Two years in the past, the Memphis Grizzlies seemed to be one of many high up and coming groups within the NBA. They’d put collectively their second straight season of over 50 wins, and their younger core was tantalizing.
Nevertheless, final season, accidents ravaged the Grizzlies, who went simply 27-55.
Now, with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder on the rise and the Dallas Mavericks that includes a deadly backcourt tandem of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Memphis has been largely forgotten.
However don’t inform that to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
Bontemps nonetheless has excessive hopes for the Grizzlies heading into subsequent season and thinks that the trio of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. is mighty spectacular.
“I’m shopping for Memphis,” Bontemps stated on The Hoop Collective. “Clearly, we’ll see if Ja Morant can hold himself on the court docket. But when he can, I anticipate him to have an enormous 12 months. He, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are awfully, awfully good collectively. We haven’t seen them collectively in a minute, however when they’re collectively, they’re pretty much as good as a trio as there’s within the league.”
Morant was probably the most thrilling gamers within the league a few years in the past, however accidents and a string of off-the-court incidents have moved him out of the highlight.
When wholesome, although, there isn’t a doubting that Morant is among the finest gamers within the NBA.
Morant broke out through the 2021-22 marketing campaign, averaging 27.4 factors, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals over 33.1 minutes per sport whereas capturing 49.3 % from the ground. He made his first All-Star look because of this.
The next 12 months, Morant impressed once more, registering 26.2 factors, 8.1 assists and 5.9 boards an evening, connecting on 46.6 % of his field-goal makes an attempt.
Effectivity has been a problem for Morant, as he owns a lifetime true-shooting share of simply 55.8 %, however like Russell Westbrook earlier than him, his explosiveness compensates for it.
Maybe the largest difficulty with Morant is his lack of ability to remain on the ground.
The 25-year-old has by no means performed 70 video games in a single season earlier than, and whereas his 25-game suspension saved him sidelined early on final 12 months, he ended up bowing out resulting from a shoulder damage after returning for simply 9 contests.
If Morant can keep wholesome and solid members like Bane and Jackson can proceed to enhance, the Memphis Grizzlies might find yourself re-establishing themselves as contenders within the rugged Western Convention.
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