Things were already set to be interesting for the Grizzlies, who will be without suspended star Ja Morant for 25 games to begin the season. Then, on Sunday, the club released a bit of news that legitimately might knock Memphis from contender status: Starting center Steven Adams, who missed the back half of last season with a right knee injury, will miss the entire 2023–24 season.
That might sound like an overreaction for a talented group like the Grizz, who still have reigning Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., the ’21-22 Defensive Player of the Year in Marcus Smart and sharpshooter Desmond Bane. Memphis still managed to finish with 51 victories—second-best in the West after Denver—last season despite having Adams missing 40 regular-season games and Morant sitting out 21 contests.
It’s easy enough to assume that little will be lost by simply sliding Jackson over into Adams’s role. But the structure of how Memphis goes about rebounding often looks wholly different depending on whether Adams is on the floor, particularly on offense.
