Ja Morant spoke to reporters on Monday night, discussing his relationship with the Memphis Grizzlies following his return from suspension in a loss to the Detroit Pistons. Morant scored 18 points, adding 10 assists and five rebounds in the 114-106 loss.
Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo didn’t say much about the one-game suspension for Ja Morant, prior to Monday’s home loss to the Pistons. “We had a discussion and we’re all looking to move forward and beat the Pistons tonight,” Iisalo told reporters.
The all-time list of NBA All-Stars is obviously long, and notably distinguished. However, there are some players — for various reasons — who the casual, or even most-dedicated, NBA fans can't recall having earned All-Star nods.
It’s gotten increasingly difficult to separate the basketball from the noise when it comes to Ja Morant. The Memphis Grizzlies superstar was dealt yet another suspension following the Grizzlies’ matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers, serving the punishment during the team’s last match against the Toronto Raptors.
One year, the Memphis Grizzlies declined the fourth-year option on former No. 19 pick Jake LaRavia's rookie deal. Maybe the disrespect lit a fire under LaRavia, who has scored 25 points in two of his last three games for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nine months ago, Grizzlies GM Zach Kleiman publicly dismissed the idea of trading Ja Morant. He called the idea “fantasy.” That was Feb. 19. Memphis was 36-18 at the time and sitting No.
The Memphis Grizzlies fell to 3-4 on the season after a 117-104 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. It marked the second straight loss for Memphis after a 117-112 loss at home against the Los Angeles Lakers, who are playing without LeBron James.
It seems like everyone across the NBA is monitoring Ja Morant’s situation in Memphis, including active players. Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green has kept a close eye on his Western Conference rivals.
After Ja Morant's one-game suspension after publicly clashing with his head coach, the Memphis Grizzlies may consider trading their mercurial All-Star. The problem is finding a team that wants him.
From Division III roots to early NBA standout, Memphis may have found its next franchise cornerstone. The NBA season is barely a week old, but Cedric Coward is already making the Memphis Grizzlies look like geniuses.