When Ja Morant went down with a non-contact left knee injury on November 26 against the Atlanta Hawks, the entire Grizzlies’ fan base stopped and held their breath. Morant, one of the front-runners for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award, was having a career year through 18 games in the Grizzlies’ season and had to be helped to the locker room in the first quarter, avoiding having to put any weight whatsoever on his left leg.
Speculation began about how severe Morant’s knee injury was and after the game, it was revealed that the organization was optimistic that his scans would not reveal any major injury. Sure enough, they were correct, as the young point guard was diagnosed with a sprained knee and was labeled as “week-to-week”.
Obviously Memphis is going to be careful with their star player and as a result, he has been held out of action since suffering this injury in late-November and will likely remain out until sometime closer to the new year.
With Ja Morant out, nobody really thought much of the Grizzlies, but they simply moved forward with the mindset of “next man up” and they have found a ton of success on the floor without their leader.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Grizzlies’ Ja Morant Avoids Serious Knee Injury — Timetable For Return?
Following his injury, the Grizzlies won back-to-back games against the Kings and Raptors, respectively, and then they set a new NBA record against the Oklahoma City Thunder on December 2 when they beat the Thunder by 73 points. In said game, the Grizzlies’ bench outscored that of Oklahoma City’s starters 93-44.
Memphis then beat the Mavericks in Dallas on Saturday for their fourth consecutive win without Morant on the floor and then they recently took down the Miami Heat in Miami on Monday night for their fifth consecutive win. This team is now 5-0 since Ja Morant suffered his left knee injury, but they have made history over these five games.
Not only do they have their historic win over the Thunder, but according to Sportradar, the Memphis Grizzlies are the second team in the last 25 NBA seasons to win five straight games without ever trailing (including ties after 0-0). The Grizzlies have been tied after 0-0 just once during their five-game winning streak and that came on Monday night against the Heat when the two teams were tied 2-2 at the beginning of the game.
Over this five game win streak that the Grizzlies have never trailed once in, they are averaging 116.0 points per game and they are averaging 27.0 assists per game.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Grizzlies’ Ja Morant Avoids Serious Knee Injury — Timetable For Return?
“Guys are buying in, guys are wanting to take that next step of being a great team and getting ready for what’s ahead,” Dillon Brooks said following their 105-90 victory in Miami on Monday. “We are so unselfish. We respond with relentlessness that a lot of teams don’t have.”
Not only has the Memphis Grizzlies’ willingness to make each other better helped them achieve what they have over this five game win streak without Morant, but second-year wing Desmond Bane has really stepped up in the potential All-Star guard’s absence.
On the season, Bane is now averaging 16.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and is shooting 47.4% from the floor, 40% from three-point range (on 6.5 attempts per game) and 90.6% from the free-throw line. According to StatMuse, Desmond Bane and Patty Mills (Nets) are the only players in the NBA right now shooting 45/40/90 (min 150 three-point attempts).
Desmond Bane has been great for this team, but so has Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr., De’Anthony Melton, Tyus Jones and so many others. Everyone has a set role on this team and when their number is called, they give it their all out on the court, which is why this young team is starting to look like the surprising team many thought they could be entering the year.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Grizzlies’ Ja Morant Avoids Serious Knee Injury — Timetable For Return?
Obviously they would like Ja Morant back out there on the floor leading them, but this young team is finding a way and they are putting themselves on notice in this league.
Memphis does have some tough games coming up over the next few weeks against the Lakers, 76ers, Warriors and Suns, but six of their next eight games are at home, where the Grizzlies are 8-5 on the season.
