Category: Sports

If you had asked before the season what the expectations were for the Grizzlies in 2023-24, a host of injuries for most of the roster leading to a record of 27-55 and no postseason opportunities likely wasn’t it.

There were obvious questions about how the team would fare in the absence of Ja Morant during the first 25 games, as he served his league-issued suspension, but the consensus back then was that the rest of the roster could hold it down until Morant’s return in January and the Grizzlies would pick right back up where they left off as one of the most dominant teams in the league, near the top of the western conference.

Unfortunately, that is not how it went down. Ja Morant returned as energized and dynamic as before, but a shoulder injury that required surgery ended his season after just nine games played.

In the aftermath of a season where nearly everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Memphis, there are still some vestiges of hope for Grizzlies fans.

While the rest of the league seems to have forgotten about their existence, the vibe in the room during Memphis Grizzlies exit interviews was that of a team that faced more adversity than was possible to overcome in the moment, but one that still had great hopes for the future.

I think it is more likely than not that the core of this Grizzlies team is going to return to action next season with a massive chip on their shoulders, ready to prove wrong any doubters or naysayers, and eager to remind the league that Memphis is still a force to be reckoned with.

Grizzlies’ general manager Zach Kleiman has said that Morant’s recovery from injury was progressing well and expected that he would be cleared to resume basketball activities over the summer. Regarding other players on the injured list, Kleiman said the timetable for recovery was in terms of weeks, not months.

It should be some comfort to anyone who follows this team that the reason for their struggles was due to factors outside of their control, rather than players regressing. Player injuries had a huge impact on the season, so much so that it required the team to sign a plethora of 10-day contracts just to have eight players available for games, the minimum the league allows.

Memphis set two league records by using 51 different starting lineups and 33 different players this season.

The Grizzlies’ big free agency move of the summer was trading for former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart from the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately, he wasn’t immune to the injury bug that plagued the rest of the team, and only played in 20 games. Smart remains under contract through the 2025-26 season and is expected to play next season.

Two of the team’s big three took on outsized roles in the absence of Morant.

Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane both took on a leadership role of sorts, and the pair did a lot of heavy lifting throughout the season, playing as hard as possible even when a game’s outlook was bleak. Jackson and Bane both saw an increase in average points per game, while also increasing their shot attempts and minutes played.

Bane’s points per game average increased from 21.5 points last season to 23.7 points =this season, while his overall field goal attempts increased from 16.2 attempts per game last season to 18.5 attempts this season. His minutes per game increased from 31.7 in 2022-23 to 34.4 this season.

Jackson’s trajectory shows a similar increase, with his points per game average increasing from 18.6 last season to 22.5 points this season. His field goal attempts rose from 13.0 attempts per game in 2022-23 to 17.6 this season. His minutes per game increased from 28.4 last season to 32.2 this season.

There were other positive aspects of this lost season, in terms of player development.

The emergence of Vince Williams Jr. and GG Jackson was a balm for an otherwise sore season. Likewise with the return of Brandon Clarke for a handful of games near season’s end.

Clarke needed hardly any time to return to his previous form, which is both a good sign for the future and a testament to how seriously he took his rehab and recovery.

Williams Jr. and GG Jackson both started the season on two-way contracts and spent a portion of the season playing with the team’s G-league affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, until having those contracts converted to a regular contract with the team and earning official roster spots.

It is unlikely that either player would have seen significant NBA minutes this season without the spate of injuries. Williams Jr. appeared in 52 games, with 33 of those in the starting lineup. Similarly, Jackson appeared in 48 games, and started in 18 of those.

Signing Williams Jr. and Jackson to regular team contracts left more two-way contracts available, and Memphis used those to add center Trey Jemison and point guards Scotty Pippen Jr. and Jordan Goodwin.

Jemison appeared in 23 games, with 14 appearances in the starting lineup, and averaged 7.4 points in 24.9 minutes per game.

Pippen Jr., son of Chicago Bulls legend Scottie Pippen, played 21 games, 16 as the starting point guard. He averaged 12.9 points and 25.1 minutes per game.

Goodwin appeared in 17 games, including 12 as a starter, while averaging 10 points and 29.2 minutes.

There is no disputing that the season’s outcome was a disappointment, but despite finishing 13^th in the Western Conference, the outlook for the Grizzlies going forward seems bright.

With a final score of 123-120, the Los Angeles Lakers barely scraped by with a win against the Memphis Grizzlies. While there are no moral victories in the NBA, this was the closest thing to an enjoyable loss as possible.

The battered and bruised Grizzlies, who were missing 13 played to injuries, fought hard and kept the outcome in question until their final possession, forcing the team that eliminated them in last year’s playoffs to exert considerable effort to squeak by with a narrow win.

It might be projection, but it felt satisfyingly petty to watch these young guys be such a thorn in the Lakers’ side in a game that was essentially meaningless to Memphis. To fully appreciate the Grizzlies’ performance in this game, let’s set the scene:

It’s game 81 in an 82-game season, with one team fighting to secure their best possible position in the play-in tournament, playing against a team so hobbled by injuries they have been adding a steady stream of relatively unknown players on 10-day contracts just to have the league minimum eight players available.

Los Angeles had already won by double-digits in two of three games in the season series, and they were facing a Grizzlies team that currently holds the second-worst home record in the league.

The Lakers are fighting to secure the most favorable play-in tournament seeding, along with the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors, and based on their previous meetings, the Lakers probably expected to cakewalk their way to a win.

This game had big “day before the start of a long weekend and your crappy boss is unexpectedly making you do real work” energy. You know the feeling you get when you were expecting to coast through an easy day at the office and one of your least favorite colleagues dumps a pile of time-sensitive tasks on your desk and suddenly you must do actual work? That is how I imagine LeBron James and Anthony Davis felt about this matchup against the Grizzlies.

LeBron James had 37 points. There’s not much you can do against that. Similar situation with Anthony Davis. If he’s going for 36 points, your team is probably in trouble. 

James and Davis combined for 28 of the Lakers’ 34 free-throw attempts, seven more than the Grizzlies’ total 21 free-throw attempts. Those numbers speak for themselves, and the expectation should be officiating the same way on both sides, especially in a game as close as this one.

The last Grizzlies’ possession of the game featured a lot of contact against GG Jackson, contact that absolutely would have been called a foul on the other end of the floor. Head coach Taylor Jenkins had already used a challenge and failed so there wasn’t anything to be done about it, but he certainly vocalized his displeasure.

Despite the loss, there were some positive things to take away from last night’s game from the Grizzlies’ perspective. GG Jackson has been playing out of his mind, and these starting minutes have given him valuable development experience and shown how deep his potential can be. 

Jackson finished the night with a team-high 31 points and three steals while shooting 12 of 23 overall and seven of 13 from three-point range, his third game this season with 30+ points.

Scotty Pippen Jr. had a career-high scoring night, putting up 28 points, plus five rebounds, six assists, and four steals on 12 of 22 overall shooting and three of seven from beyond the arc.

Plus, the bonus of the broadcast cutting to Scottie Pippen Sr. celebrating after Pippen Jr. made a fast break that ended with a nasty bucket against the defense of Austin Reaves.

Jake LaRavia has continued to make big offensive contributions since his return, adding 28 points, three rebounds, and a career-high six assists, on seven of 13 overall, three of six from three-point range, and a perfect 11 of 11 from the free throw line.

Jordan Goodwin recorded a career-high 23 points, 17 rebounds, and four steals the hard way, shooting just seven of 22 overall and four of nine from beyond the arc.

It was the fifth time this season Goodwin grabbed double-digit rebounds, and he’s had 81 rebounds in his past seven games.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies will play their final game of the season on Sunday against the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets. Tip-off is at 2:30 p.m. CDT.

The San Antonio Spurs, led by presumptive Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama, beat the Grizzlies 102-87, Tuesday night. They spoiled a 13-game winning streak in the overall series by the Grizzlies and kept Memphis from sweeping the season series. It marked the Spurs’ first victory over the Grizzlies since December 2020.

It was the 50^th starting lineup for Memphis this season, setting a record for the number of different starting lineups in a single season since the league began tracking data on starting lineups in the 1983-83 season.

Brandon Clarke made his first appearance as a starter since his return from injury, and became the 23^rd different starter for the Grizzlies this season. This stat is even wilder when you consider that NBA rosters are limited to 15 players, barring injury exceptions, of which Memphis has had many this season. The Grizzlies were definitely outmanned Tuesday, fielding an eight-player roster against a 12-man Spurs roster.

Even taking into consideration their lack of manpower, it was a bad shooting night for the Grizzlies, who finished the night with just six three-pointers made. This squad, colloquially known as the Hospital Grizzlies, is literally limping to the end of the season.

San Antonio held Memphis 12 points in the third quarter on four of 24 shooting, erasing the one-point lead Memphis took into the second half and giving the Spurs a 16-point advantage going into the fourth quarter. It was the lowest-scoring quarter of the season for Memphis.

Victor Wembanyama and Julian Champagnie led the Spurs’ starting unit with 18 and 17 points, respectively. Wembanyama also had a game-high six assists and seven blocks.

Six of the eight players who took the court for the Grizzlies finished the night with double digits, including all five starters. Three players tied for the team-high scorer with 14 points each.

Brandon Clarke had 14 points, one rebound, one steal, and one block while shooting seven of 12 overall.

Trey Jemison had 14 points, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one block, and a perfect two of two from the free throw line.

Scotty Pippen Jr. had 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists, a game-high four steals, and one block.

GG Jackson finished the night with 11 points, four rebounds, two assists, and one block.

Jordan Goodwin added 10 points, and a career-high 19 rebounds. It marks Goodwin’s third career double-double. His 19 rebounds are the most pulled down by a player his height (6’3”) or shorter since 1990.

From the second unit, guard Zavier Simpson put up 12 points, three rebounds, five assists, and one steal.

Who Got Next?

The Grizzlies are back at it again tonight for the last road game of the season, facing off against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. CDT.