A Ja Morant-less Memphis Grizzlies team was defeated 117-104, Sunday night, by the Toronto Raptors.
The calendar might read November now, but spooky season continues for the Grizzlies. There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s get into it.
They say you should learn from adversity. Facing the adversity of having no Ja Morant (suspended for conduct unbecoming) or Scottie Pippen Jr. or Ty Jerome to drive the offense, the Grizzlies learned they can’t even FIND the car keys, much less get the car started.
Over and over, the Grizzlies’ offense found itself stuck in neutral with five seconds left on the 24-second shot clock, necessitating unplanned — and unopen — shot attempts.
Seven games into the season is probably a little too early to panic, but even a blind man can see that the vibes are off here. There has already been a ton of speculation in the media and among fans alike about Morant’s future (or lack of it) in Memphis following his comments after the team’s Halloween loss to the Los Angeles Lakers that earned him a one-game suspension.
Sunday’s loss to the Raptors dispels the notion that the Grizzlies are better without him. Sophomore guard Cam Spencer moved into the starting lineup, a role that he was woefully unprepared for. That’s not meant as shade against Spencer, who is shooting 41.4% from three-point range so far this season. He can be a serviceable shooter, but a good floor general, he is not.
Jaren Jackson Jr. can be a leader for this team, but that is hard to do when he spends so much time in foul trouble. Jackson led the league in personal fouls last season and is currently again leading the league. He put up a team-high 20 points on 8-for-15 overall shooting, but one must wonder how much more he could have contributed if he hadn’t picked up three fouls before halftime.
Australian center Jock Landale continues to be a bright spot for Memphis while Zach Edey is sidelined, contributing 14 points and 6 rebounds while shooting 6 of 8 overall and 2 of 2 from beyond the arc.
The Grizzlies are leading the league in bench scoring, thanks mainly to the efforts of Santi Aldama and rookie Cedric Coward, who finished the night with 15 and 12 points, respectively.
Who Got Next?
There’s no rest for the weary: The Grizzlies are back in action tonight against the Detroit Pistons. Barring any unforseen circumstances, Morant should return to action.
Tip-off is at 7 PM CST.
