Ja Morant received a 25-game suspension from the NBA for conduct detrimental to the league.
NBA basketball returns Oct. 24. We are counting down the days like the seconds on a shot clock — literally, that’s what we’re doing. As of Oct. 1, our writers will list 24 storylines heading into the 2023-24 NBA season.
A new storyline will drop each day. Here is No. 21:
Without Ja Morant for the first 25 games of the season, the Grizzlies face an uphill climb.
If you watch the Grizzlies on the right night, it seems like they have an endless supply of young players who can contribute to a big run. But they have lost some quality depth over the last two summers, trading De’Anthony Melton and Tyus Jones, while seeing Kyle Anderson and Dillon Brooks leave via free agency.
After the departures of Anderson and Melton, the Grizzlies took a step backward last season, winning five fewer games and outscoring their opponents by 1.3 fewer points per 100 possessions. But they still finished second in the Western Conference for a second straight season, continuing to dominate the paint, even though Morant and Steven Adams missed 21 and 40 games, respectively.
Last season was also the West’s worst in the last 24 years, with the East winning 52% of interconference games. The West looks stronger this year, Morant will be out at least 25 games (serving a league suspension), and backup big Brandon Clarke (who tore his Achilles in March) will also miss a significant chunk of the season.
Marcus Smart arrived in the trade that sent Jones to Washington and could be just what the Grizzlies need in regard to leadership. But for at least these first 25 games, the Grizzlies will need to get something out of Derrick Rose. He will be 35 years old on opening night and played in just 53 games over the last two seasons. In the long term, they’ll also need more from at least one of their young forwards.
The Grizzlies always seem to find a way to stay competitive. But given Morant’s absence for the first 25 games and the depth that’s been lost, that will be a little tougher for them to do this season.
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John Schuhmann is a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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