If the Memphis Grizzlies had a dollar for every time someone said, “This is Ja Morant’s year,” they could’ve bought out the entire Western Conference by now. Instead, they’re cashing in their chips on something slightly riskier—faith. And as Rob Mahoney so kindly put it, the Grizzlies’ current strategy boils down to “cross your fingers, pray for rain, and believe in Ja Morant.” Between suspensions, injuries, and Ja’s very own collection of “quirks,” it’s like trying to build a house of cards during a Memphis windstorm.

Mahoney didn’t hold back on the reality check, saying, “I think it’s been harder to rely on Ja as a star than almost any other star in the league over the last couple of years.” But even skeptics agree—when Ja Morant is on the floor, he galvanizes everyone around him like a motivational speaker with a 40-inch vertical. And that’s exactly why the Grizzlies still believe. As Mahoney admitted, “I don’t blame the Grizzlies for believing in that.”

With Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. as their core, Memphis is hoping their fortune doesn’t read like a bad horoscope. Let’s not sugarcoat this—the Grizzlies’ offseason has been as smooth as a middle seat on a budget airline. First, they waved goodbye to Desmond Bane, trading him to the Orlando Magic in a blockbuster move that netted them multiple first-round picks. That sent fans spinning and the rumor mill into overdrive with whispers about Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr.’s futures.

Still, Memphis doubled down on their duo—at least for now. They even started window shopping for fresh firepower, landing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Although, as Mahoney questioned, “How much does KCP have left?” And honestly, you have to wonder if KCP is bringing championship vibes or just some veteran coupons.

Meanwhile, Zach Lowe chimed in with his usual brand of straight talk, “If Ja Morant is never going to be a top 10 to 12 player again, they’re never going to—it’s just not going to happen with this team. Like they’re they’re not going to be able to sniff the Oklahoma City, San Antonio stuff. And there’s other teams in the West are going to rise up too unless things go wrong in those places, which they very well could.” Translation? No Ja breakthrough, no Memphis breakthrough. Period.

So, what did Memphis do? They started eyeing Zach LaVine like a man staring at a steak in a vegan restaurant. With KCP at 32, the Grizzlies need a younger scorer to pair with Ja Morant—and LaVine, with his career average of 20.8 points per game, fits like a missing puzzle piece. After all, in his Kings stint, LaVine put up 22.4 points while hitting 44.6% from three. Not bad for a guy whose career looked shakier than Ja’s playoff injury record.

Ja’s cryptic social media move & the Cedric Coward X-Factor

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Ja Morant story without some social media spice. His latest move? A cryptic post quoting Rod Wave’s “Moving On”: “don’t cry for me when the war is over.” Not exactly a beacon of clarity, Ja. But maybe the Memphis Grizzlies should just tattoo “It’s Complicated” on their franchise logo at this point.

Adding more plot twists is Cedric Coward, the undrafted wonder who’s become Memphis’ wildcard. His backstory sounds like a sports documentary waiting to happen—no fancy college, no top draft pick, just relentless grind.

Coward, who perfectly fits the Grizzlies’ “grit and grind” DNA, once said, “Success is not just about talent; it’s about the grind you put in every day.” That’s basically the Grizzlies’ locker room motto now. His work ethic isn’t just inspiring—it’s the glue holding together a team juggling more variables than a high school math class.

And while Mahoney flagged concerns like, “Is Ty Jerome the guy we saw in the regular season hit every single contested shot? Or is he the guy we saw in the playoffs not do that over and over again?”—Coward’s steady presence might just tip the balance.

Zach Lowe nailed it when he said, “It feels like [Jaren Jackson Jr.] is just kind of maximizing what he can do offensively.” Translation? Don’t expect Jaren to turn into the next Giannis overnight. And with Ja Morant’s status still a mystery wrapped in cryptic lyrics, Memphis’ playoff hopes rest on a lot of maybes.

No appetite for tanking? Check. Loaded with role players and question marks? Double check. As Lowe summed up perfectly, “It’s just—it’s murky to me unless Coward just hits bigger and faster than people think on the Ja-Jaren timeline.”

Through all the trades, rumors, and cryptic quotes, one thing is clear—the Grizzlies are still betting the house on Ja Morant. They know the West is stacked, and Oklahoma City and San Antonio aren’t exactly slowing down. So, it’s all on Ja now. If he regains his All-Star form, Memphis could be the dark horse nobody wants to face. If not? Well, let’s just say this could get murkier than a cup of week-old Memphis barbecue sauce.

Either way, we’ll be watching. Because with Ja Morant, it’s never boring. And for the Grizzlies, “cross your fingers and pray” might actually be a valid strategy.