Jaren & Ja Struggles, Memphis Grizzlies Report Card in loss to Knicks

The Memphis Grizzlies fell short to the New York Knicks in a game where they started on the right foot, but weren't able to stay consistent. The Grizzlies jumped out in front by a 5-point lead early in the first quarter, but once the Knicks took the lead, they never gave it back. The bench was the group that gave the team a spark, but after shrinking the lead to as little as 10 points in the 4th quarter, the Knicks held them off for the win. Although the team has been struggling as of late, there have been some bright spots. Let's see who stands out on the Memphis Grizzlies report card.

Jaren Jackson Jr. had a solid night scoring the ball, but was unable to stay out of foul trouble, exiting the game with a munute to go. There were more opportunities for Jaren to attack the thin frontline of the Knicks, so we'll see if he picks up on those next time out. Additionally, he committed 5 turnovers, making things only harder against a Knicks team with high offensive prowess.

Ja Morant had another rough night, shooting 28% from the field while committing 8 turnovers. While he did also have 10 assists, the ratio with turnovers isn't ideal for Memphis' star player. Additionally, there were times in the game where Ja settled for a shot when he could've worked for another. His turnovers came primarily from overdribbling and bad passes, so hopefully those can be easy fixes for him once the team reviews film.

Santi Aldama has been a shining spot for this team, coming off the bench and making an immediate impact. He scored 19 points on 80% shooting as well as contributing 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Aldama was part of the bench mob that helped Memphis make a run in the 4th quarter, cutting the lead from 28 all the way down to 10. Unfortunately, the starters weren't able to continue the run, but look for Aldama to continue making his impact in games.

Jaylen Wells has shown growth early in the season, increasing his point total in each of the last 5 games. In tonight's game against the Knicks, he scored 18 points in a multitute of ways, hitting a few spot up 3s to start his night and took a few players off the dribble to get a few of his buckets. He was able to hit the shot that took the lead down to 10 points until the Knicks closed it out but if Wells can continue this level of shooting, he can be the player that compliments Ja & Jaren Jackson Jr. the most.

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