3 adjustments the Memphis Grizzlies have to make without Ja Morant

Adjustment 1 for the Memphis Grizzlies: Start Tyus Jones

The most obvious adjustment for head coach Taylor Jenkins is to move Tyus Jones into the starting point guard position.

Jones can mostly make up for Morant’s playmaking, last season Jones averaged 4.4 assists per game off the bench last season.

Jones has had moments as a starter, with his biggest starting stretch being with the Timberwolves in the 18-19 season when Jeff Teague was out with injury — In that 15-game stretch, Jones averaged 11.2 points per game and 7.3 assists per game, with a win/loss record of 4-11.

Tyus Jones is not the shot creator or shot maker that Morant is, averaging only 7.4 points per game last season with most of that coming from making 1.9 threes a game.

Jones is not going to be able to make up for the interior scoring Morant provides – 69.1 percent of Morant’s field goals have been taken within 10 feet of the basket this season Per NBA.com/stats.

What Jones can do is defend and pass, just quietly Jones being the starting point guard may unexpectedly help the Grizzlies.

Morant is neutral at best defender so having Jones at the head of the snake defensively for this short sample may influence who the Grizzlies look to start next to Morant in the future — possibly trying to sign elite perimeter defenders to put next to Morant.

Jones may not be able to make up for Morant’s interior scoring, but he can definitely create opportunities for his teammates to be more efficient ones.

For the Grizzlies to be productive during this Morant-less stretch, they will have to get Jones to play through their starters.