There was a telling stillness on the Memphis Grizzlies’ bench Tuesday night, not the quiet of focus, but of disconnect. As the Grizzlies dropped yet another contest, falling to 3-6 on the season, Ja Morant’s body language was impossible to ignore. Shoulders slumped, eyes distant, and increasingly isolated from teammates and coaches, the tension inside FedExForum was unmistakable.

Morant, who finished with 17 points and 8 assists but shot poorly once again, has been visibly frustrated throughout the opening weeks of the season. His numbers reflect the strain: 20.0 points per game, but on just 38.3% shooting and 14% from three, all while averaging his lowest minutes (30.0) since his rookie year.

The Grizzlies, once fast-paced and joyful with Morant as the engine, now look hesitant, rigid, and burdened.

The frustration is not one-sided.

The organization suspended Morant for a game over the weekend for conduct detrimental to the team, the latest flare-up in what has become a season full of strained internal dynamics. Sources around the team describe a growing disconnect between Morant and first-year head coach Tuomas Iisalo.

During Tuesday’s loss, Morant rarely spoke to Iisalo, offering little acknowledgment during substitutions or huddles. The sideline felt less like a team environment and more like an uncomfortable holding space.

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At shootaround earlier in the day, Morant was similarly distant. No smiles, no exchanges, no vocal presence. During timeouts, he sat apart from teammates, processing something deeper than simple in-game frustration.

Once considered the franchise cornerstone for the next decade, the player Memphis would build around, invest in, and market globally, Morant’s place with the Grizzlies suddenly feels uncertain. Rival teams are monitoring the situation closely, waiting to see whether the strain will evolve into something more permanent.

Memphis is just three weeks into the season. There is time to course-correct. There is time for communication, clarity, and reconnection.

But right now, the vibes are fractured.

And if something doesn’t shift soon, the question may no longer be whether a separation is possible, but how soon it arrives.