It Might Be Too Late for the Grizzlies, Even With Ja Morant

I hope I’m wrong.

That’s how I feel about the Grizzlies, who entered Dec. 20 sitting at 7–19, 13th in the Western Conference. Memphis picked up its seventh win Tuesday, thanks to Ja Morant, who played in his first game of the season after his 25-game suspension for multiple gun-related incidents.

Morant was spectacular against the Pelicans. He dropped 34 points to go along with his six rebounds and eight assists. He hit 12 of 19 shots from inside the arc, including the buzzer-beating game-winner, a feathery floater off a spin over the outstretched arm of Herbert Jones.

The victory was a vision of what the Grizz should have been. Even without the services of bigs Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke or offseason acquisition Marcus Smart, Memphis was able to battle back from a 24-point deficit for the win. At their best, the Grizzlies can play lockdown defense and string together stops, while their three stars—Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr.—all complement one another well on the offensive end. In their first game together this season, all three scored at least 20 points.

The problem for Memphis is the hole the team has dug itself due to Morant’s suspension as well as injuries. Adams is out for the year with a lingering knee issue, undergoing surgery on the posterior cruciate ligament in October. Clarke tore his Achilles last season and isn’t expected back anytime soon. Smart has played in only 11 games so far and hasn’t appeared in one for more than a month. The Grizzlies were dealt blow after blow, and while Morant’s issues may have been self-inflicted, they would have at least had a chance to stay afloat had everything else not gone so poorly.

For now, Memphis is 6​​½ games behind the Suns for 10th in the conference, which only guarantees the final play-in spot. The Grizz would need to win roughly 60% of their remaining games just to finish at 41–41, and not even that would ensure any kind of postseason berth. The only team ahead of them in the standings not necessarily fighting for the playoffs is the Jazz. Otherwise, the 11th-place Warriors are just as desperate. And no one from one to 10 is having a happy-go-lucky season. All of those teams need to win.

So I hope I’m wrong. Because it’s undeniably already getting late for the Grizzlies. And my fear is that it’s too late. Too late for them to make a run into the postseason. Too late for them to get there and also have enough left in the tank to make a deep run. Too late for this exciting young group to get another crack at all the teams they’ve trash-talked for the last few seasons.

In an ideal world, everyone is screenshotting this story and dunking on me in April. Because that means Morant was able to help carry this team out of the abyss of the conference and back into the elite. The Grizzlies are incredibly fun when everything is clicking. And even if the team gets carried away at times, I appreciate their willingness to annoy the hell out of everyone they go up against.

If the Grizzlies have hope, it’s because of what happened Tuesday night. Memphis was down big, didn’t flinch, and clawed and scratched and gritted its way back into the game, allowing Morant to finish the job. Maybe that win will serve as a microcosm of what’s to come for the Grizz for the rest of this season. I truly hope that’s the case, even if it comes at the expense of the people who think Memphis’s climb to contention is one comeback this team can’t make.