They might have tied a franchise mark of 56 wins in the 2021-22 NBA season, but the Memphis Grizzlies have only fallen downhill since. Despite reaching the postseason last season, they failed to live up to expectations. As the Western Conference has improved, the Grizzlies arguably gotten worse. That said, the organization remains adamant about remaining competitive but that solely depends on superstar Ja Morant.<\/p>\n
The past two seasons haven\u2019t been favorable for Morant<\/a>. The 2023-24 season only saw the 6-foot-2 guard play nine games due to suspensions and injuries. He improved this past season, but only suited up for 50 games. His production is nowhere close to what it once was during Memphis\u2019 peak in 2022.<\/p>\n In that coveted 2021-22 season, Morant averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists. Last year, Morant averaged 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 7.3 assists. The two-time NBA<\/a> All-Star didn\u2019t seem as comfortable in the team\u2019s offense, which led to head coach Taylor Jenkins\u2019 firing<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, there are no more excuses for Morant. This year is imperative not just for the narrative surrounding him as a player but for the team as a whole.<\/p>\n \u201cThis team, if they\u2019re going to go back to being a top four team, which they were for several years, it was when Ja Morant was an All-NBA player,\u201d Brian Windhorst said<\/a> on The Hoop Collective.<\/p>\n It\u2019ll be extremely important that Morant returns to his former self this time around following the Desmond Bane trade<\/a>. The 6-foot-5 guard was a 20-point-per-game scorer for multiple seasons, who shouldered the offensive burden from Morant in the backcourt.<\/p>\n