Zach Edey Dominates, Ja Morant Embraces Leadership as Grizzlies Keep Climbing
SACRAMENTO - It’s not every night you see a rookie big man walk into an NBA game and look like a throwback to the days of Wilt Chamberlain. But that’s exactly what Zach Edey did on Sunday night against the Sacramento Kings.
The towering center was a force in the paint, scoring with ease, vacuuming up rebounds like it was a personal challenge, and sealing the Memphis Grizzlies’ fifth win in six games with a thunderous block in the final seconds. When Maxime Raynaud floated up a shot with 39 seconds left, Edey sent it into another time zone.
Ja Morant, sidelined but very much present, celebrated with a Statue of Liberty pose and a Dikembe Mutombo-style finger wag. It was a moment - not just for Edey, but for a Grizzlies team that’s starting to find its identity again.
And that identity, surprisingly, still includes Morant.
Let’s rewind a bit. Just a month ago, the vibes in Memphis were anything but celebratory.
Morant had clashed with the new coaching staff, vented to the media after an Oct. 31 loss to the Lakers, and was suspended by the team for one game. Then came the back-and-forth with Klay Thompson - a verbal dust-up that ended with Thompson delivering a pointed critique of Morant’s accountability.
Add in a calf injury that’s kept him out since mid-November and a string of underwhelming performances in the 12 games he has played, and it’s no surprise Morant’s name has been swirling in trade speculation.
But Sunday night in Sacramento? That was a different Ja Morant.
He wasn’t on the floor, but you wouldn’t know it by his energy. He was locked in - animated during timeouts, talking with teammates, engaging with coaches.
It didn’t look like a guy checked out of the Memphis experience. It looked like a leader trying to grow into something more.
“It’s a huge advantage for us,” head coach Tuomas Iisalo said. “He’s asking questions, giving tips to the guys - just really good communication and leadership from him, from Jaren (Jackson Jr.), and from our vets.”
This version of Morant - the engaged, vocal, supportive teammate - is a far cry from the one who seemed adrift earlier in the season. And that shift hasn’t gone unnoticed inside the locker room.
“He’s a coach right now,” Jackson said. “He’s coaching like he does with ‘Twelve-Time’ in AAU.
He sees the game, he’s a point guard, so he knows what’s happening out there. He’s talking us through things.”
Veteran Kentavious Caldwell-Pope echoed that sentiment: “He’s been great. Cheering the team on, helping the young guys, especially at the point guard spot.
He’s taking the next step - being a vocal leader. I think he’s doing a great job at it.”
Now, let’s not pretend the situation is fully resolved. Morant’s name is still a fixture in the rumor mill, and with the trade deadline looming in February, teams like the Kings and Timberwolves - who’ve reportedly had eyes on the situation - will keep watching closely. But for now, the Grizzlies are winning again, and Morant is showing signs that he’s still invested in this team.
From a front office perspective, that matters. Morant’s contract - $87 million over the next two seasons - combined with his injury history and off-court controversies, has made him a tough sell in the trade market.
Executives around the league view him as a high-risk, high-reward asset. And Memphis knows that if Morant is going to have any trade value - or better yet, help them win - he has to get back to being the player he was before all this.
That’s why this recent stretch matters. The Grizzlies started the year 4-11, a mess on both ends of the floor.
But now they’re 9-12, and in a wide-open Western Conference, that’s somehow good enough to be in the playoff mix. They’re only 3.5 games out of the sixth seed.
The back half of the West is that soft.
“We started the season with chaotic circumstances,” Iisalo said. “Guys learning new positions, missing preseason, injuries to our primary ball handlers.
But they’ve kept their heads down and kept working. Wins like this bring belief.
There’s purpose in what we’re doing.”
And that belief is starting to spread. Jaren Jackson Jr., who signed a five-year, $240 million extension over the summer, isn’t shying away from the big picture.
“We were injured early on. We’ve got a new coach, a new system - you’re going to have growing pains,” Jackson said. “People freak out early, but that’s just part of life.”
So, can this group really become a contender?
“The vision is there,” Jackson said, grinning. “Winter is coming.”
Then he walked away, humming the Game of Thrones theme.
Make no mistake, this Grizzlies team still has a long road ahead. But if Edey keeps playing like a throwback legend, and Morant keeps leading from the bench like he did Sunday night, that road might just lead somewhere interesting.