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Memphis Grizzlies star guard Ja Morrant returned from his 25-game suspension for Tuesday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans and wasted little time getting his name in the box score.
After ripping a rebound away from Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas for a rebound, Morant hit Valanciunas with a pump-fake before rising for a tough layup.
“He’s fired up,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins told ESPN’s Tim MacMahon before the game.
“He’s been putting a lot of work since the start of the season, been around the team as much as he could. Now he gets this opportunity here at Game 26. Super excited to see him go out there and just have fun. That’s what he and I have talked about. It’s putting a lot of work, go out there, have fun, build chemistry with your teammates and just enjoy this opportunity to be back on the floor.”
While he will be a welcome addition to a team that is last in the NBA in points per game, he may be too late to save Memphis’ season.
In the almost two months Morant missed due to his repeated issues with firearms and social media last season, the Grizzlies have gone just 6-19, good for 13th in the Western Conference without their All-Star.
Memphis has been particularly poor inside the apparently unfriendly confines of the FedEx Forum, with just one win in 12 tries at home.
With the playoffs an unlikely destination for this Grizzlies squad, the biggest thing Memphis fans will want to see from Morant is growth. While he’s one of the most electric players in the league when on the floor, his off the court issues in 2022 have raised many red flags about the 24 year old’s future.
The best thing Morant can do this year is play hard, keep away from social media and come back ready to lead the team, built around him, back to the playoffs next season.
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