Why defense will determine if Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Luke Kennard can share the floor
Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins got a chance Tuesday night to get an extended look at a lineup that could play a pivotal role in how far the team goes this season.
With Dillon Brooks out with a right hip contusion, Jenkins went with Kennard in the starting lineup to play alongside the backcourt of Desmond Bane and Ja Morant. Jenkins has had the option of starting Kennard in previous instances where Brooks didn’t play, but this was the first time he went with the Morant-Bane-Kennard starting trio.
“That was kind of the reason why, when we found out (Dillon Brooks) was out,” Jenkins said. “Obviously, we've started different guys in that spot. We wanted to see more of (Desmond Bane) and Luke together, but also most of that is usually with Tyus (Jones), so we wanted to see it with Ja. We could figure out the defensive matchups, challenge some of our guys differently. Obviously (Dillon Brooks) takes on a lot of those perimeter matchups night in and night out. Just challenge some other guys defensively, but also see some things offensively.”
This group came out lighting it up offensively in the 119-109 win against the Portland Trail Blazers, but that’s not too surprising. Putting Morant on the floor with two of the NBA’s best shooters while Jaren Jackson Jr. is playing the best offensive ball of his career is a dream that’s happening in real life.
But as good as the offense has been, the defensive side tends to get overlooked and undervalued. That was where Jackson, who operates on the back line of the defense, was put in tough positions to protect the rim when his teammates were beaten off the dribble.
The starting Blazers backcourt of the Shaedon Sharpe and Skylar Mays combined for 44 points on 17-for-35 shooting. That duo has started a combined 16 NBA games in their careers.
“I think Jaren obviously helps a lot having a guy like that to protect the rim, but we got to be better on that end for sure,” Bane said.
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When Brooks is in the game, he often guards the top perimeter threat, and it helps mask this potential deficiency. However, if the Grizzlies are to play Morant, Bane and Kennard on the floor for prolonged stretches in the playoffs, at least one of them will be asked to guard an elite offensive threat.
Having Jackson as one of the NBA’s best rim protectors is a luxury that’s appreciated in Memphis, but there have been times when the mistakes of his teammates put him in a position of having to clean up the mess. Most of the time he does just that, but Grizzlies players and Jenkins are mindful of the situations Jackson has been put in and how those could contribute to his foul-prone ways.
“It’s huge," Bane said. "If we keep our guy in front, then Jaren obviously still has a presence down low, but he’s not going to need to contest as many shots at the rim, which obviously he wouldn’t get as many fouls.”
The spacing provided with Bane and Kennard playing together is valuable. In order to maximize that value, the Grizzlies must figure out how to stay afloat on the other end.
One option is playing Brooks in a small-ball lineup that includes Jackson, Morant, Bane and Kennard. Outside of Jackson, Brooks is the only player in that group who has had extensive playing time against power forwards.
Jenkins showed on Tuesday that this is a lineup grouping that he wants to see, but the defensive results will determine how much this high-powered offensive lineup can showcase its skills.
“Coaching has been on us to put together a full 48 minutes,” Kennard said. “It’s our job, it’s in our minds right now we know we need to be better. I think that's the first part, just kind of addressing it, and then just going out there and trying to execute it for the entire game.”
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Why Memphis Grizzlies defense is key to new-look offense in playoffs
