The only thing that seems to be going in the Grizzlies’ favor? Bad vibes

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The distance between the Rockets’ bench and the Grizzlies’ bench is only a few feet, but Wednesday night’s slow 124-109 loss to Houston was a stark contrast in the atmosphere, particularly when it came to both starting point guards.

Every few minutes, whether it was encouragement and motivation for point guard Amen Thompson or simple instructions, Houston’s bench, led by head coach Ime Udoka and head assistant Ben Sullivan, was in constant communication with Thompson. Since the start of the season — and especially in the wake of Fred VanVleet’s season-ending ACL injury — the Rockets have preached the importance of the collective, family-oriented approach in learning an updated system.

Announcement

A stone’s throw from the baseline, a completely different world existed around Ja Morant and Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo. Memphis, just like Houston, is also in the process of learning a new system, but Morant’s body language, which was missing in a grim morning shootout, was absent all evening. Outside of a mini briefing midway through the fourth quarter with the game already out of reach, Morant did not speak to Iisalo. During timeouts, Morant stood alone at either end of the bench, swimming in his thoughts. There were no handshakes or reassuring pats from Iisalo each time Morant was replaced, the tension is palpable within the Fedex Forum. The 26-year-old struggled, finishing with 17 points on 6-of-19 shooting and six turnovers in 33 minutes.

The Grizzlies, who have now lost four in a row, look like a shell of the energetic, fun-loving brand they have proudly worn for years. Iisalo’s attack has been difficult for his players to stomach, Morant’s lack of enthusiasm is evident, and forward Jaren Jackson Jr.’s reduced role has been a tough task to keep track of. Memphis has built a name on his confidence and his lovable arrogance, but neither are recognizable right now.

“Trust comes from the body of work,” Iisalo said. “You keep working every day and eventually it will work out. But you have to win. It’s very hard to build confidence if you’re constantly losing. It’s good to be around other guys when you win, and when you lose, it tests you and reveals a lot of that character. We’re losing and it’s being tested and there’s only one way out of there.”

Announcement

“I just have to get better,” Morant added. “Read the defense, choose the shot and take care of the ball.”

Morant has taken a mature approach to his struggles and the team’s recent performances – a welcome change from his defensive, cutting tone earlier in the month – but it’s clear that the gap in understanding between him and Iisalo has negatively affected his nightly outings.

When Iisalo speaks it is clear what the Finnish coach represents. He leans quite heavily on advanced metrics, constantly referring to them in interviews. Iisalo also believes in his structure and system, which are more important than individual players. His European background speaks to a deep belief in the scheme, the bigger picture and how to get players to adapt instead of the other way around. His constant openings on pace have seen the Grizzlies become one of the fastest teams in the league, currently fourth in that ranking, according to Second Spectrum.

Announcement

But racing for the sake of it, without a proper installation of concepts that stick with your best players, can only last so long before frustration and doubts creep in. Memphis is just 24th in pace, forced to take the majority of mid-range and perimeter shots due to opposing defenses packing the paint and shutting off valves for Morant and Jackson. It’s also no surprise that the Grizzlies, who saw the departures of Desmond Bane, Jake LaRavia, Jay Huff and Luke Kennard, find themselves 24th in 3-point percentage.

Morant’s rim attacks have plummeted and his outside shooting has increased, resulting in offensive efficiency dropping across the board, and Jackson, who had improved dramatically over the past two years as a weapon of choice, is averaging his lowest usage rate since his rookie season (21.7 percent, per Cleaning the Glass). Jackson took just six shots against Houston, his lowest output in a regular season or preseason game this year. The Grizzlies were built on the strength of two men, Morant and Jackson, but learning Iisalo’s offense has been a struggle and is currently doing more harm than good.

“Overall, I think our offense right now is very stagnant from a player and ball movement standpoint,” Iisalo said. “And that’s something we have to fix. We have to do a better job as a coaching staff to organize all five players.”

Announcement

“The longer you did [something different]it’s going to take a little longer than the average person to get back to something new,” Jackson told Yahoo Sports. “You have to fully believe in it and give yourself up for it, fully convinced that it’s going to work every time. Otherwise, you will be hesitant. Every little hesitation in professional sports will make you lose.”

It couldn’t be easier for Memphis. Five of the next six games will be against the Thunder, Knicks, Celtics, Cavaliers and Spurs. The Grizzlies locker room consensus was that spacing was an important issue right now, which leaves the door open for lineup and rotation changes. Iisalo has hinted at not opting for an overabundance of creators in the same group, but reserve Santi Aldama has already played next to Jackson and could easily slot alongside him in a smaller frontcourt. Rookie Cedric Coward is another option and could have a chance as Jaylen Wells has struggled as a winger, shooting just 22% from 3 on the season.

Announcement

There’s also plenty of room for on-court adjustments, cutting back on some perimeter lifts and focusing more on creating driving angles for Morant, early post-ups and isolations for Jackson, and a slower, more deliberate pace.

Regardless of the next steps, something will have to happen. Morant needs to improve. Iisalo has to be better. Memphis has to be better.

“Just move on,” Morant said. “Come tomorrow, have a good day of practice and watch the film. Review the things we need to fix. The guys and coaches give their opinion and be ready for the next game.”