Why Memphis’ new identity will be tested by Ja Morant’s return

Memphis’ identity took a sharp turn during Morant’s absence, leaning on defense, ball movement, and collective scoring. Reinserting their All-NBA guard will require recalibration — and opportunity.

Nov 28, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (left) and forward Jaren Jackson Jr. (8) greet center Jock Landale (31) during the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

After a dismal stretch where they managed only one win in ten games, the Memphis Grizzlies have recently turned things around. They have won four of their last five games, including last night’s 112-107 victory over the LA Clippers. Coincidentally or not, Memphis has managed just fine without the presence of its superstar, Ja Morant, who has been sidelined for two weeks due to a right calf strain.

Yes, all four of those victories came against teams with worse records, and the lone loss was against the superior Denver Nuggets, but there's no question the team is stabilizing again after a rough start.

Morant's return is imminent, and in any other point in his career, that would be a cause for celebration for the Grizzlies, but his season thus far has been quite the stinker. Let’s be generous and assume he appeared rusty when he started the season. Before the calf strain, he was averaging his usual seven and a half assists, but he only managed 17.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 12 games. These numbers were significantly lower than his career averages of 22.5 points and 4.7 rebounds. 

Those numbers are bad, but it's really his scoring efficiency that truly plummeted and bogged down the team's offense, and his usual aggressiveness towards the rim has also diminished this season. Morant is now down to shooting just 35.9% FG, a dreadful 16.7% from three, and a career-low 44% inside the arc. Morant is getting to the free-throw line slightly less often, whether due to coach Tuomas Iisalo’s team-friendly offensive approach and reduced minutes. However, he is shooting a career-best 94% from the stripe, significantly surpassing his 77% career average.

Simply put: this hasn’t been the explosive, downhill star Memphis is built around.

And that’s where the tension could come in.

1. Memphis rediscovered structure without him.

Sure, Memphis is taking care of business against teams that are also struggling mightily at the moment, but they do look more disciplined, and they're executing better in the halfcourt, defending with more purpose, and fully leaning into Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart as poised on-ball decision makers.

Perhaps the offense isn't quite looking like Memphis is humming on all cylinders just yet, but at least it's no longer chaotic when Morant was in and out of the lineup earlier in the season. But they're cutting down unforced turnovers, playing steadier basketball overall, and outlasting their opponent with poise down the stretch.

2. Morant will inevitably shift the hierarchy.

Nov 11, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) lays on the court after attempting to score in the third quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

No one on the roster commands the ball quite like Ja, as he's always a threat on any given night. For all the good Memphis has done, they haven’t had anyone who can collapse a defense or generate a rotation at anywhere near his level and it goes beyond the numbers. When he has the ball, he simply commands that kind of respect from the defense.

Even in a down year, Morant’s 7.6 assists show how much creation and playmaking he still provides. But reinserting a high-usage star, and one as "unique" as he is, into a humming machine always creates friction, especially when his efficiency isn’t there yet.

3. The Grizzlies will need both versions of themselves.

The current stretch of games is a positive development for Memphis, no doubt. This version is steady and almost risk-averse in contrast to the version with Ja at the helm, which has the capacity to be more explosive, dynamic, and matchup-breaking.

Ideally, their ceiling lies somewhere in between, a compromise of styles that merges Ja's rim pressure, minus the inordinate amount of turnovers and bricks that are norm this season, while maintaining the team's new composure without losing pace and verticality.

If Morant can somehow turn back the clock just a little, minimize the distractions, and look like his old self when he does return healthy, Memphis could continue to climb up the standings and be a Western Conference disruptor.

If he doesn't, the questions will quickly come back, and the conversation shifts right back to fit, not his unquestioned talent.

Either way, it'll be a fascinating junction point for this season, and Ja's impending return will soon tell us precisely what the Grizzlies' true identity is.

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