How far the Ja Morant situation has sunk Grizzlies in NBA power rankings

The Memphis Grizzlies are under .500 after a pair of losses against the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors that exposed some unfortunate issues that are lingering around the team.

Those issues pushed the Grizzlies down five spots in NBA.com writer John Schuhmann's latest power rankings. The Grizzlies sit at No. 21 after being No. 16 last week.

"It’s not good when, less than two weeks into the season, your best player is showing lackluster effort and openly calling out the coaching staff. The Grizzlies suspended Ja Morant for their loss in Toronto on Sunday and have now dropped three of their last four games," Schuhmann wrote.

Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama controls the ball as Toronto Raptors forward Sandro Mamukelashvili tries to defend. | Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Grizzlies take fall in NBA power rankings

The Grizzlies still sit ahead of the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets and New Orleans Pelicans in the latest power rankings.

That being said, Morant's troubles with the coaching staff could lead to an extended stay in the bottom third of the league. His actions are affecting the entire team and it could lead to larger problems down the line.

"Morant’s frustration seemingly stems from the fact that he and Jaren Jackson Jr. have averaged just 28.6 and 28.3 minutes per game, respectively," Schuhmann wrote.

"That’s obviously a relatively light workload for two All-Stars who are both just 26 years old, but the Grizzlies have also not been very good (scoring a paltry 102.1 points per 100 possessions) in their 88 total minutes together. Morant’s true shooting percentage of 51.5% is the lowest mark of his career and ranks 40th among 44 players with a usage rate of at least 25%.

"He’s just 5-for-32 from 3-point range. Of course, Morant’s minutes have been limited with both Scotty Pippen Jr. and Ty Jerome having been unavailable all season. The other options at point guard are Cam Spencer (who isn’t really a point guard) and two-way rookie Javon Small."

The Grizzlies will look to get back in the win column this week when they host the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder in a four-game home stand. That stretch begins tonight at 7 p.m. CT against Cade Cunningham and the Pistons.

Grizzlies take fall in NBA power rankings

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