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The Memphis Grizzlies needed a reset.
A three-day stretch away from the court couldn't have come at a better time. The Grizzlies have lost four of their past five games, falling from the No. 2 seed to No. 5 in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.
During that stretch, the Grizzlies have had several moving parts. Ja Morant is dealing with a hamstring strain, Brandon Clarke is out for the season with a knee injury and GG Jackson is in the G League.
Memphis has a chance to finish its season strong in the final three weeks. That won't be easy, considering it has the eighth-toughest schedule remaining in the NBA. Some might even say it's unlikely.
However, the health and development of Grizzlies players will play a strong factor in where the team finishes.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane have been two of the team's most consistent players. Santi Aldama has also starred in his role this season.
Three other key Grizzlies players will likely impact the ceiling Memphis reaches ahead of the postseason.
For Morant, it's all about health. The star point guard eliminated many concerns about his play in recent weeks.
Morant is averaging 31.3 points and 7.7 assists in six games during March. Injuries to Morant's shoulder and hamstring have impacted his availability.
It feels like Morant has finally found his scoring rhythm in March. Memphis needs Morant to showcase that same aggressiveness heading into the playoffs. His scoring and playmaking ability can mask offensive mistakes made by teammates.
Vince Williams Jr. said three weeks ago that he's about 80% of where he wants to be in regards to his health. This isn't to say that he is still dealing with an injury. Instead, he's gradually working his way back from a tough and severe ankle injury.
Williams hopes to be hitting his peak conditioning in the playoffs, when other players are beaten up from the regular season.
After trading Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia, Memphis no longer has a long list of quality wing defenders. Rookie Jaylen Wells has been impressive, but he can't guard all the top scorers by himself.
Memphis needs Williams to become the defender he was last season, when his irritation bothered the likes of Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant.
This one is self explanatory. With Clarke out, Edey has a chance to earn a larger role.
For much of this season, Edey's role has been dependent on matchups and trends. The Grizzlies have started Edey in games and brought him off the bench in the second half, and they have made him a reserve and increased his playing time over the course of the game.
Edey's rebounding ability has been one of his greatest strengths, but it has been a weakness overall for Memphis. Teams with agile guards have attacked Edey's defense, which has often forced the Grizzlies to take their rookie center off the floor.
If Edey can stay on the floor defensively, his rebounding will win close games against the elite competition.
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Ja Morant, Zach Edey among key Memphis Grizzlies players before playoffs
Continue reading...
A three-day stretch away from the court couldn't have come at a better time. The Grizzlies have lost four of their past five games, falling from the No. 2 seed to No. 5 in the ultra-competitive Western Conference.
During that stretch, the Grizzlies have had several moving parts. Ja Morant is dealing with a hamstring strain, Brandon Clarke is out for the season with a knee injury and GG Jackson is in the G League.
Memphis has a chance to finish its season strong in the final three weeks. That won't be easy, considering it has the eighth-toughest schedule remaining in the NBA. Some might even say it's unlikely.
However, the health and development of Grizzlies players will play a strong factor in where the team finishes.
Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane have been two of the team's most consistent players. Santi Aldama has also starred in his role this season.
Three other key Grizzlies players will likely impact the ceiling Memphis reaches ahead of the postseason.
Ja Morant
For Morant, it's all about health. The star point guard eliminated many concerns about his play in recent weeks.
Morant is averaging 31.3 points and 7.7 assists in six games during March. Injuries to Morant's shoulder and hamstring have impacted his availability.
It feels like Morant has finally found his scoring rhythm in March. Memphis needs Morant to showcase that same aggressiveness heading into the playoffs. His scoring and playmaking ability can mask offensive mistakes made by teammates.
Vince Williams Jr.
Vince Williams Jr. said three weeks ago that he's about 80% of where he wants to be in regards to his health. This isn't to say that he is still dealing with an injury. Instead, he's gradually working his way back from a tough and severe ankle injury.
Williams hopes to be hitting his peak conditioning in the playoffs, when other players are beaten up from the regular season.
After trading Marcus Smart and Jake LaRavia, Memphis no longer has a long list of quality wing defenders. Rookie Jaylen Wells has been impressive, but he can't guard all the top scorers by himself.
Memphis needs Williams to become the defender he was last season, when his irritation bothered the likes of Luka Doncic and Kevin Durant.
Zach Edey
This one is self explanatory. With Clarke out, Edey has a chance to earn a larger role.
For much of this season, Edey's role has been dependent on matchups and trends. The Grizzlies have started Edey in games and brought him off the bench in the second half, and they have made him a reserve and increased his playing time over the course of the game.
Edey's rebounding ability has been one of his greatest strengths, but it has been a weakness overall for Memphis. Teams with agile guards have attacked Edey's defense, which has often forced the Grizzlies to take their rookie center off the floor.
If Edey can stay on the floor defensively, his rebounding will win close games against the elite competition.
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Ja Morant, Zach Edey among key Memphis Grizzlies players before playoffs
Continue reading...
