The Ja Morant quote that could define the Grizzlies’ season
The Memphis Grizzlies are 3-3 through six games this NBA season. They are 1-1 on the road and 2-2 at home. After winning big against the Orlando Magic to become 2-1 last Saturday night, a quote after the game followed by consecutive “bad” home losses to the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets had the fanbase in shambles.
Ja Morant suffered a thigh injury in the team’s loss at the Houston Rockets last Friday night which led to him being a game-time decision ahead of the team’s home opener victory against the Orlando Magic the next day. In his first regular-season appearance at home since January 3rd, Ja Morant finished with a double-double of 16 points and 10 assists in 25 minutes.
When asked about his availability in his postgame interview, Ja Morant gave a shoutout to Grizzlies Twitter for talking him into playing.
What followed was him missing the team’s loss to the Chicago Bulls, Twitter drama involving him, and then a loss to the Brooklyn Nets after his return to the court two days later. After more fan-only Twitter drama, this time with the fanbase blaming coach Taylor Jenkins’ minutes distribution, Ja Morant gave a quote that might turn out to be the edge the team needed to get back to what Grizzlies basketball has been known to be in this era.
“Y’all want me to play every game? Alright, see y’all tomorrow.” – Ja Morant
After Ja Morant’s mention of players watching what the fanbase says on Twitter on Saturday, followed by his interaction on Twitter with a fan on Monday, he was a game-time decision against the Brooklyn Nets before ultimately playing to a stat line of 14 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds. However, consistent defensive breakdowns led to the Grizzlies’ demise as they lost 119-106 to the Nets.
After the team’s second home loss, which included losing starters Desmond Bane and Marcus Smart to injuries, Ja Morant voiced his frustration with how players are viewed when it comes to playing or not playing with injuries as seen above. What followed was a masterclass performance by him and the rest of the team.
The Grizzlies defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the final game of their four-game homestand 122-99. The 99 points the Bucks scored was the lowest an opponent has had against the Grizzlies on this young season and Ja Morant returned to making jaw-dropping plays.
To show a few, first here’s the no-look pass to Santi Aldama:
Then the lob pass while sitting on the ground to Santi Aldama:
A fake turned into a three point shot by Morant:
A transition pass to Jaren Jackson Jr. for the and-one:
The highlight factory Ja Morant is known to be returned against the Bucks as he led the team with a triple-double performance of 26 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds. He also helped as the team collectively held Bucks star guard Damian Lillard to four points on 1-12 shooting.
As November begins, this performance on the last day of October might be what the team needed to recharge their season that hit a rocky start. Ja Morant’s quote the night before this performance was a glimpse into what transpired on Halloween night.
