out the past four seasons. None of them are areas of strength this season.
Losing Steven Adams hurt the Grizzlies as a rebounding team, but the offensive struggles have been the most noticeable difference. Memphis entered Monday 29th in points per game, 27th in assists and last in field-goal and 3-point percentage.
When the Grizzlies used to have scoring droughts, it was easy to let Morant run a pick-and-roll, get downhill and as he would say, “get a bucket, Ja.”
That’s not an option right now, and Morant’s absence has highlighted just how much of a role he played in the team’s identity.
Memphis Grizzlies paint scoring minus Ja Morant
Teams always feared what the Grizzlies could do in the paint. Two seasons ago, Morant led the NBA in paint scoring as a guard. and Memphis led the NBA in team paint points per game in each of the past four seasons.
This year, the Grizzlies are ranked 22nd. Bane is the No. 1 scoring option, and his strength is shooting. He has taken 47% of his total shots on 3-pointers. That’s up from 43.3% last season. Against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he took just one shot in the paint.
Jaren Jackson Jr.'s 2-point field-goal percentage is currently at a career low 46.7% after a career-high 58.5% last season.
Morant missing as the No. 1 option has allowed defenses to zero in on limiting Bane and Jackson, especially with players like Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard missing because of injuries.
“I think we're doing a pretty decent job getting to the paint, but we're seeing three, four, or five bodies in there a lot of times," Jenkins said after Sunday's loss to the Timberwolves. "Getting to the rim is definitely hard for us right now. We're trying to integrate more screen-and-roll and hitting the rollers."
Finding transition points
The biggest problem with the offense is the transition scoring. Memphis emphasizes running as much as any team in the NBA, but the results haven’t been there.
The Grizzlies were top six in transition points in Morant and Jenkins’ first four years. They rank 23rd in the NBA.
Transition offense helps the Grizzlies play less in the half court and more of a free-flowing style. The first step to getting out in transition is a defensive stop.
"We can't have zero fast-break points," Jenkins said after Wednesday's loss to the Rockets. "That's what I keep challenging the guys. We got to play fast. When we're not playing fast, we get stuck in having to playing first-gear, slow basketball."
Isolation scoring
Many of the Grizzlies' losses have played out in a similar fashion. They compete in games until a prolonged offensive drought puts them in a hole. It happened in the second quarter against the Timberwolves and in the fourth quarter of recent losses to the Phoenix Suns and the Rockets.
Isolation scoring hasn’t been a Grizzlies strength, and that’s a necessity in today’s NBA. Teams are switching defensively more than ever, and that defensive style limits a team’s ability to run a play.
LOOMING FRUSTRATION: From welcoming challenge to building frustration: Memphis Grizzlies' tone is changing
When the offense goes through a drought, that’s when the star player gets aggressive and puts an end to it. Jackson’s elite free-throw rates is why, according to NBA stats, he ranks in the 88th percentile in isolation scoring, but he’s also not generating many shots. Bane is currently shooting 29.4% on isolations and ranked in the NBA’s 9.5th percentile.
The Grizzlies can continue to emphasize the importance of improving in these key facets, but the results won't drastically shift until Morant returns.
"Obviously we're leaning on those two guys (Bane and Jackson) a lot," Jenkins said. "Offensively, they're having to carry a big load."
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: How Ja Morant's suspension exposed Memphis Grizzlies' weaknesses
