Ja Morant expresses frustration with Grizzlies coaching after loss

Ja Morant didn’t hide his feelings Friday night.

After struggling in the Grizzlies’ loss to the Lakers, Morant repeatedly brushed questions about his play toward the coaching staff — telling reporters “go ask the coaching staff” and “go ask him” when asked about his performance.

When pressed again, Morant went further.

“According to them, probably don’t play me, honestly. That’s basically what the message was after,” Morant said, via Damichael Cole of the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Morant finished with eight points on 3-for-14 shooting, along with seven assists, in 30:58.

As Josh Robbins of The Athletic noted, Morant hasn’t played more than 31 minutes, 33 seconds in any game this season. He was also targeted defensively by Luka Doncic, who went for 44.

Morant insisted he’s not dealing with any physical limitations. The media did not get a chance to ask head coach Toumas Iisalo about Morant’s remarks.

Former All-Star Blake Griffin, now an analyst for Amazon Prime Video, criticized Morant afterward.

“For a guy that’s making $40 million and needs to be the leader of the team, I just don’t love it,” Griffin said, per Robbins. “That, to me, is a very bad sign and is something that has to change.”

Morant is shooting 40.6 percent from the field and just 15.6 percent from three. He’s in Year 3 of his five-year, $197.2 million deal. Memphis is 3-3.

And while Morant has been through controversy before — including his two suspensions in 2023 — this is a new tension point. His public comments suggest a disconnect with the current staff.

Whether it escalates beyond frustration is now the question.