Ja Morant Not Concerned with Grizzlies Being Challenged in Western Conference
Dec 22, 2022
DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 20: Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets and Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies hug after the game on December 20, 2022 at the Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images)
Ja Morant isn't sweating the Western Conference.
During an interview on ESPN's NBA Today on Wednesday, Malika Andrews asked Morant who he thought the Memphis Grizzlies might have to get through to win a title, and he said the Boston Celtics.
"No one in the West?" Andrews followed up.
"Nah," Morant replied. "I'm fine in the West."
The Grizzlies (19-11) are tied for the top record in the Western Conference with the Denver Nuggets. Other contenders include the New Orleans Pelicans (18-12), Phoenix Suns (19-13) and Los Angeles Clippers (19-14).
Then there's the matter of the defending champion Golden State Warriors, who have limped out to a 15-18 record but have still won four of the last eight NBA championships.
But Morant isn't sweating them or anybody else in the conference.
Report: Ja Morant to Receive Signature Nike Shoe After Kyrie Irving's Exit
Dec 5, 2022
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant plays in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, in Memphis, Tenn. (AP Photo/Brandon Dill)
Ja Morant is getting his signature shoe.
Nike reportedly will be working with the Memphis Grizzlies' star point guard on a signature line of sneakers after dropping Kyrie Irving on Monday, according to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium:
Memphis Grizzlies All-NBA star Ja Morant is in line to receive a new signature shoe at Nike in the near future, industry sources tell @TheAthletic@Stadium. The parties have been working on this for several months. https://t.co/RzKf9JEIf1
Morant, 23, has emerged as one of the NBA's brightest young stars since being drafted No. 2 overall by Memphis in 2019. He's shown improvement every season and has been superb in the 2022-23 campaign, averaging 28.5 points, 7.5 assists, 6.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 37 percent from three.
He's also one of the most exciting and explosive players to watch in the NBA, with an impressive highlight reel of astonishing finishes in his young career.
That makes him highly marketable, so getting a signature shoe seemed like an inevitability. The end of Irving's relationship with Nike potentially accelerated the process.
Irving, 30, had one of Nike's most popular signature shoe lines over the years, but the company suspended him on Nov. 4 after he amplified an antisemitic film on social media. After Irving refused to denounce antisemitism and apologize for his actions on more than one occasion while speaking with reporters, Nike took action, and Irving was suspended as well by the Nets.
"At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of antisemitism," the company said in a statement at the time. "We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone."
Irving is now a sneaker free agent, a fact he didn't seem to be lamenting on social media Monday:
It remains to be seen if Irving will land another shoe or apparel deal and whether his actions surrounding his promotion of the antisemitic film will affect his appeal for those companies.
Grizzlies' Ja Morant Fined $35K for Using Inappropriate Language Toward Official
Dec 3, 2022
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - NOVEMBER 30: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies dribbles the ball against the Minnesota Timberwolves on November 30, 2022 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant was fined $35,000 for directing inappropriate language toward an official and failing to leave the court in a timely manner after being ejected from Wednesday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Morant was ejected with 1:22 remaining in the game, just seconds after teammate Dillon Brooks sent to the locker room. After the game, the All-Star guard took to social media to cast some blame on the officiating crew for its inappropriate language.
Morant has not gone into detail to explain what the official said to him. Earlier this month, Dallas Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie accused official Tony Brothers of calling him a "b---h ass motherf--ker" during a game.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported the NBA forced Brothers to miss a game assignment as a result of the incident. The league never announced a punishment for Brothers because it was not a formal suspension.
While the NBA has taken a hard line on issuing punishment to players who disrespect officials, it would behoove the league to keep the same energy with referees. If Morant says an official directed profanity at him, it's only reasonable the NBA looks into the matter and then announces the result of the investigation publicly.
Allowing officials to make inappropriate comments to players unchecked will only further damage the sometimes-fraught relationship between the two parties.
Grizzlies' Ja Morant Helped off Court With Ankle Injury vs. Thunder
Nov 19, 2022
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 09: Injured Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies stands on the side of the court during the second half of Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals of the NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center on May 09, 2022 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant left his team's home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with a left ankle injury.
Ja Morant heads back to the locker room with the Grizzlies training staff with an apparent ankle injury.
Ja Morant is being helped off the court in the 4th quarter of tonight's game against OKC after turning his ankle. He's putting no weight on that left ankle.
The injury occurred with the Grizzlies up 106-100 with just over three minutes remaining. He had 19 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds in 32 minutes before exiting. Tyus Jones replaced him on the court to finish off a 121-110 win.
Morant's health became the biggest storyline of the Grizzlies' second-round playoff loss to the Golden State Warriors last season. That an injury appeared to happen during a play when Warriors guard Jordan Poole grabbed his knee only added to the controversy of the series that also saw Gary Payton II fracture his elbow from a hard flagrant foul by Dillon Brooks.
The Grizzlies announced Morant was out for the rest of the playoffs with a bone bruise in his right knee, and he played just 57 games during the regular season.
That, along with the reality that he is the face of the franchise, made his health a focal point heading into the 2022-23 campaign.
When healthy, Morant is one of the best players in the NBA who entered Friday with 29.3 points, 6.8 assists, 6.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game after posting 27.4 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game in 2021-22.
One silver lining for Memphis is the fact it went 20-5 without him last season. It will likely turn toward Jones to start if Morant is sidelined following this setback.
Will the NBA Ever Get a Ja Morant vs. Zion Williamson Rivalry?
Nov 16, 2022
NEW ORLEANS, LA - NOVEMBER 15: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies drives to the basket during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on November 15, 2022 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images)
From the moment they were drafted a pick apart in 2019, Ja Morant and Zion Williamson seemed destined to spend a decade co-headlining the NBA's next great rivalry.
Two South Carolina products from the same AAU squad, each blessed with celestial athleticism and swag. Small-market saviors and surefire leaders of teams on the rise.
Tuesday's tilt between Morant's Memphis Grizzlies and Williamson's New Orleans Pelicans was exactly the kind of back-and-forth, emotionally charged meeting we all thought we'd get several times a year and, with any luck, in a handful of playoff series...with one small problem.
Williamson was on the sidelines nursing a foot injury in New Orleans' 113-102 victory.
He missed a hell of a game, one defined by Morant's ceaseless effort to pile highlight upon highlight and the Pelicans' CJ McCollum-led three-point awakening.
Morant ticked all the top-play boxes as only he could.
We got a half-court heave at the end of the first quarter.
That's a switch-hands-in-midair, wrong-footed jam with the off hand. The mind reels in search of a comparably rare sight. This isn't the unicorn of open-floor highlights. It's more like a unicorn that also tap dances and spins plates while reciting the first 1,000 digits of pi backward.
It was the kind of play that begged for a one-to-one response. Williamson, who once did this, would have been the right guy to offer one.
A reminder for the TL about that Zion dunk against the Kings
The Pelicans fought back collectively instead. New Orleans canned a season-high 18 triples, and McCollum busted out of a slump to score 30 points.
Meanwhile, Larry Nance Jr. cemented his status as the team's closing center, and Jose Alvarado made his customary "unwrapped roll of Mentos dropped into a Diet Coke" impact on the proceedings.
As November NBA games go, this was a 10 on the intensity scale. Everyone was amped, including the normally poised McCollum, who nearly truck-sticked an official after a dubious foul call, and Trey Murphy III, who started in Zion's place and peppered in poster dunks to complement the 30-footers he seems to hit once or twice every night.
Morant, who led all scorers with 36 points, traded "too small" jabs with Alvarado as Jaren Jackson Jr. loomed large in his season debut, finishing with five blocks in 25 minutes.
Imagine what Williamson would have added to a game that already had so much going for it.
But that's been the issue with Williamson to this point in his career, and it's the defining contrast between him and Morant. We've had to speculate on Williamson's ceiling, wonder about his fit on a winner and question whether he's actually a franchise pillar.
Sure, there've been moments when Williamson looked the part of a worthy Morant foil, like when he averaged 27.0 points across the 61 games he logged in 2020-21.
But injuries have interrupted Williamson's progress and chiseled away at his athletic supremacy, while defensive shortcomings and a broader uncertainty about his role on offense make him something less than a no-questions-asked cornerstone.
For Morant, no such questions exist. They've been replaced by exclamations.
He topped Zion for the Rookie of the Year award in 2019-20 and led the Grizz to 56 wins last season while finishing seventh in MVP voting, earning Most Improved Player honors and an All-NBA second-team nod. This season, he's leveled up again by adding a three-point shot.
Though Zion is 4-0 in head-to-head meetings with Morant, it's a pretty small sample size, with the last contest coming all the way back on Feb. 16, 2021. That speaks to Morant's development in the intervening time, just as it underscores how Williamson's progress has been derailed by long layoffs.
The Grizzlies superstar is brash enough to create new nemeses on a nightly basis. Everybody wants a piece of a playerâand, by extension, a Memphis team as a wholeâthat thrives on confrontation and whose playing style basically demands it.
Alvarado was a predictable foe on Tuesday, but as effective as the Pels' reserve is in his role, he's not Morant's rival.
We've searched for one. Perhaps Anthony Edwards will fit the bill one day. Maybe even Stephen Curry. But no natural counterpart has emerged yet.
There's a Zion-sized void to be filled here. He and Morant came up on similar paths and seemed to have similar futuresâuntil they diverged.
There are a million reasons to hope Williamson regains the force and bounce he showed earlier in his career. A return to equal footing with Morant is one of the biggest.
If these two could realign after a couple of years apart, we'd get the rivalry we (and they) deserve.
Ja Morant, Desmond Bane Lauded as 'Best Backcourt in the League' After Win vs. Wolves
Nov 12, 2022
Desmond Bane and Ja Morant
Ja Morant and Desmond Bane combined for
52 points to carry the Memphis Grizzlies to a 114-103 win over the
Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.
It marked the fifth win in the past six
games for the Grizz, which improved to 9-4 overall. Either Morant or
Bane has led the team in scoring in all but one of its games so far
during the 2022-23 season.
"Top two, not two. That's the easiest
question ever," Morant told reporters earlier this week when asked
where the Grizzlies' backcourt ranks in the NBA.
After another monster performance, more
people are starting to agree with the emerging MVP candidate. Let's check out some Twitter reaction to the duo's latest standout effort:
Desmond Bane is really averaging 25 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds on 47% from the field, 46% from three, and 90% shooting from the line. He really might be an All-Star this year if he keeps this up.
Desmond Bane on their psychological edge: âItâs huge, itâs an 82-game season. Liking the people you have the same job with goes a long way⊠It plays to our advantageâ
Dillon Brooks also chipped in 21 points
for the Grizzlies, which shot 50 percent from the field and won the
rebounding battle 46-33.
Anthony Edwards was the only major
bright spot for the Wolves in the loss. He matched Morant with a
game-high 28 points along with six rebounds and six assists.
Minnesota dropped to 5-8 with its sixth
loss in the past seven games.
Next up for the Grizzlies is a visit to
Capital One Arena on Sunday to face off with the Washington Wizards.
Luka DonÄiÄ, Ja Morant Headline 1st NBA 2K23 Ratings Update for 2022-23 Season
Nov 3, 2022
DALLAS, TX - NOVEMBER 2: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks drives against Jordan Clarkson #00 and Mike Conley #11 of the Utah Jazz in the first half at American Airlines Center on November 2, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The first ratings update for NBA 2K23 dropped Thursday, and a few star players are getting some love.
Luka DonÄiÄâaveraging 36.1 points per game this season, tops in the NBAâis getting a plus-one boost in his rating, bringing him to a 96 overall.
Ja Morant, meanwhile, got a similar plus-one boost to a 94 overall after his incredible start to the season that has seen him post 31.4 points per game.
And Orlando Magic rookie Paolo Banchero got a huge five-point boost up to an 83 after his promising start to his career. Indiana Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin got an even bigger plus-six bump, bringing him to an 80 overall.
Not everybody is feeling the love, however.
Ben Simmons, amid a foul-laden start to his Brooklyn Nets career, is down to an 80 after seeing the game developer dock him three overall rating points. Minnesota Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns is down to an 87, meanwhile, after being downgraded by two overall rating points.
The start of the 2022-23 NBA season has been defined by buckets. Glorious, magnificent, often magical bucketsâa whole heap of them. Entering Friday night, nine...
