The need for Ja Morant to play like an All-Star against the Clippers on Monday

The NBA season is 30 percent in the books, and the Memphis Grizzlies are still having trouble breaking into the West's top six as they remain 5.5 games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves. They only have a 1.5-game cushion to stay in the Play-In Tournament, so every game is “must-win.”

Fortunately for the Grizzlies, getting past the Los Angeles Clippers should be like taking a test they know the answers to. Interestingly, Memphis beat them playing at a slower pace on the nights Ja Morant was absent, but giving them a different look wouldn’t hurt either.

The crew is going into LA this time, where the Clippers have a home record comparable to the tanking teams (3-7). Most times, a team is what their record shows, but on some occasions, pride kicks in for the opponent, and one can find themselves in a tight match when they probably thought it was easy pickings going in. This recently happened to the Cleveland Cavaliers, hosting the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. This can be avoided by staying mentally sharp.

Here’s what you need to know.

Not over-helping on the 3-point line

The drive-and-kick game must be stopped, and they can generate a good amount of those plays on screen rolls. Defenders at the wing and corner will have to be disciplined and not unnecessarily shade inside when the low man has it under control.

Kawhi Leonard sometimes gets in the zone, becoming unstoppable inside the arc. No one will be able to stop him by themselves, so it’s going to take different options among Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cedric Coward and Jaylen Wells, with Jackson or whoever is low doubling promptly on the drive. They might be able to use the zone effectively if the Clippers' ball movement slows down.

Controlled chaos from Morant

Incorporating a big-time player when things are working is no easy business, and in Ja Morant’s case, he must ensure that the ball keeps moving as it was in his absence. They’ll still need him to be one of the best penetrators in the NBA, which should be no problem as he creates tons of attention. Yet on Monday and in the future, the area he needs to pick up his play is effective scoring because he’s too good to be shooting 35.8 percent from the field. There’s an All-Star player in there somewhere, and they need that version badly so that his teammates have easier jobs.

Jaren Jackson Jr. stepping up

Jaren Jackson Jr. has performed below the standard of a $240 million player as his scoring average and efficiency have dropped. Perhaps Morant’s return will help him get the touches he needs, but he needs to assert himself as a cutter and a mid-range scorer on pick-and-pop plays. Part of his job on Monday is making sure Ivica Zubac doesn’t crush him in production.

With their big man decoy and the biggest factor on the glass, Zach Edey, out, the Grizzlies need way more out of Jackson. Sure, his positioning on the court has something to do with his rebounding numbers (5.0), but he needs to go harder than a shooting guard on the glass.