Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies can turn things around after bleak midseason report card

The team is 18-23 at the halfway point in the season.

Memphis Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo reacts during the second quarter against the Brooklyn Nets. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The Memphis Grizzlies have been through a roller coaster this season, and it has only reached the halfway point.

The Grizzlies have been dealing with injuries galore amidst trade rumors with Ja Morant and Jaxson Jackson Jr. as the team has won just 18 of its first 41 games. ESPN analyst Kevin Pelton graded all 30 teams at the halfway point of the season and gave the Grizzlies a "C" for their efforts.

"The slow-motion breakup between the Grizzlies and star Ja Morant has overshadowed anything else that's happened on the court this season. There's reason to believe Memphis is building a core that can succeed without Morant, having gone 11-10 in his absence despite playing most of the season without starting center Zach Edey," Pelton wrote.

"The Grizzlies were 7-4 in Edey's 11 games as he averaged 13.6 PPG and 11.1 RPG on 63% shooting. Fellow 2024 draft pick Cam Spencer has been a revelation at point guard, and rookie Cedric Coward looks like a building block for Memphis on the other side of the Morant saga."

Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward reacts during the fourth quarter against the Brooklyn Nets. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Grizzlies dealt disappointing grade for midseason report card

The only teams with a worse grade than the Grizzlies are the Indiana Pacers, Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, and Milwaukee Bucks, all of whom have a C- or worse.

The Grizzlies currently sit in 11th place in the Western Conference standings, which is just outside the play-in picture. In order for the team to move up in the standings, they will have to do better than the 18 wins they garnered through the first 41 games.

There is reason to believe that the team can't improve because reinforcements are coming in the form of Scotty Pippen Jr. and Brandon Clarke, both of whom have been injured for nearly the entire season. Both are expected back in the lineup sometime in the next few weeks. Ty Jerome could also make an appearance at some point in the next month or so.

If the Grizzlies can return to the floor from their laundry list of injuries, they might have a chance to squeak back into the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.

The Grizzlies are back in action tomorrow night when they take on the Atlanta Hawks inside the FedExForum. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.