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The Memphis Grizzlies' championship hopes came to an end in the first round of the NBA Playoffs after suffering a sweep at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. At one point in the regular season, the Grizzlies looked like a legitimate threat in the tough Western Conference. However, things quickly took a turn at the worst time possible for a franchise that was once filled with promise. For this piece, let's take a look at the three Memphis Grizzlies most to blame for the sweep at the hands of the Thunder to complete collapse this season.
Ja Morant fails to stay available for the Memphis Grizzlies
It's safe to say that the Grizzlies were going as far as Ja Morant takes them. Despite the past controversies, the keys to the franchise still belonged to Morant. However, his lack of availability for the Grizzlies certainly threw a wrench in Memphis' campaign this year. The former NBA Most Improved Player only appeared in 50 games during the 2024-25 season. He missed a lot of time due to a myriad of injuries, none bigger than the hip contusion he suffered in Game 3 against the Thunder in the first-round series. The hip injury forced Morant to sit out Game 4, paving the way for a sweep at the hands of Oklahoma.
But when he was on the court, Morant had a decent season. He still averaged 23.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. Unfortunately, any contender would be placed in a difficult predicament of having to march on without their superstar. Injuries are a part of the game, and the two-time NBA All-Star needs to find a way to stay healthy to keep his place as the face of the franchise.
However, that hasn't been the case for the past few seasons for the Grizzlies star. Aside from missing 32 games this year, he has only played 70 games across two seasons prior to the 2024-25 campaign. With Morant dealing with health issues and off-court matters, highlighted by a 25-game suspension for showing a firearm, it's safe to say that the front office will have to ponder about his future with the team.
Zach Kleiman fires Taylor Jenkins and his assistants late in 2024-25 season
Arguably the biggest story for the Grizzlies during the season was making a coaching revamp with only nine games left before the postseason started. Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman made an eyebrow-raising decision by firing six-year coaching veteran Taylor Jenkins, who finished with a 250-214 overall record. Prior to his exit, Jenkins managed to stir Memphis to a respectable 44-29 win-loss record despite Morant's absence for the most part. Furthermore, Kleiman also fired his assistants Noah LaRoche and Patrick St. Andrews.
The firing of coaches opened the doors for Tuomas lisalo to take over the coaching reins. The timing of the firings was undoubtedly questionable at best, giving players little time to adjust to lisalo's new system. Under lisalo, the Grizzlies went 4-5 to finish the regular season before getting swept by the Thunder. Furthermore, Memphis also struggled with turnovers throughout the series against the Thunder, a statistic that illustrated the players' lack of familiarity, which the top seeded team in the Western Conference capitalized. In Game 4, the Thunder registered 32 points off turnovers, with the Grizzlies committing 22 as a team.
Under Jenkins, Memphis also had several weaknesses that prevented them from taking their game to the next level. Although lisalo was a coaching genius that had the tools to change that, the firings made by Kleiman were a little too late.
Jaren Jackson Jr. didn't step up
One of the most glaring issues about the tail end of the Grizzlies' season was Jaren Jackson Jr. himself. The former NBA Defensive Player of the Year was supposed to be the second option in the team's rotation. Unfortunately, he didn't play like it during the playoffs. In the first-round sweep, Jackson only averaged an underwhelming 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks per game on 37.9% shooting from the field overall.
In fact, he had a nightmare Game 1, finishing with only four points, three rebounds and two assists on 2-of-13 shooting from the field with a -36. In the final game against the Thunder, Jackson had another miserable night. He tallied only 12 points on 3-of-12 shooting from the floor while committing five personal fouls and the same amount of turnovers.
Despite being an All-Star-caliber center, Jackson Jr. struggled mightily against Thunder's frontcourt of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. As a result, he even received harsh criticism from ESPN analyst and former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins. Nonetheless, Jackson Jr.'s miserable playoff series will certainly play a role as the team tackles contract extension talks with him during the offseason.
