A total of three weeks comprised the Memphis Grizzlies’ season. At least the relevant part did—the split second between Ja Morant’s prancing comeback from a 25-game suspension and the shoulder injury that ended the season and halted the entire franchise. The unpredictable injury that Morant has, a torn labrum, usually necessitates surgery and approximately six months of rehabilitation. The good news is that the Grizzlies have stated that they expect Morant to have a complete recovery in time for the 2024-25 season. However, the tides do not turn so quickly; Morant has a long and painful road back, and the team that has spent most of the season waiting for him will once again be preoccupied as the losses pile up.

With each remarkable accomplishment, Morant briefly restored hope for a possible playoff run as he dove headfirst back into thrill-a-minute superstardom. With their starting point guard back in the lineup, the Grizzlies went 6-3. The momentum was growing, and significant progress was achieved in the standings. The playoff hopes have been dashed. Memphis has shown that it can win games on occasion (like Sunday against Phoenix, a game Ja unexpectedly warmed up for to see how available he is), but throughout Morant’s suspension, this team looked completely outmatched. Just losing by that amount will be exhausting for the Grizzlies. Knowing that there isn’t much to gain or gain knowledge from a situation that this particular group of players has already endured this season is even more exhausting.

A first-choice scorer is something that Desmond Bane has dabbled with. He improved somewhat as a creator and did an excellent job overall, but his limitations in that capacity are now pretty clear. Everyone has seen enough to know that when Morant isn’t on the court, Jaren Jackson Jr.’s scoring efficiency plummets. This is because their games complement each other so well, and Morant also helps Jackson find a position where he can thrive. Every Grizzlies player—from Bane and Jackson to Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard to Ziaire Williams and Santi Aldama—has to pretend to be someone they’re not when Morant isn’t on the court. We have witnessed it, and now it is happening again, this time under even more discouraging basketball conditions. The remainder of the Grizzlies’ roster isn’t sitting on their hands, hoping that their star player will spark a revival. They are wasting time trying to salvage a season that has already been lost.

Surprises, if any, would have likely been discovered by now. The Grizzlies strengthened their front line, which had been hit hard by injuries, by acquiring Bismack Biyombo in the fall and discovered a valuable role player in Vince Williams. Otherwise, Memphis will not stop until every possible avenue has been explored. David Roddy was benched after playing in too many games. For a squad that is sorely lacking in ballhandling, point guard Jacob Gilyard, who stands at five feet eight inches, has witnessed some serious action. Using the ball as much as Michael Porter Jr. and Buddy Hield, Aldama is letting it fly more than ever before. There’s always the possibility that more time could lead to more progress, but after 25 games of everyone on the roster taking on bigger responsibilities and playing larger roles, there’s not much mystery left. So, it seems excessive to play another 46 games of it.

The silver lining to the Grizzlies’ dark season is that their rotation could use a little extra help, which is a relief. Memphis has lost or solidified a lot of its depth from the previous several years. Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins has spent the better part of this season squeezing out respectable minutes from any healthy players he could find, scouring the roster for contributors who could merely hold their position, since the roster is no longer flush with youthful supporting talent. After exposing their rotation in this way, a team could benefit greatly from a top-five pick or the compensation that comes with trading it. The deficiencies are greater than what Steven Adams’ and Brandon Clarke’s potential returns or Morant’s ability to reframe the situation can address. The Grizzlies’ need for more has never been clearer.

However, having the type of season that allows for a high draft pick to be feasible is completely different from knowing that on a rational level. And for Memphis in particular: it’s cruel to have hope that the season can be salvaged, only to be thrust back into the mundane grind of playing games without Morant for months.

Due to a lack of motivation and opportunity, the Grizzlies are sitting on the bench for the time being. Unfortunately, in the NBA, inertia is not an option; teams that aren’t making progress keep playing and moving forward, even when their members’ frustrations are boiling over. No matter how much a Grizzlies player appreciates Morant’s contributions to the team, the frustrations they’ve felt since he’s been out of the lineup have been enough to make them explode. Memphis has spent a lot of time getting ready for a breakthrough by rallying its young, ambitious core. Those promising young players will once again be sidelined as their Western Conference rivals carve out their niche. Even with a clear idea of where things are going, the unpleasant aspects of a predicament that nobody asked for will persist. Even though Morant isn’t in the starting lineup this time around, it’s worth noting that he could still be involved in another puzzling incident; after all, his most recent suspension was for reasons unrelated to basketball.

Players face unexpected challenges throughout this season. Although Morant has overcome long-term injuries previously, a season-ending surgery is a unique test, especially when it interrupts Ja’s season, which was only beginning. A one-of-a-kind point guard exploding into the game, Morant scored 34 points and scored the game-winning bucket in his first game back from suspension. On that particular night, his performance was flawless; in fact, it seemed as though Morant had been patiently waiting, his explosive power repressed as he observed from the bench for nearly two months. As soon as he touched the floor, the Grizzlies were energized. After pouring so much effort into a season that was supposed to improve, Morant and the Grizz will now have to decide what to do with all that energy.