#2 To Do: Breaking the Stalemate<\/p>\n
As long as Morant and the Grizzlies are in a state of tension,\u00a0the entire franchise sits at a standstill. If the Grizzlies and Morant can publicly and privately mend their relationship, you move forward with a hungry Morant eager to return to his old form, plus a young core eager to cut its teeth in consistent, competitive basketball. You\u2019re sending a message to your team and the fanbase that you aim to be a contender in the Western Conference.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you trade, Morant, you\u2019re fully committing to the rebuild. You\u2019ll have the assets gained from the Morant trade and two first-round picks to add to a young core who will have the full reins to develop and grow without the pressure of playing alongside a superstar. In addition, you hope that whoever the Grizzlies\u2019 top selection is in the lottery can become their new face of the franchise and cornerstone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Over the last three seasons, the Grizzlies have acquired solid foundational pieces<\/a> in the draft. Players like Zach Edey, Cedric Coward, Jaylen Wells, and GG Jackson II have blossomed into promising pieces to an eventual championship puzzle.\u00a0However, it can be argued that none of the players have shown the capabilities of being \u201cthe man\u201d for this franchise.\u00a0<\/p>\n Through a combination of factors such as injuries, inconsistent play, and inconsistent roles on the team, these players haven\u2019t shown the \u201cIT\u201d factor to be a #1 option on a contending team. The jury is still out on if one of them can grow into this role, but if the Grizzlies can find their \u201c#1 guy\u201d in a draft billed as one of the most talented in recent memory, they\u2019ll be moving in the right direction to steer this franchise in the right direction. No matter if Morant is on the team or not.\u00a0<\/p>\n It was clear during Morant\u2019s rookie year that he was \u201cthe guy\u201d for the \u201cGrizzNextGen\u201d era. It was clear shortly after the arrival of Zach Randolph that he was \u201cthe guy\u201d for the \u201cGrit and Grind\u201d era. Grizzlies need to find their guy.\u00a0<\/p>\n #3 To Do: Establishing a Culture<\/p>\n Whichever way the Grizzlies decide, they need to make the vision clear and decisive. An aftermath of establishing a clear direction is establishing a culture. It can be argued that ever since the 2022-23 season, the Grizzlies haven\u2019t had a defined culture. <\/p>\n Through the events of Morant\u2019s multiple controversies, widespread injuries, the firing of Taylor Jenkins, and two seasons that ended in the lottery, Memphis has lost its mojo.\u00a0<\/p>\n The team is far away from being the young, boastful, and hungry hunters of the Western Conference. The franchise is even farther away from being the gritty, hard-nosed bruisers of the West as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n There are going to be plenty of new faces under this new iteration of the Grizzlies. These new faces need to establish a culture under Head Coach Tuomas Iisalo that not only they can buy into<\/a> but also the city of Memphis can get behind and support. If the Grizzlies establish a culture that is synonymous with their play on the court and the fans in the stands, they will be heading in a great direction.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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