Perk praises ‘Lion’ in Grizzlies star Ja Morant

Ja Morant instantly impressed everyone when he returned to the NBA hardwood for the first time in nine months.

Playing his 2024-25 preseason debut with the Memphis Grizzlies, it appeared that Ja returned like he never left. He still has that same aggressiveness and electrifying play from the way he attacked and led the team.

Even though there's a bit of concern after he tweaked his ankle, Ja still finished strong with 13 points, 4 boards, and three assists in 18 minutes en route to Memphis’ 121-116 road victory against the Dallas Mavericks.

One of the lions

What Morant demonstrated on Monday night is promising, making ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins bullish about their chances to compete in this 2024-25 season.

In the latest segment of NBA Today, Perk stamped his lofty hopes about Morant and how he commands the Grizzlies’ overall composition with his leadership and poise.

"If you take [Ja Morant] and put him in a cage with five lions, you know what you get? You're gonna get six lions,” Perk argued . “He's just a lion. It's only a handful of players that I could see in my lifetime that their energy and confidence is contagious. When Ja Morant steps his foot on the floor, he gives life to every other player that's on his team. That's what I saw last night against the [Dallas Mavericks]. We saw Zach Edey go up and catch a lob.

“His energy reminds me of Russell Westbrook. When I was playing with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Scott Brooks used to say Russ gives us swag. He's the heart and soul of our team. Obviously, Ja Morant is the best player, but when you bring that level of confidence, every single game is going to rub off.”

A dynamic team with Ja

All of the fortunes and the odds for the Grizzlies to win considerably depend on how Ja can play and live up to his billing as the team's main man. Upon missing most of the past season due to league suspension and eventual shoulder surgery, it served a fatal domino effect in Memphis that landed them in a lottery finish.

With the 25-year-old finally healthy and eager to play, Brian Windhorst is also convinced of the Grizzlies' contention chances.

“ When Ja is out there, they're a dynamic team,” Windy said. “Taylor Jenkins wants them to play even more high tempo this year, that is to lean into the way they can dominate with Ja out there. We often see teams in the preseason talk about whether they're going to play faster. But when you can have Ja Morant leading the attack, that is a real threat that could make this team even more dynamic.”

Related: "When we get it (together), it's going to be scary, for sure."