Ja Morant is widely regarded as one of the most must-see young stars in the entire NBA.
Before suspensions (and perhaps even after them still), he was regarded as the next “face” of American basketball. From a signature shoe to being among top All-Star vote receivers among Western Conference guards — despite missing 19 of 47 games so far this season — Morant quite simply is “box-office”.
And yet, he has been struggling not just lately but this season, especially as a scorer. Morant is putting up his lowest Effective Field Goal Percentage since his second season in the NBA, according to Cleaning the Glass. He is at or near career lows in most shooting categories. And his turnover rate is the worst of his NBA career, including his rookie campaign.
What gives?
New offense, new problems
The Memphis Grizzlies are running an offensive scheme that is among the most unique in the NBA.
It’s also arguably the most successful offense in franchise history. Memphis is scoring 118.8 points per 100 possessions— an organizational best, per Cleaning the Glass. The scheme is less dependent on traditional pick-and-roll dribble penetration, leading to open shots, and more focused on slashing, cutting, and multiple players being able to initiate offense and create off the bounce.
It’s a reason Jaren Jackson Jr. is having a career year. Why Luke Kennard is currently on the heater of his NBA life. It’s why Santi Aldama, Jaylen Wells, Brandon Clarke, and many others are seeing multiple opportunities to score, get out, and run as part of the NBA’s fastest-moving offense.
It’s also why Ja Morant is seeing fewer opportunities himself.
When you run a scheme that is so dependent on getting the ball up court as fast as you can, naturally the ball won’t always be in Ja’s hands. When you empower other players to initiate sets and actions, of course Morant will see fewer touches. Ja’s usage rate has remained essentially the same as last year, even though the pace at which they play is much faster.
Which means his usage has actually gone down some. As has his assist rate and his assist to-usage rate.
Morant has always seen himself as a creator more than a scorer. If he gets buckets, so be it, but his first instinct is to look to get his teammates going. But he’s not as impactful in that space as he has been before.
Turnovers and Ja Morant: A Memphis Grizzlies story
While Ja is nowhere near the most egregious offender (numerous players are in a lower tier than him on the Grizzlies), when you marry usage with turnovers, Morant’s lost possessions are troublesome. The issue there is it is one of the team’s largest indicators of an incoming defeat.
Considering Memphis is roughly a .500 team against other teams with winning records and almost undefeated against teams with losing records, a simple calculation exists.
Ja struggles against better teams. And the Grizzlies lose when Morant struggles. Longer defenders, more attention on traps and more physicality at and around the rim all contribute to tougher nights for Ja.
https://twitter.com/deepfriedcouch/status/1884339797981790445
Before something silly crosses the mind— no, the 25-year-old Ja Morant is not washed. A simple explanation for this is the previously mentioned missed games. Ja has yet to play more than five games consecutively this season before missing one or even more contests. Morant was injured three times before the calendar turned from 2024-2025. How possible is it to get into a rhythm offensively when in and out of the lineup so often?
A new scheme, with new starting players in Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey that are also rookies. Couple that with empowering your other two All-Star caliber players in Bane and Jackson Jr., in a space that used to be more exclusively his?
The context of the season so far matters.
How to fix it
In short? Play together more. It isn’t as if the Grizzlies are unique in terms of being much better against bad teams than they are against good teams. But Memphis just recently saw their starting five cross the 100 minutes played together mark…and the early returns are promising.
https://twitter.com/deepfriedcouch/status/1883951692234002573
Now, are Morant/Bane/Wells/Jackson Jr./Edey the prime Golden State Warriors? No. And there are legitimate reasons to worry about this offense in the playoffs. Too much freedom for players who aren’t as skilled creating off the bounce or on the move as Morant is cause for concern. And can they maintain this pace in a playoff series, where scouting and match-ups reign supreme?
Fair questions. But simply put, we’re still learning what the Grizzlies are with their “big three” and two impressive rookies together. Now combine that reality with the recent return of GG Jackson and the impending return of Vince Williams Jr. And mix in the real possibility that Memphis may be active at the trade deadline – maybe not Jimmy Butler active, but active nonetheless.
The Grizzlies are more concerned with the spring than the winter. They have time to work through issues…as long as Morant can stay on the court and prioritize seeking the best shot. Which often times is his own shot.
Data is still being collected on what this offense is in the NBA. And as they expand the scheme with Ja (hopefully) on the court more consistently, there will likely be room for hybridization.
At least they should be. Because at some point. you need your star to be a star in order to win at the highest level of NBA play. Make no mistake— Ja Morant is your brightest star.
But you have to walk before you can run. And bringing along the rest of the roster so they’re ready in the postseason should be a priority, too.
Ja’s play has not been up to his standard so far this season— especially of late. But with a little patience and flexibility, the Morant we have seen steal the show night in and night out should return soon.
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