In the drama-filled NBA, Memphis Grizzlies' chemistry never felt more valuable | Giannotto

They pulled in close, arms over shoulders, and posed for the camera together from the bench.

Ja Morant, Dillon Brooks, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Brandon Clarke were joking around and laughing Sunday afternoon — at the rookies, at the dunk attempts, at who knows what else — and a few rows behind them Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Zach Kleiman looked on with a knowing grin.

The team’s annual open practice at FedExForum looked like any number of games the Grizzlies played last season, the camaraderie and joy oozing from every crevice of the roster. It was, perhaps, this group’s greatest asset last season, and never before has it seemed more refreshing (or valuable).

Just look around the rest of the NBA at the moment.

In Golden State, Draymond Green just punched out Jordan Poole in practice and took a leave of absence so the rest of the team could “heal” from his indefensible overreaction. We’re still waiting on Steve Kerr to let us know if he broke the code.

In Phoenix, the owner was just forced to put the team up for sale because of a history of racist and misogynistic comments. DeAndre Ayton, meanwhile, admitted on media day he hadn’t spoken to coach Monty Williams since being benched in last year’s playoffs.

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In Brooklyn, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving seemingly had to be brought back kicking and screaming after this offseason. In Los Angeles, the Lakers can’t give Russell Westbrook away despite endless trade speculation. In Utah, the Jazz had to go into a full rebuild because Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert couldn't get along.

In Boston, the Celtics are reeling from coach Ime Udoka’s season-long suspension after an improper relationship with another team employee.

In Memphis, the Grizzlies might well be the envy of the league.

“That’s one of the first things that I hear when I’m talking to friends or other people that have roles in the league,” Desmond Bane said. “Just how much fun it looks like we’re having out there, and it’s true. It’s hard to fake having fun 82 times a year.”

Savor how lucky Memphis is to have a group of players that genuinely gets along. Because what has happened with this roster isn’t a given.

The marriage of Morant and Jackson could have just as easily generated friction like Kevin Garnett and Stephon Marbury had once upon a time in Minnesota when they were lottery picks in back-to-back years. Morant could have been publicly upset that one of his friends, De’Anthony Melton, got traded this offseason. Clarke could be annoyed that Memphis doesn’t seem keen on using him as a starter. Desmond Bane and Dillon Brooks could have been at odds at Bane’s emergence as the team’s second-best perimeter scoring option, and the likelihood the Grizzlies will prioritize paying Bane big money more so than Brooks moving forward.

But Morant and Jackson quickly built a connection off the court, even faster than they did on it. Morant praised Kleiman’s draft haul this offseason in the immediate aftermath of the Melton trade. Clarke said he’s fine with however the coaching staff uses him. And Brooks took the anti-Green approach, mentoring Bane when he first arrived in the NBA a couple of years ago.

It’s worth bringing all this up with another regular season upon us, a regular season in which the Grizzlies are confronting expectations that feature an unusual dichotomy. They are held in higher regard than before after winning 56 games and battling the eventual NBA champion Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals, but they are also not as highly regarded as their record a year ago might ordinarily suggest.

So how much is the fantastic synergy coursing through the organization these days worth?

Last season indicated it has considerable value. Memphis wasn’t necessarily the second-best team in the NBA, certainly not with its nucleus at such an early stage of development. But it won the second-most games, and the way the roster came together felt like a driving force for that.

It’s the best way to describe how the Grizzlies won all those games without Morant. It’s the best way to explain moments like the late-season win over Phoenix, when Memphis sat most of its best players, the top-seeded Suns didn’t, and the Grizzlies still won going away.

“You’ve got to have the talent, for sure. We can’t be blind to that whatsoever. That’s why we love the group we got,” Jenkins said. “But people always talk about it, unless you have the chemistry, things can fall apart, for sure, because it’s a long season.”

It’s why, Jenkins added, the Grizzlies talk about harmony all the time when putting together the pieces of this roster. It’s obvious, from the moves Memphis did and didn’t make this offseason, there’s been an emphasis placed on preserving what has been grown organically.

The lack of splashy moves aren’t great for headlines or preseason prognostications. But maybe the Grizzlies are following the new championship template.

Milwaukee won in 2021 with mostly a homegrown team. And Golden State did so last season with the same dynamic.

So long as nobody sucker punches anyone in practice, the Memphis way feels like the right way.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: In drama-filled NBA, Memphis Grizzlies chemistry is more valuable