What Ja Morant's Grizzlies must 'recapture' before NBA Playoffs
03/22/2025 12:49 PM
The Memphis Grizzlies are getting plenty of wake-up calls lately, though it seems the locker room is not quite responding to the alarms. A 128-108 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers is just another bump in the road for Taylor Jenkins as the NBA Playoffs loom. Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke were out due to injury but everyone’s pride is bruised after the most recent defeat. Jaren Jackson Jr. (23 points, 2 rebounds, 1 block, 1 assist, 1 steal) led the team in a losing effort but was a non-factor on the boards. Desmond Bane struggled to earn 10 points on a paltry seven shots, while also committing two turnovers.
Jenkins admitted the Grizzlies have not met the Grit-and-Grind Era standard lately. The team's intensity and speed have waned going back to the All-Star break. Those are just a few traits Memphis needs to rediscover down the regular season’s stretch run.
“I told the guys there are 48 minutes in there, you know, we just got to keep digging down. We just got to keep focusing on our speed, our urgency, and the intensity we play because that's what we've been doing all season long. We have got to recapture that,” Jenkins stated. “We just got to get back to playing with the defensive intensity that we talk about, the speed. We've lost that over the last month or so, even right before the All-Star break. We have got to recapture in that last 10 or 11 games.”
With injuries forcing lineup changes, Jenkins has challenged his players to focus on a few specific areas. Getting bogged down with overthinking instead of free-flowing play does no one in the Grizzlies locker room any good. Stressing the message was more important than dwelling on a loss to Kawhi Leonard’s Clippers.
“I've hit them with three things,” Jenkins shared. “It's finding our competitive advantage. I mean, obviously we're going through it. We've got lineup changes when obviously you want to be fully healthy. We’ve got to understand our standard is the urgency of our game plan. It’s the discipline and intensity we want to play at.”
“I thought we've made some strides, even tonight though we lost by 20 (points),” added Jenkins. “It was basically the 20-point deficit in the third quarter. I thought we came out with great intent on the defense side. Our friction, you know that's a calling card. And then the speed at which we need to play. I mean we had it for the first half and the first couple minutes of the third quarter and then we kind of lost it.”
Ja Morant and Brandon Clarke’s absences have tested the team’s depth. Jaren Jackson Jr. stepped up offensively, but the Grizzlies struggled to sustain their overall effort against Ty Lue’s team on the rise. Taylor Jenkins had few viable counters and Desmond Bane's inefficient night further underscored the need for consistency from the two All-Star’s supporting cast.
As the NBA Playoffs loom, the Grizzlies face a critical stretch to regain their identity. With Ja Morant's return timeline uncertain, Memphis must rally to rediscover the formula that made them a formidable force earlier this season.
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