Grizzlies far worse without Ja, overwhelmed in Boston

Yes, the team overall shot 33.7% shooting (32-for-95) and a brutal 10-of-43 from beyond the arc, but what actually caused those numbers to crater was the virtually non-existent creative playmaking without Morant in the lineup.

Every possession felt like a half-possession, every hopeful run cut short by an empty trip with nothing to show for it. Boston was able to extend defensive pressure whenever they felt like it, and the shorthanded Memphis lacked the counters normally built into their offense to address this.

The team finished with just 22 assists on 32 made baskets, a symptom of stagnant actions and limited penetration, at least not any that led to a significant counter to what Boston's defenders did.

Simply put, these are the kinds of offensive droughts the Grizz can ill-afford and they're not just about shot-making, they're about structure. Without a north-south playmaker, a difference maker, Memphis runs out of solutions quickly and that's a huge concern.

2. The rebounding gap wasn't just big, it broke the game open

Second-change points have sunk the Grizzlies in mutiple losses so far this season, and last night hammered that point home again. The Celtics dominated the glass 58-41 and turned that advantage into a 34-12 second-change scoring edge. Just addressing that alone would have made this a much more interesting game.

Memphis did pull down 15 offensive rebounds, but they struggled to convert on them. Meanwhile, Boston built entire runs, including a 40-plus-point momentum surge extending from the late second quarter into the third, simply by extending possessions and wearing down a defense that was already scrambling.

Sure, some of it is effort but it's primarily a tactical issue. With players like Steven Adams long gone and with Jaren Jackson Jr. playing more as a perimeter-based defender than an interior anchor, Memphis is getting routinely outmuscled on the glass. To make matters worse, the opponents know this and they're exploiting it. Until the Grizzlies can close that gap, expect more disheartening losses.

3. Santi Aldama continues to show he can be a part of the long-term rotation core

It wasn't all bad news for the Grizz. Okay maybe it was but there was one small bright spot in the play of Santi Aldama.

Aldama posted 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and was the only Grizzly with a postive plus/minus with +4, which is really saying something considering the 36-point final margin. Even better, his production wasn't empty: he kept the ball moving, made strong reads, and played with poise even as the game, and his teammates, unraveled around him.

On a night where most of the rotation struggled to generate anything meaningful, Aldama at least looked the part of someone whose impact remained stable amid the chaos.

For a roster still figuring so many things out and what the future might hold, Aldama's consistency is worth tracking and highlighting.

Morant-less Grizzlies dismantled by Celtics

Ja Morant is in danger of the same career trajectory as Derrick Rose