Has the peak passed? Morant's stats have declined for four consecutive years: causing more trouble than value for the Grizzlies

On November 3rd Beijing time, well-known US media CBS reviewed Morant, who has recently been involved in controversies, pointing out that the Grizzlies star has seen his statistics drop for four straight years. The current "King of the Waist" seems to be bringing the Grizzlies more problems than benefits. Here are some excerpts from CBS’s commentary—

Signing a superstar is the key to creating a competitive NBA team, yet it is frequently the most troublesome task. Perhaps once every generation, a team acquires an undisputed megastar like Duncan or Curry and achieves dynasty-level success. But most of the time, the reality is far more complicated.

Nowadays, stars influence the entire team’s operations more than ever before. This manifests in many ways: a single comment stirring media attention, demands to stay an extra night in a city rather than traveling directly to the next road game, placing the star’s associates in team positions, requesting roster changes whose benefits are uncertain, or signing contracts that preserve peace now but may cause disaster later.

To keep stars happy and engaged, teams tolerate various grievances. Who cares if LeBron complains about teammates publicly? At his peak, he almost guaranteed a Finals appearance. If Giannis wants a new coach, you get him one because no coach is more important than Giannis. The better the player, the more is tolerated—or arguably should be tolerated. But if a player's performance declines, the team’s patience tends to diminish accordingly.

Back in 2022, Morant was clearly on the favorable side of value versus trouble. He was a 22-year-old All-NBA Second Team point guard on the West’s second seed. Sure, he had minor injuries, but in games he missed, the Grizzlies performed well with Tyus Jones stepping up and a strong defensive system. His shooting was shaky but improving. Few problems, enormous potential. It was easy then to imagine him winning MVP in three or four years.

However, since then, things have clearly changed a lot. Troubles increased, injuries became more frequent. Now in his seventh season, Morant has missed over a third of the Grizzlies’ regular-season games since being drafted. He’s also had some regrettable moments in the media. In fact, his time in the Western Conference hasn’t been “smooth.” Off the court, he’s faced multiple issues. Back in 2022, we could never have imagined he’d be suspended multiple times for gun-related incidents.

Currently, the most relevant issue is his interference with the team’s basketball operations. Last season, under head coach Taylor Jenkins and assistant Noah LaRoche, the Grizzlies adopted a new offensive system that largely eliminated pick-and-roll and handoff plays. Instead, the Grizzlies led the NBA with over 59 drives per game, far ahead of the second-ranked Thunder’s 54.5. These drives rely on simple player movement principles and relatively balanced ball distribution. From the team’s perspective, the system was mostly effective.

At All-Star Weekend, the Grizzlies were the West’s second seed, and despite a widely reported mid-season slump, they finished sixth in offensive ranking. That slump cost Jenkins and LaRoche their jobs. While it’s hard to say how much blame Morant bears for this decision, he did complain about the new offensive system. As a league insider revealed: “Some days Morant looks ready to play, other days he seems like he doesn’t want to be there… because he hates the offense.”

Morant is far from the first star to cause a coach’s dismissal. But few stars publicly question their replacement so soon after a coaching change. New head coach Isola reinstated many old offensive principles that Morant seemed to prefer. The Grizzlies resumed running pick-and-rolls. According to NBA official tracking data, Morant’s average touches per game this season approach 76, up from under 68 last season. He holds the ball longer and dribbles more often.

However, after losing to the Lakers, Morant criticized Isola and his coaching staff. When asked what went wrong during the game, he repeatedly told reporters to “ask the coaching staff.” When questioned how the Grizzlies could achieve different results, he said, “Honestly, by their logic, it might be by not letting me play. That’s basically what they mean. It’s fine.” Subsequently, he was suspended for one game due to “harmful behavior to the team.”

Morant’s recent performance does not resemble that of a superstar. Whether looking at scoring stats or advanced metrics, the data shows a steady decline since his peak in 2022, with his scoring average dropping from 27.4 points to 20.8 points per game over four consecutive years. Although Morant is only 26, these figures suggest he may have passed his prime and is in a downward trajectory.

Since peaking in 2022, things have more or less moved in the opposite direction. Morant no longer attacks the rim as easily or frequently, and his shooting has regressed to a level comparable to Westbrook’s. His career three-point shooting percentage per 100 attempts has fallen to 31.3%, with 6.4 attempts per game. By comparison, Westbrook’s career three-point percentage is 30.6% with 5.4 attempts per game. Morant has never matched Westbrook’s defensive intensity, rebounding, or playmaking abilities.

Do you think it’s time for the Grizzlies to consider trading Morant? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.