Superstar point guard Ja Morant is coming off a low point in his young career and it has everyone in the league overlooking his Grizzlies. But ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, the young athlete said on NBA TV that things will be different this season and that he'll have his team back on the map as contenders in the West.
Interviewer: "During your time away, do you feel like people forgot how good you are?"
Ja Morant: "I feel like that's what comes with it. Obviously yes, not only just be but you don't hear nothing about the Memphis Grizzlies too much either. It's just what comes with it. I feel like it's putting us right back to the place we need to be in and that's the guys that are hunting other teams and I feel like that's when we're at our best. Not having that pressure of having everyone else put super high standards on us."
It's been a few years since the Grizzlies were competitive but they still have the same core that won 56 games two years ago. Between Desmond Bane, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Marcus Smart, they are poised to make some noise this season even if some fans are struggling to see it. It all centers around Ja Morant.
Drafted 2nd overall in 2019, Ja Morant has emerged as one of the best young point guards in the league. During his last healthy season, the 2022-23 campaign, he averaged 26.2 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game on 47.1% shooting. He led the Grizzlies to the NBA playoffs and in 2022, he went as far as the West Semi-Finals before being eliminated by the Golden State Warriors .
Unfortunately, despite their quick success, the Grizzlies were ravaged by controversy that tore the team apart. The first signs of trouble came with the trash talk, and the Grizzlies made an enemy out of the entire league with the way that they were talking and acting like they had proven so much.
The real trouble came during a Ja Morant Instagram Live session. He flashed his firearm in front of his audience and received a warning from the league before doing it again and earning a 25-game suspension.
He was also accused of punching a teenager , aiming a red laser pointer at players , and threatening a Foot Locker employee. Meanwhile, with his teammates, Morant was brazenly confident and arrogant with his status and repeatedly hailed the Grizzlies as a team to fear in the West.
When Ja and the Grizzlies were unable to live up to those standards, they became laughing stock in the West and faded into complete obscurity. Last season, with Ja playing just a handful of games, the Grizzlies finished 13th in the West at 27-55.
Going into this new season, the Grizzlies are less than underdogs to win the title. Compared to the Nuggets, Mavericks, Celtics, Knicks, Timberwolves, and Thunder, the Grizzlies are an afterthought. To earn the respect they feel they deserve, the Grizzlies will have to prove they can keep up with the best in the West. More importantly, the players will have to show a degree of maturity that wasn't there before.
For Ja to win back the trust of the fans, and earn the benefit of the doubt, he'll have to stay focused and avoid anything that might distract from the game. At just 25 years old, Morant will have to step up as a leader both on the court and off for the Grizzlies to reach their ultimate potential.
Related: Ja Morant's New Nike Commercial Comes With A Powerful Message: "When I'm Hit, I Always Get Up"
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