Kill the stars or kill the coach, it’s not a difficult choice

After being suspended for one game, Morant said in an interview that he had lost the fun of playing with the Grizzlies. The last time I heard similar words was before Butler left the Heat last season. As a result, he was quickly sent to the Warriors.

Why was Morant suspended? The official explanation was that Morant had done something detrimental to the interests of the team. Specifically, it refers to his negative attitude during the interview. When reporters asked him all the questions, he said one sentence: "Ask the coach." This interview took place in the locker room in front of many players and staff. Morant's move was tantamount to making the conflict between him and head coach Isalo public.

In the game they lost to the Lakers, Morant made 3 of 14 shots. His attitude throughout the game was very negative. His teammates fell to the ground in the midfield to fight, and he stood in the corner chatting with Smart. On the offensive end, Morant also handed over the ball and stood in the bottom corner. As the tactics were being laid out, Morant stood aside and watched with his hands on his hips, showing no intention of participating.

All of Morant's negative emotions since the start of the game were concentrated in this game. The conflicts in the locker room were revealed in the post-game interview, and he was suspended by the team.

Why is Morant dissatisfied? The core reason is that the core status of the team has been shaken. Before being suspended, Morant averaged only 28.5 minutes per game, and he had never averaged less than 30 minutes per game in a season in his career. In fact, Morant's reduction in playing time has long been expected. Last season, he averaged 30.4 minutes per game, which was a career low.

In this context, Morant's average of 23.2 points per game is a new low in three years. At the end of the season, Morant was dissatisfied with the dilution of his ball rights, which led to the dismissal of Jenkins, who had been on the team for many years. Assistant coach Isalo quickly took over, and then Morant's life became even more uncomfortable.

In fact, changes to the Grizzlies coaching staff were already underway before the start of last season. The general manager replaced a large number of the original assistant coaches under Jenkins and replaced the assistant coaching team with Isalo's. The team's offensive system has also been changed in accordance with Isalo's philosophy, but on the surface the team's head coach is still Jenkins.

So Jenkins’ dismissal last season was not sudden, it was just a process. Morant's discomfort last season, such as the reduction in ball time and playing time, and the reduction in pick-and-roll screens, has become more obvious this season.

What dissatisfied Morant the most is the adjustment of Isalo's entire rotation. The current rotation of the Grizzlies is basically a matter of substitution, and everyone has a fixed playing time in each game. The Grizzlies currently have seven players on the team averaging more than 24 minutes per game, but no one averages more than 30 minutes per game.

The Grizzlies basically use a ten-man long rotation in every game, and the player with the least time can get more than ten minutes of playing time. This kind of long rotation is to keep the players on the field in sufficient physical fitness, but there is an obvious problem that the players' abilities are different.

With the same game tactics, the effects of starting and benching are definitely different, so it is difficult to maintain the same intensity throughout the game. In the final analysis, Isalo copied the same system that made him successful in Europe, but the ability gap between European league players is not large, so this system of team rotation can work.

But in the NBA, the difference in ability between stars and ordinary players is huge, which is why the top-paid players earn tens of millions, while most other players earn several million. Keeping the top-paid players and the lowest-paid players at the same rotation rhythm and making frequent substitutions is tantamount to exploiting weaknesses and avoiding strengths, weakening the influence of the top-paid players.

Isalo's latest interview said: "Basketball is constantly evolving, and the requirements for game intensity are getting higher and higher. We are also trying to adapt to the changes of this era. I think one thing that people often overlook is the substitute rotation model. Its purpose is actually to in the short term "

In fact, it's not just Morant. According to reporters, Jaren Jackson Jr. is also somewhat dissatisfied with Isalo's rotation method, but he is not as "stupid" as Morant. Both core members of the team have expressed dissatisfaction with this rotation method, but in a short period of time, this cannot shake the team's determination.

The current Grizzlies general manager Kleiman and Isalo are grasshoppers on a rope. Kleiman's denial of Isalo is tantamount to denying his own behavior of firing Jenkins and supporting Isalo. When the general manager and head coach are of the same mind, no matter how much trouble the players make, it will be difficult to cause too much splash.

This time the team banned Morant immediately, and in fact, they have already expressed the corresponding attitude. Morant is the team's number one star, but he is not indispensable. Even if Morant is put on the shelf, I don't think it will fetch a very good price. Attendance rate and off-court factors are the reasons why Morant discourages some teams.

Taking a step back, the reason why the Grizzlies lowered Morant's team status is because Morant's own hard power is not enough. Injuries occur every season, and the "Bear without Mo" can win games more often. The more this situation occurs, the lower Morant's impression score with the Grizzlies management will be.

Generally speaking, when there is a conflict between the team's star player and the head coach, and one of them must leave, the head coach is often the one who takes the blame. But if Morant and Isalo get to that point, it's not hard to guess who the team will choose in the end.

Both of them are famous, but one has accumulated good reputation in the European arena, and the other has accumulated notoriety outside the stadium.