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In just his third season in the NBA, Ja Morant has been playing at an All-NBA level already. His assists are still at a high number, but his points, steals, and three-point shooting have immensely increased this season. Even with their schedule being one of the toughest to begin the year, the Memphis Grizzlies are still over .500.
Morant's all-around play has propelled the Grizzlies to terrific victories over the league-leading Golden State Warriors and back-to-back triumphs over a serious Western Conference contender in the Denver Nuggets. Starting wing Dillon Brooks has suited up for his first game of the season on Wednesday, tallying 20 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. still has not found his shot consistently, but he will likely wreak havoc on the latter part of the season.
As the season progresses, here are three reasons why the Grizzlies could be a dangerous dark horse in the Western Conference.
Dillon Brooks is still finding his groove
Brooks was a steady presence in the first unit last season, but no one expected him to take a massive leap entering the NBA Playoffs. Last season, he contributed 17.2 points and 1.2 steals per game as he's known for his ruggedness and toughness on the defensive end of the floor. After toppling the San Antonio Spurs and the Warriors in the play-in tournament, Brooks was one of the key cogs in the Grizzlies' first round series versus the Utah Jazz.
Brooks averaged 25.8 points per game in the series despite succumbing in five games. Along with his offensive aggressiveness, he was also defending Donovan Mitchell for the majority of the series. Despite only shooting a subpar 41 percent from the field in the regular season, he raised it to 51.5 percent and attempted over five free throws a game in the postseason.
With the tremendous start of De'Anthony Melton and Desmond Bane, one may need to slide down to a bench role, but the options of coach Taylor Jenkins will be brilliant come playoff time. The three wings, along with Kyle Anderson, provide a great benefit to the skill sets of Morant and Jackson.
Jaren Jackson Jr. still has massive upside
Jackson was underrated in his draft class because of Luka Doncic, Trae Young, and Deandre Ayton. However, JJJ could be a perfect prototypical modern big man because of his ability to play alongside Steven Adams if opponents would prefer to push the pace and play small ball.
Even if he is still improving on consistently switching on pick-and-rolls, Jackson already portrays impeccable shot blocking prowess as he is averaging a career-high 1.9 blocks per game this season. But he needs to improve his efficiency for him to increase his point production to close to 20 points a night.
With his ability to convert long range bombs and be an effective threat on pick-and-rolls, Jackson could reach an All-Star caliber of play in the next few seasons. As the organization decided to acquire a defensive-minded big man in Adams instead of an offensive player in Jonas Valanciunas, who's now with the New Orleans Pelicans, Jackson must prove the trust and belief the front office has in him.
Grizzlies have one the hardest schedules in first 11 games
Over their first 11 games, the Grizzlies have already faced the Warriors, Nuggets (twice), Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Miami Heat. All these teams are legitimate championship contenders, but with the Grizzlies tallying an over .500 record, that is already an impressive feat for the young squad.
As the season progresses, they will still face the Pelicans and the Houston Rockets four games apiece. With Brooks and Jackson eventually finding their groove and reaching the peak of their game, the Grizzlies will be a force to be reckoned with when the period of jockeying for spots in the NBA Playoffs arrives. Additionally, the repertoire of Morant may not even be close to his ceiling yet because he can decrease his turnovers or even develop an excellent three-point shot for him to be regarded as one of the top players in the league.
With the Grizzlies currently at the eighth seed in the Western Conference, they are targeting at least a top-six spot and hopefully become a rightful threat in the postseason. The national media do not even discuss a ton about Morant and company, which will be another reason for the squad to continue remaining motivated and eventually prove the doubters wrong.
