The Memphis Grizzlies looked poised to make another playoff run this season, but everything spiraled pout of control near the end of the season. A dip in play combined with a slide in the standings led the Grizzlies to fire head coach Taylor Jenkins. After sliding down all the way to the No. 8 seed, the Oklahoma City Thunder crushed Memphis by 51 points in Game 1 of the first round on Sunday.

As it stands, the Grizzlies seem headed for an embarrassing and convincing exit at the hands of the best team in the NBA. Since bursting onto the scene in 2021-22 as one of the top young rosters in basketball, the Grizzlies have won just one playoff series and things are going to stay that way barring an all-time shocking upset.

Part of the reason why this Grizzlies core has stagnated has been the lack of a true elite superstar player. Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane are all very good, All-Star level players, but none are even scratching the surface of the top 10 players in the league.

At the beginning of his career, Morant looked like the most likely candidate to grow into that kind of player for the Grizzlies, but injuries and other off-court issues have prevented that growth from happening.

Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd called out Morant for plateauing over the last few seasons and compared him to Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, who has become a truly elite superstar in the NBA.

Related Memphis Grizzlies NewsArticle continues below
Nico Harrison and Cooper Flagg in the middle of the graphic. Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis on each side of them. Mavericks logo and NBA Draft logo front and center.
The only Cooper Flagg trade packages Mavericks must consider
Two mystery players in Memphis Grizzlies jerseys in the middle, Ja Morant, head coach Tuomas Iisalo, and GM Zach Kleiman around them, Memphis Grizzlies wallpaper in the background
2 early Memphis Grizzlies NBA trade targets in 2025 offseason
Two mystery players in Memphis Grizzlies jerseys in the middle, Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr around them, Memphis Grizzlies wallpaper in the background
2 early Memphis Grizzlies NBA free agency targets in 2025 offseason

“I watch [Anthony Edwards], every year I see a better player. I don't with Ja Morant,” Cowherd said. “I can see the work Ant puts into his game and I can see the work the staff puts into Ant. I can see it.”

The stats bear this out. In that excellent 2021-22 season, Morant played about 33 minutes a game and averaged more than 27 points a night to go with 6.7 assists per game on career-highs in both overall shooting efficiency and 3-point efficiency. Compare that to this season, where Morant is scoring just 23.2 points per game (lowest since 2020-21) and has seen steep declines in his efficiency from the floor.

Part of that is due to a shift in the Grizzlies' offensive philosophy, which is part of the reason that Jenkins and some of his staff were let go. However, there is no question that Morant has not improved over the last three seasons, and that is part of the reason his Memphis squad will be headed home early.