Ja Morant is one of the most polarizing players in the NBA. He is electric with the ball, but his jumper is below average, and when the off-court issues become a problem, people start blaming him. However, if we look deeper into the numbers and the Memphis Grizzlies’ roster construction, we find the ugly truth. While blaming Ja for the downfall is easy, it happens to be wrong. There will be plenty of talks about a Ja Morant trade in the upcoming weeks, but the reality is, Memphis is better with him.
3 Stats Prove Ja Morant Isn’t the Reason Memphis Is Struggling
For all the talk about Morant’s off-court issues, the Grizzlies’ problems have nothing to do with him and everything to do with the players around him. His trade value is low right now, and at the end of the day, why would they trade him? The team has an almost 60% win percentage with Morant in the lineup. Of course, the caveat is that this only applies when he’s on the floor. Morant has missed plenty of games in the past due to injuries and suspension. But let’s take a deeper look at what is hurting the Grizzlies.
The Real Problem for the Memphis Grizzlies
This year, Morant might be playing with the least amount of shooting around him. In the summer, the team decided to trade Desmond Bane for future draft capital and salary relief. As a result, the Grizzlies are playing with little to no shooting in the starting lineup.
Their starting wings are nearly abysmal from three-point range. Jaylen Wells is shooting 22% from three-point range, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is at 31.4%. Those are two of the three players with the most three-point attempts so far. The other one is Morant, who is shooting an abysmal 13.9%. But Morant has never been a good shooter. The season he won the Most Improved Player of the Year, he shot 34.4% from three, his highest ever. KCP, on the other hand, has had multiple 40% plus shooting seasons. Last season, Wells finished in the top 3 of Rookie of the Year voting, shooting 35.2% from three-point range.
Without shooting, Morant has to face multiple defenders and has little to no space to operate. He is at his best when he can drive to the hoop and create offense for himself and others. Yet, his wings do not provide the necessary spacing he needs.
Right now, the Grizzlies’ starting center and power forward are shooting better. Jock Landale is converting his shots at 55.5%, while Jaren Jackson Jr. is at 39.4%. The wings have to pick it up.
How Can the Grizzlies Provide More Spacing?
One easy solution for the Grizzlies is to elevate Cedric Coward to the starting lineup. The rookie is having an amazing season, averaging 15.3 points on 58.3% overall shooting and 48.3% from three-point range. That is the type of spacing that will open up plenty of driving lanes for Morant to attack.
Of course, it is hard for a first-time coach in the NBA to bench a veteran like KCP for a rookie after only eight games. But that might be the easiest way to infuse the starting lineup with some shooting.
Right now, trading Ja Morant is not the solution to the problem. Like it or not, the Grizzlies need to roll with Morant. He is their guy, and he loves Memphis. But they need to surround him with better players.
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