Memphis Grizzlies He has two games without Ja Morad and it is not clear when he will return. On March 4 the franchise advertising that the two-time All-Star would be away from the team for “at least” the next two games. The announcement came after Morant showed up with a gun at a nightclub near Denver while on Instagram Live.
The team advertising on March 8 that Morad would continue to be absent “at least” four more games.
“There is no date for his return”, said Sams Harania of The Athletic. “[El entrenador jefe de los Grizzlies] Taylor Jenkins has said it many times. From the feeling I get, the expectation within the team is that this could be an extended absence, which could be for the foreseeable future.”
How sad are the Grizzlies about Morad’s absence from the court? Let’s take a closer look.
subscribe to NBA League Pass to see all games: United States | The rest of the world
How have the Grizzlies fared without Ja Morant this season?
The Grizzlies’ success in Morant’s missed games last season helped them finish with the second-best record in the NBA. This season, they haven’t been as successful.
While Memphis went 20-5 without Morad in 2021-22, they are just 4-7 without him in 2022-23.
This is how it has been in the last 11 games:
- October 29, 2022: Jazz 124, Grizzlies 123 (0-1)
- November 13, 2022: Wizards 102, Grizzlies 92 (0-2)
- November 20, 2022: Nets 127, Grizzlies 115 (0-3)
- December 5, 2022: Grizzlies 101, Heat 93 (1-3)
- December 12, 2022: Grizzlies 128, Hawks 103 (2-3)
- January 8, 2023: Grizzlies 123, Jazz 118 (3-3)
- January 9, 2023: Grizzlies 121, Spurs 113 (4-3)
- January 23, 2023: Kings 133, Grizzlies 100 (4-4)
- February 5, 2023: Raptors 106, Grizzlies 103 (4-5)
- March 5, 2023: Clippers 135, Grizzlies 129 (4-6)
- March 7, 2023: Lakers 112, Grizzlies 103 (4-7)
The Grizzlies had a slightly better net rating — the difference between a team’s offensive and defensive rating — when Morant wasn’t on the court last season, thanks in large part to the strength of their defense. This season, they’ve gone from outscoring their opponents by 6.9 points per 100 possessions with Morad on the floor to 0.4 points per 100 possessions without him.
For context, that’s the difference between the Grizzlies having the best net rating in the NBA and 15th.
To further complicate matters, the Grizzlies are a bit more struggling right now. Steven Adams, who plays center and averages 5.1 offensive rebounds per game, has been sidelined since late January with a knee injury and will miss at least another month. The Grizzlies also recently lost Brandon Clarke to an Achilles tendon injury. He will miss the rest of this season and one can think a lot about the next one.
In addition, Dillon Brooks collects 16 technical fouls. He’s already been suspended for one game for reaching that number and will now be suspended for every two technical fouls he picks up during the rest of the Regular Season.
What are Tyus Jones’ stats without Ja Morant?
Tyus Jones has been the starting point guard in every game Morant has missed this season.
The 26-year-old has proven to be one of the best, if not the best, backup point guard in the NBA, but Jones has also been productive as a starter, averaging nearly twice as many points, rebounds and assists as he has come. from the bench.
| Role | Heading | Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| Races | eleven | 53 |
| Minutes per game | 33.6 | 20.8 |
| Points | 19.1 | 8.0 |
| assist | 7.6 | 3.9 |
| rebound | 3.5 | 1.9 |
| field goal % | 52.2 | 40.0 |
| % of triples | 50.0 | 35.4 |
Overall, Jones hasn’t been as efficient a scorer as he was last season, but he’s averaging a career-high 9.9 points and 4.6 assists per game. He continues to have one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the NBA.
Along with Desmond Bain and Jaren Jackson Jr., the Grizzlies will need Jones to step up while Morad is out.
How tough is the rest of the Memphis Grizzlies schedule?
According to Tankathon, only the Lakers and Cavaliers have an easier schedule than the Grizzlies.
However, it is not that simple.
Tankathon bases strength of schedules on the combined win percentage of a team’s remaining opponents. While the Grizzlies don’t have many games against the heavyweights, they still have two games against the Golden State Warriors, two against the LA Clippers and three against the Dallas Mavericks.
Not only do they have some of the NBA’s biggest names on their teams, but all three still have a lot to play for to figure out where they stand.
Tankathon also does not take race locations into account. The Grizzlies have 10 games in Memphis, against eight on the road. They have been a completely different team at home (26-5) than they have been on the road (12-21) this season.
So it could be worse, but the Grizzlies still have some tough road games ahead of them.
Are the Grizzlies in danger of falling into the Play-In?
Technically yes. It is possible; No.
At 38-26, the Grizzlies currently have the third-best record in the Western Conference with 18 games remaining in the season. 5.5 games separate them from the Timberwolves and Mavericks, who are ranked seventh and eighth, respectively.
Don’t forget that the top six teams in each conference go to the Playoffs. Teams 7 through 10 will meet in the Play-In to determine the final two rankings.
The updated score is here 🗣️
The West right now 👀
📲 https://t.co/6FlAlihMep pic.twitter.com/nCaLEV34JB
—NBA (@NBA) March 8, 2023
Basketball Reference gives the Grizzlies a 94.6% chance of finishing second or third. Obviously, they’ll need Morant back to make some noise in the playoffs, but they should have built a big enough cushion out of him to at least make it there.
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
