As Desmond Bane and other Memphis Grizzlies players got interviewed post game following a 105-90 win over the Denver Nuggets, Ja Morant snapped some content on his phone. Whether it be for social media or just for himself, the pictures and/or videos were of Bane, and Jaylen Wells, and other Grizzlies players - not the star himself.
That’s because Ja is currently out due to injury. A hip issue suffered over a week ago against the Los Angeles Lakers has lingered - his return is called “week to week” by Head Coach Taylor Jenkins.
And between how the team is playing - and how the upcoming schedule shakes out for Memphis - the Grizzlies shouldn’t push to bring him back any time soon.
For starters, the depth of this Memphis roster is shining through. The Grizzlies played 11 players at least 12 minutes against the Nuggets Sunday night...and that’s without Marcus Smart, who missed the game due to illness.
Six of them scored at least eight points. Five players completed at least four assists, and four players snagged at least six rebounds. That’s impressive production from numerous sources.
The Grizzlies also find themselves with a record of 5-2 at home this season so far...and that’s without Morant playing in three of those games (and two of those wins). This was an area of weakness last season - Memphis was a pathetic 9-32 in the supposedly friendly confines of FedExForum in 2023-2024.
The team is playing better where they should be at their best - at 191 Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. And six of the next seven games for the Grizzlies are happening at home. While Ja playing would surely help, role players historically play better in their home arenas. And the team is a lengthy stay in Memphis coming up.
It helps that the teams the Grizzlies are playing these next seven contests are...not very good. The combined records of these squads is roughly 37-57 as of this writing. It includes games against broken contenders (the Philadelphia 76ers), teams seemingly more injured than Memphis (the New Orleans Pelicans), and other squads that are either under-performing preseason expectations or are inexperienced and/or bad as expected.
All that combines to make a situation where the Grizzlies should do the opposite of what they normally do with Morant when it comes to injury. The caution Memphis usually applies to most of their roster usually does not apply to Ja - he almost always comes back from health issues faster than anticipated.
That should not be the case this time around.
The Grizzlies must worry more about the weeks and months ahead than the here and now. They’re firmly in the early playoff picture. The development of their roster is paying off. A majority of the next two weeks will be spent at home in Memphis. And the quality of opposition being played makes a 5-2 record a realistic expectation over this upcoming stretch. Morant is wanted...but he should not be needed.
So rest up, Ja. See you in December...hopefully.
