Finding a superstar to lead a team that is competitive in the NBA is essential. It’s also the most stressful. Once in a while, someone will land a star who is not a drama queen like Tim Duncan or Stephen Curry. They’ll reap the benefits of dynastic success. The reality is more complex. Today, stars have more power than ever to influence an entire organization. This manifests itself in many ways, both big and small. It could be a press quote that causes some controversy. Perhaps it is a request that you stay an extra day in a particular city, rather than moving to the next stop of a long journey. It could be hiring close friends of the star for team positions. It could be a request to make personnel changes, which may or may well not be beneficial. Perhaps it’s the contract that is necessary today, but could be disastrous tomorrow. Who cares if LeBron James complains about his team to the media. It is virtually guaranteed that he will be at his peak when the Finals are played. Giannis wants a coach change, so you give him one. Because no coach was ever as important as Giannis. The better a player is, the more they should or can get away with. If a player’s production drops, then the bar will also drop. Rewind to 2022, and Ja Morant was clearly on the right side of this graph. He was a Second Team All NBA point guard, aged 22, for a No. 2 seed. Tyus Jones, his backup, and a stellar defensive unit around him allowed the Grizzlies to flourish in his absence. He was not a great shot, but showed signs of progress. Minimal drama. Sky-high upside. Back then, it wasn’t difficult to imagine him becoming an MVP in three or four years.
It’s obvious that a lot has changed since then. The headaches are getting worse. The injuries have become more frequent. Morant has now been in the NBA for seven years and he has missed over a third (33%) of his Grizzlies’ regular season games since he was drafted. He has had some regrettable media moments as well. He wasn’t, in fact “fine in Western.” He’s also had some issues off the court. Back in 2022, multiple suspensions due to gun offenses were unimaginable. However, for now, the most important issue is his interference with basketball operations. The Grizzlies’ offensive system was radically changed last season under the direction of Taylor Jenkins as head coach and Noah LaRoche as assistant. This system eliminated most ball-screens, and also handoffs. The Grizzlies, who led the NBA by a ridiculous margin in drives, averaged over 59 per match, while the Thunder, who finished second, averaged 54.5. These drives were based on basic player movement principles and an egalitarian distribution. Overall, the team’s performance was good. The Grizzlies had the No. The Grizzlies were the No. This lull in performance cost Jenkins and LaRoche both their jobs. The Athletic reported Morant complaining about the new offense. As one league source told Sam Amick, Fred Katz and Joe Vardon in that story, “Some days he looks like he’s ready to play, and some days he looks like he doesn’t want to be there … because he hates the offense.”
Morant is not the first superstar to fire a coach. Rarely, will the same star publicly criticize his new coach so soon following a switch. Tuomas Iisalo, the new head coach of the Grizzlies, has brought back many offensive principles that Morant seemed to prefer. The Grizzlies have started running pick-and roll again. Morant touches the ball almost 75 times per game, compared to 68 in last season. NBA.com tracking statistics show that he is holding the ball more and dribbling more. Morant attacked Iisalo after the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss on Friday. Morant told reporters that they should “go and ask the coaching team” when asked what went wrong during the game. When asked how the Grizzlies might have been able to achieve a different result, he replied, “accordingly, don’t play them, honestly.” This was the main message. It’s cool.” It’s cool.” Whether you’re looking at box score stats or advanced metrics, the numbers suggest that Morant has slowly been declining since that 2022 peak.2021-2227.416.635.3%24.4.1716.12022-2326.214.440.9%23.3.1485.72023-2425.113.837.6%20.6.1243.12024-2523.211.435.9%19.3.1122.42025-2620.811.333%17.5.046-2.7You should take all of this with several grains of salt. Morant played only six games this season. He played nine in 2023-24. Morant is only 26 and seeing his numbers trend down is worrying. Since that peak in 2022, more or less the opposite has happened. Morant’s shooting has fallen to Westbrook levels, and he is no longer as frequent or as easy to get to the rim. His career shooting percentage is now 31.3% on 6.4 shots per 100 possessions. Westbrook is a 30.6% career shooter with 5.4 shots per 100 possessions. Morant’s defense is not comparable to Westbrook, and he has never been as good a rebounder or playmaker. This trajectory is largely in line. You’d expect a smaller guard to lose some explosive athleticism faster than his peers if he plays as aggressively and as often as this small guard does. Injuries and off-court issues can interfere with the ability to develop during the offseason. The odds are that if the player is not happy with how his team is performing, he will not play his best basketball. This all leads to the spectrum discussed earlier. Since 2022, Morant’s headaches have increased dramatically. His value has dropped dramatically and is expected to decline further in the future. At this point, it’s likely that he is on the other side of the ledger. He has become more trouble than he is worth. That puts the Grizzlies into a precarious situation. Could they bring Morant back to the team after his suspension? Would that be a good way to try and change things around? Yes, but it seems to be a difficult battle from multiple angles. Morant hasn’t a second shot here. It’s probably his fifth or six. Does the Heat’s season improve because Jimmy Butler was suspended last year? This is not a common situation. These are not private matters. This is being watched by every other NBA team. They are aware of Morant’s flaws both as a player, and as an employee. He still has two years remaining on his contract with a maximum salary. It won’t be easy for him to be traded. If there are interested parties, it might be at a price somewhat reminiscent of what the Wizards paid for Kristaps Porziņģis in 2022. It is important to note that the draft value of this player will be minimal. Who could be interested in this contract? You can cross off teams that have a lot of assets. You’ll be more selective if you have 6 or 7 first-round draft picks available to trade. Most of the true contenders have also been eliminated. Morant is a ball-handler who has to play a major role because of his shooting and defensive deficiencies. However, most teams with a winning record already have better ones. This pool is quite small. In today’s wing heavy league, small guards are perceived to be less valuable than ever before on the trade markets. It’s even more true when the guards cannot shoot or defend. This is a good strategy for teams that have fewer assets and need to make a big investment in a star player to move forward. Teams like Sacramento and Phoenix, who are already deep into trouble, can be a good fit. How else do they add All-Stars? The Heat is the best of the bunch, a better-run franchise that has fallen into a rut. Morant could be able help them get out. It’s ironic that Miami has been successful this season in part because they have adopted the offensive principles Morant disliked last season when he was with Memphis. If the Bucks had not started the season well, Morant could be a good candidate for Jon Horst to make his semi-annual splash and convince Giannis Antietokounmpo of extending. They are doing too well with this formula that is based on shooting to make any changes at the moment. Portland is in the same situation. If the Blazers want to win any more than one Play-In Game or two, they will need an All Star level creator. However, they are still playing well and hope that Shaedon sharpe or Scoot henderson can be that player. Toronto is in a bad situation. Would the Raptors consider moving there? Minnesota hasn’t changed its roster since a little over a year. Tim Connelly is due for a surprise, and the Wolves could use a point guard who can be a part of their team long term. Mike Conley’s health is also deteriorating. There is no team that appears to be a Ja-Morant away from winning a championship. It’s possible that Boston could fit Morant’s salary into their existing structure next year with a healthy Jayson. But it would be difficult to imagine that this particular Celtics team would value Morant more than Derrick White. Trae Youn is in a similar situation with the Hawks. They looked for trades several years ago but found nothing. At this point, he has less headaches than Morant. Like Morant, he was eligible for a contract extension in the off-season but didn’t receive one. He’ll probably resign at a price below the maximum, but he will most likely do so. At point guard, supply outstrips demand. Given everything we have covered, the demand for Morant is likely minimal. If there’s any way to get out of this mess for Memphis, it would be worth considering. The Grizzlies can retool fairly quickly. Jaren Jr. is another All-Star for the Grizzlies, but since they are in the Western Conference with a lot of talent, they can easily get a lottery pick if they want to rest. The Desmond Bane deal means they’ll have at least one player coming from outside the league this season, regardless of how their own season turns out. After the dust settles on the trade, they will almost certainly end up with Washington or Phoenix’s pick in the lottery. Cedric C. Coward has proven to be a great rookie. The Grizzlies are better at developing players than any other team in the NBA. Last year’s experiment showed that they are as innovative in their schematics as any other team. It’s pretty easy to see them building something very interesting without all these Morant headaches. If the Grizzlies do have a breaking-point, it is hard to imagine that they are not nearing it. Even if the Grizzlies knew that they didn’t have a Duncan or Curry, there is only so much a team can tolerate before they decide to give up.
2025-11-02 15:43:19
