1 New Year’s resolution for every team in 2024: Southwest Division
By Tyler Key
Grizzlies Resolution: Keep Ja Morant out of trouble.
Memphis needs… Professionalism from Ja Morant. With him on the court, the Grizzlies are a very good team, proven by their 51-31 record last year. Without him, they are a bottom 6 team in the NBA, proven by their start to this season.
After Morant’s conduct that was considered “detrimental to the league” and getting handed a lengthy 25-game suspension, the Grizzlies opened up the 2023-2024 campaign horrendously. Up to this point in the season, Memphis is an awful 6-20 when Morant does not play.
Due to the new CBA with a 65-game minimum requirement for major awards, Morant is already ineligible for All-NBA and MVP consideration. With that being said, Memphis does still have a long-shot at a playoff berth with Morant.
They are currently 5.5 games out of the 10th seed, so it is definitely a long shot, but crazier things have happened. If Morant can be a professional the rest of this season and avoid any further suspensions and injuries, the Grizzlies are a scary team to see in the play-in and potentially in the first round.