The Memphis Grizzlies will happily allow ESPN to throw fuel on the fire. 

The media giant released the second round of its annual top 100 player rankings on Wednesday, Oct. 11, and several Memphis players are on the list. 

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Desmond Bane landed at No. 61, Marcus Smart was No. 59, Ja Morant is No. 35, and Jaren Jackson Jr. is No. 31. At least one player is not thrilled with the honor. 

Morant took to social media shortly after the rankings were released and posted several emoji’s as a response. A laughing face. An hourglass. An image of a person meditating. 

It doesn’t take much of an effort to decode. He later responded to another post that included the reasoning behind the ranking, including the suspension he will serve to begin the season.

“No Uturns,” he replied. 

When asked about their individual rankings after Wednesday’s practice, Jackson and Bane mostly dismissed them. 

“We never see it anyway,” Jackson said. “Usually, that’s the clickbait rankings. ... They put like (LeBron James) at 100 and are like, ‘Ohhh is this right?’ Then everybody looks at it, and you end up asking me. I don’t care.”

Bane took a different approach. 

“That don’t pay the bills,” he said. “It is what it is. I’m not fighting for ESPN rankings. We are trying to win a championship. I think that it does add a little extra fuel to the fire. I saw Ja tweeted under something. I’m not too active on social media, but I definitely saw it.”

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Marcus Smart update

After missing the first two preseason games with abdominal soreness, Smart is not expected to play on Thursday against Atlanta. 

Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said Smart has been able to do some on-court work and weight training but has not participated in everything. 

When asked if he still expects Smart to play at the beginning of the regular season, Jenkins responded quickly. 

“Yes,” he said. “Yes. Yeah. Yeah.”

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A DPOY combo

Smart is still getting settled in his new home. The Grizzlies are working quickly to embrace him, particularly Jackson. 

Smart had a pop-up shop last week for his Youngamechanger Global brand at Ten Toes Memphis in Wolfchase Galleria. Several of his teammates showed up, including Jackson. 

“We are going to see them on the court together very soon, but they are leaning into each other a lot,” Jenkins said of Jackson and Smart. “Obviously, Marcus has come in and is finding his groove. He has immediately built a rapport with JJ. He has been in his ear in between drills and in the games. You see him standing next to him in timeouts. 

“Jaren was one of the first to engage in conversation with him when the move was made to bring Marcus in. When I talked to Marcus, he said, ‘All these guys, but especially (Jackson), are asking me a lot of questions.”

Both Smart and Jackson are Defensive Player of the Year award winners. Theoretically, the combination of defensive expertise and athleticism should pair well together on the perimeter and in the paint.

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But this is a process they believe will get better over time. 

“It’s two great defensive minds coming together and discussing things to get us on the same page. It’s really good for any team to have a perimeter defender and a big that are on a string. It’s all you want.

“With time, it will get even better. It definitely is about the connection. That’s what can separate you. There are a lot of teams with two good defenders, but if they aren’t on the same page, they don’t look as great. You want to make sure you have that chemistry.”

Jenkins is certainly excited about playing the two award winners together. He used the word “unleash” while describing how he can deploy him on that end of the floor. 

“Their voice, their intelligence, just how they see the floor, there are so many ways we can unleash those guys,” Jenkins said. “You see what Marcus can do guarding multiple positions on the perimeter and interior. He is versatile in executing multiple coverages. He has a care factor and will to get a stop every possession. It’s at an elite level. 

“And then with Jackson, he’s another guy that can play on the perimeter but be and anchor for you on the interior. 

“It gives us a balance where we can lock up teams. We still have to play great team defense at the end of the day, but those two guys can be a major driving point for us at the point of attack, and then in the paint we have the best shot blocker in the game.”

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The hope is that everyone will get a glimpse of what it looks like soon. Those that have seen it in practice, like Bane, are assured of the duo's effectiveness. 

“When you have someone scrapping out there on the perimeter and the best shot blocker in the world standing under the rim, yeah, that’s a great combination,” Bane said.