The biggest storyline in the NBA tonight is the return of Ja Morant from his 25 game suspension. We can’t exactly throw out everything we know about this Grizzlies team just because their superstar is returning. However, we do know that Ja is going to have an impact on this team moving forward. The Grizzlies, up until this point, have had the worst offensive efficiency rating in the league, but have a top 10 ranked defensive efficiency rating. Last season, they ended as the 14th ranked offense and the 2nd ranked defense. Ja Morant was undoubtedly a big reason for their success. Before we move on to the Pelicans, we should also discuss this game specifically for Ja Morant. We anticipate that he will return highly motivated, and will make a positive difference for the Grizzlies offense tonight. Morant will undoubtedly have some expected struggles catching back up to speed, but you’d think he’d want this first game back to be a good one. The Pelicans have been hot recently, winning 7 of their last 10. This includes wins over the Kings, Timberwolves and 76ers. New Orleans has also had a handful of games against weaker opponents such as the Wizards, Spurs, and Hornets to help fluff their metrics. Look for the Grizzlies perimeter defense to improve tonight, in addition to their offense. Our wager is a half unit on the Grizzlies to stay within 8 points.