The Memphis Grizzlies have played 43 games, and it feels like there already have been three seasons within one.

Season 1 came in the first 25 games as fans and Grizzlies teammates awaited superstar point guard Ja Morant's debut following his suspension. Then came the period where he dazzled, and the Grizzlies went 6-3 with him on the floor.

Now Morant is out for the season because of a shoulder injury, and several other players are out for the next few weeks with a variety of injuries. The swift changes have caused the team to try to find an identity again, and Monday night's 108-100 win against the Raptors in Toronto showed the Grizzlies a possible formula for success.

Strong defense and a stellar night from Jaren Jackson Jr. were key reasons why the Grizzlies (16-27) won, but the list goes much deeper than that.

Here's how the Grizzlies are finding their identity.

Playing through Jaren Jackson Jr.

Jackson is demanding the basketball. It sounds so simple, but there were moments earlier in his career when the 6-foot-11 forward had a notable size advantage and didn't dominate or demand. That's not happening right now.

He has become one of the NBA's top isolation scorers, using his shiftiness against bigger players and power against smaller defenders. Raptors forward Scottie Barnes is one of the most talented defenders in the NBA, but Jackson had a height advantage over the 6-7 Barnes and repeatedly used it. He finished with 27 points on 12-for-22 shooting as Barnes and a crowd of Raptors attempted to slow him down.

The problem at times with playing through Jackson has been his inability to make proper reads off double teams, but that's starting to change. He finished with five assists for the third time in four games. Five assists might not sound like a huge number, but Jackson didn't have more than three assists in any game last season.

Point guard Luke Kennard and playmaking

Luke Kennard came into the NBA known as a shooter, and that reputation has carried over into his seventh season. With Morant, Marcus Smart (finger), Desmond Bane (ankle) and Derrick Rose (thigh) all out, the Grizzlies are challenging Kennard with his biggest playmaking role since his third season in the NBA. He is averaging his most assists per game (2.8) since his 2019-20 season with the Detroit Pistons (4.1). He finished with seven assists against the Raptors.

Kennard's playmaking role has grown, but the ball is not sticking in his hands. Most of the Grizzlies' top isolation scorers and self creators are injured, so the team is relying on quick ball movement and transition opportunities to create offense. Monday's win may have been one of the best examples of that this season. Eight Grizzlies players finished with multiple assists, and the team recorded its third game of the season with 30 or more assists.

"We continue to stress that," Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. "Our offense is going to be wonky at times, it's going to look beautiful at times, but I felt like coming out of the first half into the second half, we get a 32-point third quarter because we emphasized the spacing a little bit better."

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Defensive mentality

One area where the Grizzlies can continue to execute despite all of the injuries is defense. With Jackson as the reigning Defensive Player of the Year and several defensive-minded wings, Memphis is still ranked in the top 10 in defensive rating. Jackson had a career-high six steals against the Raptors, and John Konchar set a career mark with five blocks.

Memphis also continues to get good individual defense from Vince Williams Jr. He had two steals and a block while continuing to be a terrific wing rebounder. He finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

"He's only going to get better because we're going to continue to challenge him," Jenkins said.

As Jenkins said, the offense won't always be as pretty. The Grizzlies have to make up for the scoring inconsistencies on the defensive end.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Luke Kennard, Jaren Jackson Jr. forming new Memphis Grizzlies identity