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Grizzlies rebuild a must even if it doesn't ultimately benefit Memphis

Tony Mejia|
Memphis Grizzlies rookie Cedric Coward looks special enough to be a building block for a team that needs to rebuild while the opportunity exists.
Memphis Grizzlies rookie Cedric Coward looks special enough to be a building block for a team that needs to rebuild while the opportunity exists. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

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Memphis Grizzlies

The Memphis Grizzlies have reached the point where they should execute a full rebuild. 

Unfortunately for those who still dutifully make the trek into FedEx Forum to root on their team and keep a homecourt advantage that has been one of the NBA’s most impressive over the past few decades, whatever happens over the next few weeks may wind up benefitting another city.

Murmurs that the NBA prefers relocation over expansion has made the rounds lately. The cities most likely to lose their teams are Memphis and New Orleans.

It’s a sad reality considering how much history the Grizzlies have packed in since arriving from Vancouver, first as the plucky upstarts captained by Pau Gasol and then bringing “Grit and Grind” to the basketball community in a way only a perennial underdog can. 

Unfortunately, the current dogs taking up residence at the Grindhouse aren’t doing much barking and almost certainly need to be put down. The Grizzlies have been historically bad through these first 13 games.

Ja Morant has served Memphis well as the franchise star who hasn’t looked elsewhere longingly. The other night, he rubbed Knicks fans the wrong way when video posted to social media caught him squashing any inkling that he might want to play in New York.

Despite his much appreciated allegiance, rewarding that loyalty no longer makes sense if the Grizzlies aren’t going to be a playoff team for the foreseeable future. Head coach Tuomas Iisalo may have had great success in a few leagues in Europe, but he’s facing growing pains calling the shots on the NBA level. 

Morant needs a reset button via change of scenery

Morant is mired in the worst shooting slump of his career, heading into Saturday’s game against Cleveland with a 3-point percentage of .167. You could probably get away with shooting that poorly if you were an 8-foot-tall center who shot 20 times a season, but for an actual NBA guard who has to keep defenses honest by occasionally knocking down shots from the perimeter, making an average of 0.9 out of every 5.5 attempts is simply unacceptable. 

Turning the ball over nearly six times a game when you’re running the show, as Morant has done through six games this month, defies logic. Clearly, he’s not comfortable running Iisalo’s plays and it has turned him into the league’s least efficient point guard instead of one of its most dynamic performers.

It’s all been hard to watch, and at some point, the plug must be pulled. Zach Edey and offseason acquisition Ty Jerome will debut soon, which will definitely help improve the on-court product, but even with teams like the Pelicans, Kings, Suns, Jazz and now the Mavericks looking like their playing for the future instead of a playoff berth, there’s still no room for the Grizzlies in the Western Conference playoff picture.

The Thunder, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Lakers, Clippers, Warriors, Rockets and Spurs are all dreaming of championship rings. The Trail Blazers, even with coach Chauncey Billups suspended indefinitely, have too much depth to fade. That leaves one spot for all of the remaining teams to land in the play-in, and failing to cut your losses now to improve your lottery chances seems short-sighted. 

The Grizzlies have already improved their chances to be relevant down the road through all the draft capital secured from Orlando in the Desmond Bane deal. Morant, despite his past controversies and current struggles, can still net a nice return. 

Jaren Jackson Jr. is expected to remain in place, and young pieces like Edey and stud rookie Cedric Coward will still give Memphis fans reasons to watch. We’ve reached the point where blowing up the Grizzlies is the best thing for all involved.

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Tony Mejia
TONY MEJIA

Tony has covered the NBA since 2005, with stops at CBS Sports and Vegas Insider. He is a graduate of University of Central Florida.

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