Memphis Grizzlies
The 2021-22 Memphis Grizzlies can be defined by arriving ahead of schedule once again, finishing as the #2 seed in the Western Conference, and then losing in six games to the Warriors in the second round.
What did we learn?
Ja Morant is THAT DUDE, ascending to superstardom in Year 3.
The Grizzlies were also a ridiculously good team without him.
It’s long been forgotten now, but the Grizz started the season 9-10, a game under .500 a full month into the season. It was actually when Ja was out of the lineup with a sprained knee when the Grizzlies winning ways commenced at the end of November, winning 10 of the next 12 games, including the largest margin of victory in NBA history, a 73-point evisceration of the Thunder.
The Grizzlies promptly lost two in a row as soon as Ja returned to the lineup, including a loss to the same Thunder at home. It wasn’t the same Thunder team, though. SGA, Giddey and Favors did not play in that first game, but they did play in the second. And yet, the ignorant rumblings from some that the Grizzlies were better a team without Ja were inevitable.
Ja responded by calling out the haters and taking his game to another level. He was flat-out sensational, scoring 33 points against the Suns, 41 on the Lakers and 30 on the Spurs all in consecutive games. The Grizzlies proceeded to win a franchise-record 11 games in a row, and the rumblings were no more.
That’s when we stated: The Legend of Ja Morant grows every day. And we asked: What can be said about Ja Morant that hasn’t been said already?
The dude is a spring-loaded wizard (ain’t talking about no Washington Wizards) and he somehow continued to outdo himself. In late-February, Ja scored 44, 46 and a franchise-record 52 points in a four-game span. It was absolutely absurd. It was preposterous!
In the same game that he scored his career-high and franchise-record 52 points, he just so happened to also unleash the Power Dunk of the Year on poor Jakob Poeltl. Oh, and he also pulled off an astonishing buzzer-beating alley-oop shot before halftime from a Steven Adams full-court pass, happening only a couple of minutes after the power dunk of all power dunks from which the crowd was still buzzing.
That’s when we had to declare: The Legend of Ja Morant doesn’t just grow by the day. The Legend of Ja Morant grows by the quarter.
The thing about Ja, though, is that his reckless style of play that defies gravity night in and night out is dangerous. He takes so many wicked hard falls, opening the door for a serious injury far too often. It seemed like Ja was constantly going back to the locker room. Because he was.
Ja would miss another 11 games over the last month of the season, but the Grizz just kept on winning.
How did they pull it off?
Ja said it himself: “We run up the chimney. We ain’t ducking no smoke.”
The Grizz ran up the chimney and ran up the scoreboard on opponents, the #1 team in the league in fast break points, second chance points and points in the paint.
Jaren Jackson Jr. put his own previous injury issues and concerns behind him, playing in a team-high 78 games this season. Not enough people talked about that. (In the previous two seasons, JJJ played in a combined 68 games.) But plenty of people talked about his vast improvement on the defensive end. JJJ was #1 in the league in total blocks and he received 10 first-place votes for Defensive Player of the Year, finishing fifth overall.
First in the NBA blocks and he could also hit the 3-ball, hoisting away. JJJ’s 3-point average of 31.9 percent on the season doesn’t look too great, but he had 18 games this season of making three or more 3s. The Grizzlies record in those 18 games? 15-3.
Speaking of the 3-ball, Desmond Bane shot above 43 percent from 3 for a second straight year, solidifying himself as one of the best 3-point shooters in the entire game. Shooting a high volume of 6.9 attempts per game, Bane is always a threat to rise and fire. And catch fire: Bane had 35 games of scoring 20 or more points this season after having just three such games last year as a rookie.
Dillon Brooks missed a lot of time dealing with injuries, but he was the same bold, hard-nosed defender who could also get hot from distance.
Brandon Clarke was a wild card and X-factor, a rim runner and roamer, looking for rebounds, lobs and blocks. In the 39 games this season that Clarke scored 10 or more points, the Grizz went 34-5.
De’Anthony Melton was once again a helpful plug-and-play player who can contribute in any lineup. Melton will also take you by surprise as a vastly underrated power dunker. And Kyle Anderson, as always, took opponents by surprise with his forever notion of slow-mo-ness.
The name that could have been mentioned first here is Tyus Jones, an extremely formidable backup point guard and game manager. In Ja’s absence, Jones could run the offense with ease. In the 23 games this season that Jones played without Morant, Jones averaged 7 assists per game. The immense value of having a really good backup point guard should not go under the radar.
The Grizzlies’ regular-season record of 20-5 without Ja Morant him was madness.
Also madness was the first-round series against Minnesota. The Grizzlies comebacks were EPIC. The Grizz got down and got down big, double-digit deficits in the fourth quarter of three games while listening Patrick Beverly’s nonstop chirping. But the Grizz just kept grinding. And launching 3s. Running and gunning and doing their thang.
The Warriors, however, had too much experience. And the Grizz missed Ja, who did not play in the final three games of the series, dealing with a knee injury. Memphis still fought like hell, walloping the Dubs in Game 5 into oblivion, a game in which they had a 55-point lead (!!). But when you get to that point in the season, you most certainly need your superstar.
That Warriors series could be a sign of things to come, the old guard vs. the new. The Grizzlies did just best the Warriors in the play-in last season.
The Grizz are still so far ahead of schedule, and they sure as hell aren’t going anywhere.
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Additional Notes
The frontcourt fit between JJJ and Steven Adams was a little wonky at first, but they more than ironed it out. Steve-O averaged a career-high in both rebounds and assists per game this season.
The rookie, Ziaire Williams, had a slow start, but he burst onto the scene, another explosive high-flying cadet.
We enjoyed more of John Konchar this season. Jitty can get UP. Konchar had a game with 17 rebounds!
And Killian Tillie! Previously on a two-way contract, Tillie played his way to an official two-year deal.
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Did our preseason Over/Under prediction hit?
This one feels like a no brainer. Over 41.5 wins.
Grizz 2021-22 record: (56-26)
Yes! This was definitely a no brainer. The Grizz got to 42 wins on Feb. 26.
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What’s Next?
Last night in the draft, the Grizzlies selected Jake LaRavia from Wake Forest and David Roddy from Colorado State. The Grizzlies moved up like they always do. Some interesting moves for where they were selected, but it’s difficult to question Zach Kleiman’s track record at this point. Roddy is the “weird body” player who is 6-foot-4 and 260 lbs.
Tyus Jones and Kyle Anderson are free agents. Jones will likely have some serious suitors.
Sign Ja to the rookie max extension and protect Ja’s health at all costs.
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Favorite Grizzlies Highlights of the 2021-22 Season:
The Block of the Year.
The Power Dunk of the Regular Season.
The Power Dunk of the Playoffs.
Like we said: Ja Morant is THAT DUDE.
