Grizzlies' Ja Morant accepts blames, credits Desmond Bane's 'will to win'
Yesterday at 06:27 PM
The regrouping Memphis Grizzlies (40-24) are glad ugly wins count after escaping the Big Easy with a hard-fought, three-point road victory over the New Orleans Pelicans (17-48). While the win provided a momentary sigh of relief, All-Star guard Ja Morant was not in the mood to celebrate half-measures. After sealing the game in clutch moments, Morant shouldered the blame for the Grizzlies' inconsistent energy, particularly in lackluster first halves, while shining a spotlight on teammate Desmond Bane's relentless "will to win."
Taylor Jenkins, meanwhile, offered a balanced take in addressing flaws but doubling down on his faith in Morant's championship mentality as the team navigates a rollercoaster season. The Pelicans dictated the first half action and how Morant found shots according to Jenkins. Thankfully for the Grizzlies, that did not stop the All-Star from sealing the win at the end.
Still, Morant and Jenkins were lamenting a lost opportunity to snap a shooting slump against a 17-win squad.
“They forced us into some of those midrange jumpers that (Morant) has been practicing,” Jenkins explained. “He’s got his floater game and he had two big midrange jumpers there (in the fourth quarter). Glad he knocked down one of those two free throws. That was big time in the clutch moments there.”
Everyone in the Smoothie King Center knew the game rested on Ja Morant and Desmond Bane’s shoulders. Memphis went 13-49 from beyond the arc in a close game that was more an indictment on the Grizzlies bench than the leading dynamic duo. Jenkins said as much after the win.
“(Morant) wears a lot of responsibility for us,” Jenkins stressed. “If we can get a little bit more production throughout (the roster), we had a really tough start to the fourth quarter, in those big time moments Ja has been showing up recently…I thought he had pretty good balance in terms of attacking in the full court when he saw the space there. When we got certain matchups on him, his dynamic pick-and-roll ability unlocked a few things for us.”
Jenkins will make sure Morant does not dwell on regular season mistakes too long. Even some of Morant’s missed dunks become viral highlights after all. The star power and this team’s NBA Playoffs potential is enough reason to smile amid constant prodding for excellence.
“We all saw the space (on the missed dunk). The Red Sea parted and (Morant) went for it, so I think he is feeling good. As I’ve said before, I’m just so proud of that kid’s toughness right now,” Jenkins beamed. “I think you can see the force he is playing with but I mean, we’re always going to want more out of all of our guys.”
More in the NBA Playoffs usually means amped up defense for All-Stars and better shooting from role players. Morant has a believer in Jenkins, whose faith has only been strengthened despite some shooting woes.
“I feel like he has given us a lot on both sides of the floor,” Jenkins said. “We’re trying to attack in the paint and draw two defenders for the kickout. It’s getting to his spots on the floor, getting to the free throw line to get himself going despite the three-point shooting being a struggle.”
Struggle might be an understatement. Ja Morant’s Grizzlies are shooting well below average from beyond the arc. A seven-point deficit at the break was reversed into a three-point win in New Orleans but better opponents will take advantage.
Morant noticed a difference in second half energy against the Pelicans but is not satisfied with recent Grizzlies trends.
“A little tad bit (of improvement lately) but there is a lot more to work on though. I don’t think we can be satisfied with how we played defense the last two,” Morant stated. “Once again, our first halves, we are giving up easy baskets. We’re not really engaged or locked in defensively and it takes a little wake up call. That’s unacceptable for us. We’ve got to be locked in as soon as the ball goes up in the air so we don’t get situations like this.”
The ‘last two’ were both one-possession road wins over lottery teams. The Dallas Mavericks and Pelicans put up a fight but Morant called Bane “one of the ones” after sweeping the road trip.
“(Bane has) been very impressive but I know the work he puts in,” Morant stressed. “I know the situations and the talks that we have. He’s built for (big moments). He is showing that night in and night out. As you saw (against the Pelicans), filled up the stat sheet and just a couple of boards from a triple double again. That’s big time play for us and a will to win. When you have a guy like that leading the charge, everybody else follows so we’ve just got to keep grinding and getting better.”
As far as what the Grizzlies want to take away from these two road wins, Morant kept it simple before running off to celebrate.
“Wipe our first halves and play defense more like how we play in the second halves,” Morant laughed.
Next up is a four-game homestand that starts with hosting Kevin Durant’s Phoenix Suns. The Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Miami Heat follow. Will the Grizzlies be able to take advantage of the FedEx Forum’s frenzied crowd? That all depends on how Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and the rest of the Grizzlies are shooting. Among that group, only the Jazz are jonesing for the 2025 NBA Draft already.
For Memphis, the homestand is a chance to harness the crowd's energy and turn potential into consistency. The Grizzlies might even get to Griddy up the Western Conference standings. Whether they can depends heavily on Ja Morant's leadership, Desmond Bane's tenacity, and a Grizzlies supporting cast that needs to step up.
Taylor Jenkins sees a championship mindset in Morant, and Bane's fire is undeniable. But as Morant himself admitted, there's work to be done—and it starts with leading by example in playing a full 48 minutes.
The post Grizzlies’ Ja Morant accepts blames, credits Desmond Bane’s ‘will to win’ appeared first on ClutchPoints.
