Good bad, bad year, the Grizzlies are forced to juggle the injuries of major players, and for several weeks, they have had to deal without Desmond Bane, author of a great start to the season before injuring his big toe. At first, Ja Morant’s teammates struggled with a win in six matches, and then Taylor Jenkins seems to have found the solution.
As proof, the Grizzlies remain on five straight wins, and since that night, they are second in the Western Conference. “I think there was a click two weeks ago when we said to ourselves that we shouldn’t do more, but do better. From this message, the guys became aware of their new roles » notes Taylor Jenkins.
As explained by Commercial Appeal, the Grizzlies used to play without Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dillon Brooks, subscribers to the infirmary for two, three years. On the other hand, it is the first time since he became a starter that Desmond Bane has spent several weeks away from the pitch.
Ja Morant more and more complete
It all started with Ja Morant. With Desmond Bane no longer at his side, the All-Star point guard tended to overdo it, and opponents shielded the racket to limit his penetrations. Except that Ja Morant has adapted, and he has perhaps never been so complete and managerial in his game. Since Desmond Bane was injured, ik is averaging nearly 9 assists, and he has signed five doubles -double and two triple-doubles!
At the same time, Dillon Brooks recovered the “ticket shoots” of Desmond Bane, and his aggressiveness made the difference. He is close to 20 points on average, and even if he is clumsy, his self-confidence makes him a permanent danger.
“With the absence of Bane, he fills this role a bit” says Tyus Jones. “It’s difficult, because we ask a lot of him. He deals with the most difficult opponent for us, night after night, and we have extreme confidence in him every night. But at the same time, on the other hand, he’s expected to score too, and that’s a lot to deal with. But he does a great job. »
The rise of Jaren Jackson Jr.
Finally, there is the return to the forefront of Jaren Jackson Jr. He has only played ten games this season, and his playing time remains limited, but he has a real impact in defense by his coverage and his protection of the circle . “No matter where he is on the court, he can find himself at the head of the key and on the ball on the other side” boasts Ja Morant. “When they enter, it goes up. For me, who puts pressure on the ball, I don’t have to worry too much if I’m passed. »
On the other side of the field, the Grizzlies necessarily play more with Jaren Jackson Jr, and there is more alternation between outside and inside play. “If the teams double up on Morant, or if they switch as we start to see him more, we are able to punish them by giving him the ball inside” concludes Taylor Jenkins.
| Shots | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | bp | Int | CT | party | Points |
| Ja Morant | 21 | 33.1 | 46.5 | 37.9 | 74.6 | 1.4 | 5.2 | 6.6 | 7.6 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 28.3 |
| Desmond Bane | 12 | 33.5 | 46.5 | 45.1 | 91.2 | 0.5 | 4.4 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 2.3 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 2.4 | 24.7 |
| Jaren Jackson, Jr. | 9 | 26.2 | 49.1 | 34.8 | 79.6 | 2.1 | 4.1 | 6.2 | 0.2 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 3.1 | 3.0 | 18.6 |
| Dillon Brooks | 22 | 31.3 | 39.8 | 34.0 | 75.4 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 2.9 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 3.2 | 17.8 |
| Tyus Jones | 25 | 23.8 | 44.4 | 37.5 | 70.4 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 2.1 | 4.5 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 10.1 |
| Santi Aldama | 24 | 25.2 | 46.8 | 34.4 | 72.5 | 1.5 | 4.3 | 5.8 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 2.7 | 9.8 |
| Brandon Clarke | 25 | 19.4 | 61.5 | 16.7 | 73.1 | 1.2 | 3.8 | 4.9 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 2.3 | 9.5 |
| John Konchar | 23 | 27.9 | 46.1 | 39.4 | 88.2 | 1.3 | 5.0 | 6.3 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 1.8 | 8.4 |
| steven adams | 23 | 26.8 | 60.9 | 0.0 | 30.2 | 4.9 | 5.7 | 10.6 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 7.9 |
| David Roddy | 25 | 19.2 | 39.0 | 31.3 | 71.4 | 0.7 | 2.0 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 1.5 | 6.2 |
| Jake Laravia | 16 | 18.5 | 41.4 | 38.8 | 100.0 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 2.1 | 5.1 |
| Zaire Williams | 1 | 18.7 | 22.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 3.0 | 4.0 |
| Xavier Tillman, Sr. | 12 | 10.7 | 51.5 | 33.3 | 33.3 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 3.3 |
| Kennedy Chandler | 9 | 11.6 | 31.6 | 18.2 | 42.9 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 3.2 |
| Kenny Lofton, Jr. | 4 | 4.7 | 41.7 | 0.0 | 33.3 | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 2.8 |
| Vincent Williams, Jr. | 6 | 6.6 | 27.3 | 12.5 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.2 |
