NBA Star Ja Morant Addresses Injury History With Bold Proclamation

In an interview with Grind City Media, Morant shared his very straight forward goal for next season.

"My goals...to be healthy," Morant said. "I want to play 82 [games]. I know I say it every year, but this offseason I've been focusing on my body, doing stuff to see how my body reacts to actually learn it, to know what I got to do to be ready."

Playing 82 games in an NBA season is no small feat, as last season, just 11 players did so. Of those 11 players, only four of them played at least 30 minutes per night, and Morant has averaged 31.9 minutes per game throughout his career.

Morant's Availability In His Career

Through six years in the NBA, Morant has yet to appear in 70 or more games, as the most was the 67 he played as a rookie during the 2019-20 season. That was a year when the pandemic shortened the season, and Morant missed just six games. Regardless, he's still not reached the 70 mark as he aspires for 82 games.

For someone of Morant's level, availability matters just as much as what he does on the court. Especially this year, with Desmond Bane now off the roster, the pressure for Morant to step up and return to his All-Star level will be even more. Even though they have a quality backup behind him in Scotty Pippen Jr., the Grizzlies simply can't compete in the loaded Western Conference without him.

Grizzlies fans will get their first chance at seeing Morant suit up this season during the preseason, with their first contest set for October 6th at home versus the Detroit Pistons. While it's a game that won't count on the standings, it's an opportunity for Morant to match up against one of the league's top point guards in Cade Cunningham, an All-NBA selection last season.