Besides Morant, who are most important Grizzlies?
The Grizzlies start the 2020-21 season Wednesday (7 p.m., Fox Sports Southeast) with high hopes after falling one game shy of reaching the playoffs last season and going 3-1 in preseason.
They'll start shorthanded without Jaren Jackson Jr. and Justise Winslow, both recovering from injuries. They'll also begin without fans as Fedexforum reversed course after initially allowing fans at 20% capacity.
Ja Morant looks poised to take a greater leap in his second season, but the Grizzlies will need more than their budding superstar. They showed last season that life without Jackson is a struggle as they missed his 3-point shooting and rim protection.
The Grizzlies over/under win total has been projected as high as 36 by ESPN and as low as 30 by several betting sites. In a tougher Western Conference, they will need more than just Morant to make noise.
Here are the three most important players who need to have great seasons as the team opens at home against the San Antonio Spurs.
Good Dillon or Bad Dillon is the popular lens to view Brooks. When he's good, he's the joyful scorer that elevates an offense. When he's bad, he's a maddening mix of forced shots and poor decisions.
With Jackson out, Brooks is the Grizzlies' second-best scorer and best perimeter defender. But after signing a three-year extension last season, more is required of him.
During preseason, Brooks said he wants to be a candidate for the All-defensive team and contend for Most Improved Player.
In preseason, he hinted at becoming a better passer. He averaged 3.5 assists in four games, well above his 1.7 career average.
But what the Grizzlies need most, however, is Brooks to be wiser on shot selection. Without Jackson, they need him to a consistent second scorer. They also need him to avoid foul trouble as he led the NBA in personal fouls.
If Morant is the Grizzlies' star, Brooks is the swagger and soul. He can keep the team burning bright or shoot them out of contention.
Brandon Clarke
In Brandon Clarke's last game as a rookie, he scored 20 points off the bench in the Grizzlies' play-in game loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. He also shot 4-for-5 on 3-pointers.
It showed why Clarke was an All-rookie first team selection like Morant but also where his game needs to grow next. Just as Morant's second year will be crucial for the Grizzlies, so will Clarke's.
He spent the offseason working on his shooting and tweaking his shot mechanics. After averaging just 1.1 3-point attempts last season, he needs to expand his game beyond being an efficient scorer at the rim.
Clarke missed the first two preseason games with a groin injury but played well in the Grizzlies' final two games. He was also 2-for-3 on 3-points and felt more confident shooting than he did last year.
“Every time that I shoot a 3, I feel like I should make it, and that's not a place that I've been at ever. Now, the NBA line doesn't feel very far anymore,” Clarke said.
The Grizzlies hope that's a good sign. Clarke was a reason they had one of the NBA'S most productive benches last season, and he'll need to be a reason that repeats in 2020-21.
Jonas Valanciunas
As the Grizzlies move into the future with more 3point shots and faster pace, Jonas Valanciunas remains the team's anchor inside.
Some may see him as a relic that holds the team back from going full run-and-gun. But it's also an advantage having a traditional low-post presence that averages a double-double and is a decent defender.
When Jackson missed nine games before the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the season, Valanciunas averaged 15.1 rebounds. Tha's why it's even more imperative Valanciunas has an early impact as he and Gorgui Dieng are the lone bigs in the Grizzlies' rotation to open the season.
In preseason, he and Morant hinted at a more effective pick-and-roll game that could be deadly with teams trying to limit Morant getting to the rim. Valanciunas was also shot 44% on 3-pointers on 4-of-9 shooting.
While that's a bonus, the Grizzlies need him to keep having an impact inside, especially with who they start against. Aside from the Spurs' Lamarcus Aldridge on Wednesday, on Jan. 3 and 5, they face the Lakers' Anthony Davis and Marc Gasol.
Valanciunas' game might be old school, but for the Grizzlies to stay afloat minus Jackson and Winslow, they'll need that retro feel to match their modern shooting flurry.