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The muscled-up Memphis Grizzlies have transformed the offense around Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. this season. Incorporating Zach Edey into the Grizzlies locker room was always going to take some time. Veering away from the traditional point-guard-center pick-and-roll action that dominates the modern NBA created an extra layer to the challenge. However, after a big win over Victor Wembanyama's San Antonio Spurs, Taylor Jenkins sounds ready to feature the Morant-Edey pairing more often moving forward.
“It's something we've been discussing a lot internally trying to figure out the balancing act,” Jenkins admitted. “Obviously with (Ja Morant's) supreme skills in the pick-and-roll department play-making and scoring, I thought he set a tone. On the ball and off the ball, (Morant) was knocking down shots. He was playing with pace in the full-court court.”
For the Grizzlies, this isn't just about executing a somewhat predictable play to keep defenses honest; it's about mastering it in a way that leverages Morant and Edey's unique skill sets successfully. Time is running out for the rookie though, and Jenkins knows it. This intricate dance of speed, strategy, and sheer physicality has approximately 30 games to get aligned before jumping onto the NBA Playoffs track.
“That (pick-and-roll) chemistry with (Zach Edey) is something we've been meaning to unlock, spending time with over the past couple of weeks especially as we've figured out our principles and pace,” shared Jenkins. “This is an advantage creator for us.”
Well, it can be if Edey can keep up for more than 20 minutes. The speed at which Morant and the Grizzlies want to play usually disrupts defenses even before the pick-and-roll has a chance to develop. Jenkins knows the pick-and-roll will be a useful fallback plan once the game slows down in the postseason. The franchise's record-holder for wins cannot wait to see how things play out.
“Obviously Ja benefitting getting downhill, getting shots off, and those assists to Zach,” Jenkins began. “Eventually that is going to open up closeouts to the three-point line because of the gifts Ja has in those situations. It's awesome to see and we are going to keep pouring into that and finding that balancing act so we can be diversified with our offense overall.”
It's a work in progress, as Jenkins noted, with a specific focus over the past weeks to refine their timing and understanding of each other's moves. Still, Zach Edey's size and smooth rolls to the rim open up lanes for Ja Morant to create highlight opportunities for everyone. The pairing just needs more time to get on the same page before any high-pressure Game 7 situations.
Thankfully, the Grizzlies (34-16) are sitting in second place and have a bit of a cushion in the Western Conference standings. There should be enough time to sort everything out in this balancing act.
