New Memphis Grizzlies swingman Justise Winslow helped rookie point guard Ja Morant get his first career triple-double without even playing on Sunday against the Washington Wizards.
Winslow, whom the Grizzlies acquired from the Miami Heat, is still out due to injury. However, that didn't stop the lefty from giving Morant some tips on how to grab more rebounds so he could get that elusive first NBA triple-double, via Omari Sankofa II of The Athletic:
With 2:05 remaining in the game, Ja Morant had 23 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds. Morant knew he was close to securing the first triple-double of his young career, but he didn’t want to press for it. The Grizzlies had just taken a seven-point lead after trailing for most of the game, and Morant didn’t want to endanger it.
So Justise Winslow gave Morant some advice to help him get his rebounds within the flow of the game. The Wizards prioritized taking 3-pointers toward the end to try to generate offensive momentum. Winslow told Morant to stay near the top of the key so he could grab any long rebounds. His advice proved to be the difference. Morant’s ninth rebound came off a long Ish Smith step-back miss, and his 10th was grabbed with nine seconds remaining after a missed deep 3-point attempt by Davis Bertans.
Morant finished the game with 27 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds. More importantly, Ja led the Grizzlies to the important road win, giving Memphis its 27th win of the season.
Justise Winslow is already making an impact on the Grizzlies despite not playing yet. Memphis can't wait for the lefty to be cleared to play and compete alongside Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.
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