It’s unusual for a team to excel when their best player misses time. In fact, many playoff teams wouldn’t come close to top-eight conference seeding if their best player is out for an extended period. However, this is not the case with the Memphis Grizzlies this season. Memphis has not derailed when NBA All-Star Ja Morant had been out; they’ve won 13 of the 15 games while Morant has been absent.
After steamrolling the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, the Grizzlies continue to solidify themselves as one of the deepest rosters in the NBA.
STATS WITHOUT MORANT
A 13-2 record doesn’t quite get across how good Memphis has performed without their superstar.
Their defensive rating without Ja is an astounding 99.8, which would be the best in the NBA. Offensively, they’re averaging 115.9 points per game and an offensive rating of 117.4. Both would be league highs.
Many of these wins come against top NBA squads. Some key victories include without Morant include:
-Seven point win over the Dallas Mavericks (97-90)
-15 point win over the Miami Heat (105-90)
-35 point win over the Philadelphia 76ers (126-91)
Of course, it’s a tiny sample size compared to the entire season. But it shows that Memphis still performs at an extremely high level even in Ja Morant’s absence.
WHO STEPS UP
Morant is one of the top scorers in the league, averaging 27.5 points per game this season. While he’s out, the scoring spreads evenly throughout the Memphis roster.
The Grizzlies have six players who average over 10.0 points per game without Ja, while just four players average over 10.0 with Morant active. The most impressive stand out has to be forward Jaren Jackson Jr.
Jackson not only increases his scoring from 16.4 points per game to 19.9 but shoots a higher field goal percentage (46.6%) on more attempts (14.7 per game). His defense, of course, is always spectacular. Jackson leads the league in total blocks and is one of the top defenders in the NBA, so it’s encouraging to see his offense improve without Morant on the floor.
Jaren Jackson Jr. leads the NBA in total blocks (151) and is 2nd in BPG (2.2). Opponents also shoot 13.7% worse at the rim when guarded by Jaren (2nd in NBA)
He deserves much more respect in the DPOY conversation https://t.co/4V3668fOM7
— Bryson🐻 (@BrysonWright3) March 15, 2022
Memphis still holds the second-best record in the NBA, just behind the Phoenix Suns. The Grizzlies continue to show that they are prepared to make a deep run in the postseason because of their incredible depth.
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