Morant has exceeded expectations
As the final buzzer sounded from the Grizzlies’ win over the Rockets Tuesday, Ja Morant raised his hands back and forth while soaking in the cheers from the Fedexforum crowd.
There was much to cheer about besides the win. After 41 games, the Griz
zlies (19-22) are sitting in the eighth spot in the Western Conference. Morant has been embraced as one of the league’s bright young point guards.
Their current six-game winning streak is the franchise’s longest since a six-game streak in December 2016.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins didn’t put any win expectations on this group as a benchmark but focused on creating a competitive, fun environment in his first year. What’s blossoming from it is a young team ahead of schedule and optimism around the franchise for the first time in three seasons.
Here’s five ways the Grizzlies have exceeded their own expectations at midseason after 41 games.
Ja Morant’s becoming a star
Expectations were high that Morant would impact the franchise immediately after being taken with the No. 2 overall pick. But few could’ve imagined he’d become a nightly highlight waiting to happen.
It’s not just that Morant leads all rookies in scoring (18.0 points per game), assists (6.9) and double-doubles (six). He’s invigorated a franchise and a city with his exciting play while showing no fear with his ferocious dunks or shooting in the face of NBA veterans.
Morant is the heavy favorite for Rookie of the Year and for Jenkins, it validated his plan before the season to give him a long leash and watch him work.
“He just goes out there and just plays his game. That’s been our mentality,” Jenkins said Sunday. “Let him unleash his talents, his competitiveness, his unselfishness. The fact that he gets to have fun and you see how he engages the crowd and his teammates they engage the crowd, it’s fun to watch from the sidelines.”
Brandon Clarke’s consistency
Guess who’s leading all rookies in rebounds? It’s Clarke at 5.9 per game
Clarke struggled in his two starts this season, but the rookie swingman from Gonzaga found his niche as one of the Grizzlies’ best players off the bench. Along with Tyus Jones and De’anthony Melton, he’s given the second unit a boost while also proving his value playing with the starters.
Besides his rebounding, he’s grown into an efficient shooter (62.9%) and is playing himself into being a candidate for the Rising Stars Challenge during All-star Weekend along with Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
Growing chemistry
Three of the Grizzlies starters – Morant, Jackson and Dillon Brooks – are 23 years old or younger. Off the bench, Clarke, Melton and Tyus Jones are also under 24 years old.
It’s not easy to convince a young team to share the ball and play together but what Jenkins has done while also weaving in veterans like Jae Crowder and Jonas Valanciunas has been better than expected. The Grizzlies lead the NBA in assists per game (27.9) and six different players are averaging double figures in scoring.
“Everyone had their slumps, injuries and all that (but) we found a way to stay together and find a way to get our chemistry going,” Brooks said.
“My first two years, that was a hard thing to come by, now this year we’re creating a winning culture and a fun culture to be a part of.
A lot of credit has gone to Morant but Jenkins deserves praise as well.
Second half resilience
Melton said his biggest surprise is how the Grizzlies are finishing games better. The team always had fight in them but to see manifest in closing out games during this winning streak has been better considering they had given back second half leads earlier in the year.
“No matter who’s out there, who we’re playing against, we’re out there, we’re just playing for each other and playing for our standards,” Melton said.
Consider the Grizzlies’ win over the Rockets Tuesday. With the game tied at 95 in the fourth quarter, they went on a 11-2 run while holding James Harden to just three points on 0-for-7 shooting in the frame.
The team is eighth in the NBA in second half scoring (56.6) while Morant is fifth in the NBA in fourth quarter scoring (7.7 points). It’s been a surprise but one that’s encouraging as the Grizzlies are now chasing a potential playoff spot.
‘Let it Fly’ campaign has been a success
Jenkins repeated the mantra during training camp when he wanted to encourage players to shoot from anywhere on the floor this season. It’s paying off but also highlighting a balanced offense
The Grizzlies are currently 11th in three-point percentage, the highest they’ve ranked in the past 10 seasons. They also lead the league in points in the paint per game (54.9) thanks to Jonas Valanciunas (15.2 ppg) as well as Morant being willing to attack the basket.
Leaving the grit and grind era behind may be tough for fans but those same fans stood and cheered Tuesday as the Grizzlies scored 120 points for the sixth time in seven games.
There’s room for improvement – the Grizzlies are 27th in points allowed per game and 22nd in defensive rating – but after 41 games, they’re also in a place where the present, as well as the future, is bright.
“It’s more seeing the signs of the growth,” Jenkins said.
“We knew this team was capable of growing into, what the point of the season was going to be. But the fact that they’ve embraced the work mentality here and unselfishness, that’s been fun to watch.”
You can reach Evan Barnes on Twitter (@Evan_b) or by email at evan.barnes@commercialappeal.com