Toronto Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic knows firsthand the impact Ja Morant has on the Memphis Grizzlies.
When the visiting Raptors play the Grizzlies on Thursday night, Rajakovic will return to the arena he called home for three seasons as a Memphis assistant coach.
After a league suspension and injuries sidelined Morant for the majority of the 2023-24 season, the two-time All-Star guard has returned to power the team’s 20-10 start. Although Morant has missed 12 of 30 games with a variety of injuries, none have kept him out of the starting lineup for long.
Memphis owns the third-best record in the Western Conference behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets as Morant has averaged 21.3 points and 7.9 assists to fuel the strong start.
Even with Morant in and out of action, the Grizzlies are scoring 126.1 points per game in 10 games this month.
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins calls Morant one of the most entertaining and competitive players in the NBA. Those characteristics have only increased with a new-found dedication to the game.
“I think that there has been support since day one that he’s come into the league,” Jenkins said. “He understands the relationship with the fans well. He has given back so much this year and there has been so much growth (in him). It’s been pretty cool to watch.
“I am just blessed to be part of his journey. I am blessed that he allows me to coach him, to push him and to challenge him more. And he does the same for me.”
The Grizzlies will enter the game having won six of their last eight. They saw an eight-game home winning streak come to an end with a 114-110 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday.
Morant returned from a one-game absence because of back soreness to score 23 points with six rebounds and four assists in 29 minutes against the Clippers, while going 7 of 20 from the floor.
“It is not one person’s responsibility to make up for the loss of a player, the loss of rhythm or whatever it is. We have to make sure everyone understands where our identity is,” Jenkins said. “Even when we made some changes this year, we still have to have all five guys at any given moment know what we are trying to do. It is not where just one person has to create everything for us.”
Toronto, on the other hand, has struggled from the outset. The Raptors lost 12 of their first 14 games and are 7-23. They lost to the Knicks 139-125 on Monday for their eighth consecutive loss. Their last win came on Dec. 3 against the Indiana Pacers.
Still, Rajakovic has seen some encouraging signs in his second season with the Raptors.
“We are learning how to play when we are banged up, we are learning how to play back-to-backs, how to find energy and close games,” Rajakovic said. “We ended up scoring 43 points in the fourth quarter (against the Knicks) and scored 73 in the second half.
“There are a lot of positives there. We just have to continue pounding the rock.”
Among the recent positives has been the play of rookie Ja’Kobe Walter. He has 43 points in the past two games and ranks among the top rookies in scoring average (8.9).
Toronto’s Scottie Barnes, who had 24 points and eight assists against the Knicks, is one of five players in the league averaging at least 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
