Sure we are 3 games into the season, but in those 3 games the grizzlies are 0-3 with 2 home losses and a loss to the bottom-tier wizards, with Ja being suspended of course.

They barely went .500 without him last year (and beat like 3 playoff teams in the 21 games without him), and the stretch 2 years ago was a major fluke where the grizzlies coincidentally had the softest part of their schedule when Ja was gone.

Are they better than most teams without their star player? Yes. Are they better without Ja? No. And it’s showing right now.

Shoutout to Tyus Jones