Morant’s confidence in his team’s ability to win a championship isn’t new. After he and the Grizzlies nearly defeated Stephen Curry ’s Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Playoffs, he claimed that his team had nothing to worry about in the Western Conference.
Those remarks came back to bite the Grizzlies, as the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated them in the First Round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Even worse, perhaps, was the media circus that followed Morant in 2022-23. Allegations of improper behavior, typically stemming from his proclivity for brandishing firearms, became so prevalent that NBA commissioner Adam Silver eventually suspended him for the first 25 games of the next season. Consequently, Memphis’s 2023-24 campaign was over before it began.
When Morant went down with a shoulder injury after just nine games, the writing was etched into the wall. Just consider that the Grizzlies were 6-3 when Morant played, but 27-55 on the season.
Next season, Memphis will have their best roster since Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, and Zach Randolph were leading the ‘Grit n Grind’ Grizzlies. Unfortunately, their new Big 3 has a big problem staying on the court.
Morant, a perennial All-Star, is the team’s most valuable piece. An incredible athlete and underrated passer with a knack for scoring in the clutch, he’s averaged at least 25 points and 6 assists per game in each of the past three seasons. However, he’s never played in more than 67 games in any season.
Desmond Bane has been a revelation in Memphis, emerging as Morant’s second-in-command. Averaging at least 21 points, 4 assists, and 1 steal per game over the past two seasons, he’ll continue to be counted on as a go-to scorer. The 26-year-old is particularly dangerous from beyond the arc, which has helped him complement Morant in the backcourt. Yet, he’s played just 100 regular season games since 2022-23, so his durability is in question as well.
Then there’s Jaren Jackson Jr., whose scoring prowess makes him more of a 2B than third option. One of the better stretch-bigs in the league, Jackson Jr. averaged a career-high 22.5 points per game last season. Even more impressively, he’s tallied at least 100 3s and 100 blocks in each of the past three seasons. He’s far from the picture of perfect health himself though.
As the Grizzlies’ stars don’t have a clean bill of health, their depth could be essential to them making it to the playoffs. Behind Morant will be Marcus Smart or Derrick Rose. Luke Kennard is set to be Bane’s backup after being re-signed. If Jackson Jr. starts at power forward, Brandon Clarke could be his primary backup.
The biggest drop-off will likely come with a Morant injury though. For all of his defensive mastery, Smart’s a relatively limited offensive player due to his streaky jumper. At 35 years old, Rose is far removed from his physical prime. So, while Morant is obviously right to hope that his team stays healthy, it’ll be his health that matters the most.
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