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It’s been a whirlwind of drama for the Memphis Grizzlies lately as Ja Morant’s off-court antics have stolen the spotlight.
Despite that, the team continues to find ways to win without their superstar point guard.
Now, the Grizzlies open up about finding success without Morant on the roster.
According to The Athletic, things were looking grim after their trip to Denver.
“In the span of a few hours, [Brandon] Clarke blew out his Achilles in the loss to Denver. Dillon Brooks picked up his 16th technical foul of the season, earning an automatic one-game suspension, and Morant was headed toward an indefinite separation from playing in the league because of a video of him appearing to wave a gun while partying at a Denver-area evening establishment.”
That’s a lot to deal with and many thought the Grizzlies’ season was on a downward spiral. However, Memphis has bounced back in a major way.
Here is Desmond Bane talking about the team staying focused on their three-game win streak, per The Athletic.
“We’ve had an internal dialogue for sure. We said the roles will be different and guys that maybe didn’t have an opportunity before were gonna get one. We got a really tight group. You know, I think that we do a great job of relying on each other in times like this and really coming together.”
One of those players stepping up is David Roddy, a rookie who, “has enjoyed his two best games as a pro in Memphis’ last two wins. His career-high 23 points Saturday against the Mavericks were followed up by another 19 on Monday night.”
All of this is good news for the Grizzlies, as they’re proving to be a threat without their star player. If Ja Morant is able to return for the postseason, then perhaps Memphis could overtake the Western Conference.
Until then, Morant just needs to focus on himself before going back on the court. The Grizzlies handling business takes that concern away from Ja Morant rushing back too early.