Pelicans Hosts Grizzlies, Ja Morant Returns

Ja Morant returns to the Grizzlies lineup as they travel to New Orleans to take on the Pelicans in front of a national TV audience on TNT.

New Orleans, LA - The New Orleans Pelicans (16-11) host the Memphis Grizzlies (6-19) Tuesday night at the Smoothie King Center. New Orleans is on a four-game winning streak after going perfect on their recent road trip. Memphis welcomes the return of superstar Ja Morant, who missed the first 25 games of the season due to suspension from the NBA. The Grizzlies have struggled mightily in his absence, especially on the offensive end of the floor.

Memphis ranks last in the NBA in points per game (106.0) and field goal percentage (43.4%). Injuries have also ravaged the Grizzlies team. Big men Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke are sidelined with injuries, as are defensive stalwart Marcus Smart and backup point guard Derrick Rose. This Grizzlies team won at least 51 games the past two seasons, so the slow start to the year isn't something the team is accustomed to.

Nov 25, 2022; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) and Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) talk during free throws during the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

The 2019 NBA Draft will forever link Zion Williamson and Ja Morant together. Those two were the No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks, respectively, that season. While Morant is still awaiting his season debut, Zion is again dominating defenses in the paint. Williamson is No. 2 in paint scoring per game, shooting over 58% from the field. He had a season-high 36 points last week against the league's No. 1 rated defense and is averaging over 22 points per game.

Despite making a season-high 22 three-point shots on Sunday, the Pelicans are near the bottom in attempts and made three-pointers in the NBA. Memphis lives and dies by the long ball, as they are No. 5 in the NBA in threes attempted per contest. New Orleans is No. 4 in the league in opponent three-point percentage, holding the opposition to 34% shooting from beyond the arc. 

Oct 25, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward-center Jaren Jackson Jr. (13) shoots as New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (17) defends during the second half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Even with all the injuries to Memphis frontcourt players, the Grizzlies are still No. 1 in the NBA in opponent points in the paint. Former Grizzlies center Jonas Valanciunas has been on a tear in the last week. The Pels big man is on a streak of four straight double-doubles, resulting in all wins for the Pelicans. Jonas is averaging 18.5 points and 15 rebounds during that stretch as he looks to have another big game versus his former team.

Memphis welcomes back their leading scorer Desmond Bane back to the lineup after missing some time due to injury. Bane is leading the Grizzlies in scoring (24.6), assists (5.2), and steals (1.2). With Morant's return, Memphis gets its Big 3 of Bane, Morant, and Jaren Jackson, Jr on the court for the first time this season. Jackson, Jr. had two 40-point scoring games last week.

New Orleans is at home for six of the next seven games. The Pelicans are currently 9-4 at home and recently broke even on the road record-wise. After a trip to Cleveland, New Orleans plays five straight games at home before heading on a West Coast road trip.