Unpacking a Memphis Grizzlies media day without Ja Morant — and what we learned

Memphis Grizzlies media day opened up Monday afternoon at FedExForum with Zach Kleiman, the team's general manager and president of basketball operations, being the first person in the organization to field questions.

It was an eventful offseason after the Grizzlies fell in the first round of the 2023 playoffs against the Los Angeles Lakers. Kleiman believed the team needed more veterans to surround its young core, and that led to the Grizzlies acquiring Marcus Smart and Derrick Rose.

Other moves made include signing Desmond Bane to a max contract extension and bringing in savvy defensive guard Shaquille Harrison.

The addition of Harrison is likely a direct result of the Grizzlies having to navigate the first 25 games of the season without Ja Morant, who is suspended for conduct detrimental to the league. Morant was not made available to speak at media day.

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins and several players also spoke Monday at FedExForum. Here are some takeaways.

Derrick Rose, Marcus Smart not in Memphis to 'babysit'

The message was clear. Yes, Smart and Rose were brought to Memphis in part because of their NBA experience, but that's not the only reason.

Both players used the word "babysit" to describe what they're not here to do. Smart likely will be a starter, so it's less surprising coming from him, but Rose made it clear that he's "here to win."

These answers were in response to their acquisitions being related to the off-court issues that have plagued Morant. If Rose is able to recapture his magic from two seasons ago in terms of on-court performance, it suddenly makes the Grizzlies one of the deepest guard rotations in the NBA.

He's not in Memphis to be just an end-of-the-bench mentor.

Increased sense of urgency

Jenkins knows the half-court offense must improve, and the level of detail he's installing regarding that facet was noticeable. He sounded almost like a first-year coach outlining his strategy, rather than a coach entering his fifth season in Memphis.

"I think we're going to take a different approach in how we teach our offense," Jenkins said. " . . . The biggest factor outside of just teaching the vision is the development behind it, and really diving in on how we're structuring our individual workouts to basically have this game plan and produce at the end of the day."

Injury updates were good news for Memphis Grizzlies

Several injury questions were answered at media day and most of the information was positive.

The decision not to have Ziaire Williams play in the NBA summer league sounded more cautionary, not injury-related. He clarified that he was healthy then and is now.

Bane's foot procedure is behind him, and he's ready to go.

The situations regarding the health of Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke were addressed, and neither appears to be overly concerning. Adams will be carefully ramped up through the preseason, but Jenkins believes he's ready to go.

Clarke had what Kleiman described as "a cleanup procedure" in the offseason that wasn't mandatory, but it was something Clarke wanted to do. Health-wise, the Grizzlies are in a good spot.

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Confidence is key

Williams spoke with a different level of confidence on Monday when talking about his plans for his third season.

He is bigger, believes no one worked as hard as he did in the offseason and isn't shying away from the goal of being a starting forward and All-NBA defender. The confidence can only be good after the ups and downs he experienced his first two seasons.

Jake LaRavia is another player who is showcasing improved confidence. When asked whether he belongs in the conversation with Bane and Luke Kennard as the best Grizzlies shooters, LaRavia said: "Definitely."

Marcus Smart will bring tough love

Smart isn't going to be the player who takes it easy on teammates.

He reiterated that he's going to "keep it real" and let players know how they can improve so that the team gets better. He added that he wants his teammates to do the same to him.

This is similar to the mentality Bane displayed last season, and now the Grizzlies are adding more players who can deliver tough love.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Unpacking Memphis Grizzlies media day withpit Ja Morant, what we learned