Memphis Grizzlies: When You Are Great At Drafting But Nothing Else

The Memphis Grizzlies have had a chaotic start to 2025. Ja Morant has been complaining to the coach and the media. He has also been, statistically speaking, the worst PG in the league. But rookie Ceric Coward has looked great, and despite the chaos, they are not the league’s worst team.

Team Is Full Of Young Talent

Zach Edey, who was drafted last year and who had lots of doubters heading into the draft, changed many of their minds last season. He also made the All-Rookie first team.

The Grizzlies picked Coward with the 11th pick, and he’s been playing well for a rookie. His 14.8 points make him one of the top rookies in his class. He scored a career-high 27 points a few games ago.

Other players drafted by the Grizzlies, like Jaren Jackson Jr., JJJ, have been a hit. He is a two-time All-Star, averaging 22 points over the past two seasons. GG Jackson was a great 2nd round pick. He has been a solid role player during his career.

We can’t forget former second overall pick Ja Morant. He is a former Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, earned two All-Star selections, and even got MVP votes.

But at only 26, their star has seemingly faded. He is putting up some of his worst career stats as he refuses to play to his strengths. He no longer plays at the rim and is a poor jump shooter.

One would expect such an array of talent to be better than 4-7, so what’s happening? JJJ is currently averaging 17 after back-to-back 22 PPG seasons, and Edey is still out with an injury. But that’s only the surface!

Grizzlies Have a Coaching Problem

Before last season finished, the Grizzlies fired Taylor Jenkins before the NBA Play-In Tournament. He led the Grizzlies to the second seed in 2021-22. He was on the hot seat before the season started, with the team firing his assistants and replacing them with their own handpicked European assistant coaches. Jenkins was replaced with one of those very assistants.

Tuomas Iisalo has accomplished a great deal in his European career, but he’s approaching the NBA the wrong way. They have made sweeping changes and implemented a system that does not fit Morant’s style.

The constant subs and stoppages of play ruin the flow of play, anger players, and reports are that Morant’s cold attitude is not warming him up to players.

Injury Struggles

The Grizzlies have struggled with injuries for years. Morant and JJJ have been dogged by injuries for years. That was a key reason why the Grizzlies went from the 3rd seed to the play-in during the second half of the year.

Ty Jerome and Edey have not been healthy this season. Not to mention the reason why Morant has changed his playstyle is because of his injury history. If the Grizzlies want to do anything, they need to reevaluate or fire their whole medical staff.