The Memphis Grizzlies have built their current roster around former No. 2 overall draft pick Ja Morant. While the South Carolina native quickly jumped the ladder among the top guards in the league, he had a forgettable campaign last season.
Initially, Ja was sidelined for 25 games as he served the suspension for a gun-related controversy. After returning, Morant played nine games before suffering a shoulder injury.
Sam Cassell calls out Ja Morant
While many have come out to support the 2x NBA All-Star, Sam Cassell isn’t among them. The 15-year veteran made it clear that Morant had no one but himself to blame for his 2023-24 NBA season’s absence.
“It’s gonna be interesting to see how Taylor Jenkins and how this team functions with Ja coming back after missing basically the whole season,” Mitchell said via SiriusXM NBA Radio . “And this is another thing. He didn’t miss the whole season because of injuries. He missed the whole season because of himself.”
In those nine games, Morant averaged 25.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game for the Grizzlies. Considering he will be completely healthy this season, fans expect another breakout season from him.
Cassell believes Morant has to earn the trust of his teammates
In Ja’s absence, the Grizzlies plummeted to a 27-55 record, finishing the season as the 13th seed in the Western Conference. The 3x NBA champion believes Morant has to cautiously earn the trust of his teammates ahead of the new season.
“You’re the one who left your teammates out to dry,” Cassell added. “You did this. They didn’t do it. You didn’t get hurt, you made decisions off the floor that jeopardized yourself, your status on the team, and your team’s success. So to me, you can’t just walk in the door and everything starts like it was… No, you’re gonna have to earn it again.”
The suspension was Morant’s fault, but getting injured was out of his control. Either way, such comments will hopefully help light a fire under Morant. He will enter the new season with a chip on his shoulder and give his 100% to prove his doubters wrong.
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