In the middle of the week, we learned that Steven Adams had already warned his young teammates, during a meeting between players, about their attitude during away matches. Ja Morant was clearly in the sights, and his freak out last weekend in Colorado seemed to have been smoldering for some time. This was suggested by Taylor Jenkins, before the meeting against the Warriors.
“In the past, we had discussions with him to try to guide him and help him evolve as a person and as a man” reveals the coach of Memphis. “Obviously, it came to the fore the other day, and we put this procedure into action. »
The Grizzlies were well aware that their leader was on a wire, in an entourage that raised questions, and they wanted to avoid it getting out of hand. “We hoped it would never happen and everything would be fine, but there were discussions about what he needed to change and that’s when it all started,” adds Taylor Jenkins. Perhaps he is referring to this incident after the meeting against the Pacers, which led the NBA to ban a relative of Ja Morant from going to the Fedex Forum for a year, or the confusion of last summer.
So there were warnings, but the franchise failed to reframe their player in time, and it probably needed a shock. Now everything is done to put him back on the right track. It will take time, minimum four more matches. Maybe more if the NBA sanctions him.
“There are steps to take – on a personal and professional level – as he has to manage certain personal things in order to get better” continues Taylor Jenkins. “Everyone wants to know what’s going on. It has become a hot topic. But he takes his time. There is this responsibility to get better on a personal level, and it is an important factor. »
Ja Morant is not cut off from the team, however, as Dillon Brooks explained after the game against the Warriors.
“He called us after the game to congratulate us. He is in a good mood, he trains. Even if he is not by our side, he stays with us. Always. It’s his team. Every day he sends us group messages, just to keep being us. He’s still with us, every day, and we can’t wait for him to come back.”
| Ja Morant | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Crew | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2019-20 | SAME | 67 | 31 | 47.7 | 33.5 | 77.6 | 0.8 | 3.1 | 3.9 | 7.3 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 17.8 |
| 2020-21 | SAME | 63 | 33 | 44.9 | 30.3 | 72.8 | 0.9 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 7.4 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 3.2 | 0.2 | 19.1 |
| 2021-22 | SAME | 57 | 33 | 49.3 | 34.4 | 76.1 | 1.4 | 4.4 | 5.7 | 6.7 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 27.4 |
| 2022-23 | SAME | 53 | 33 | 46.3 | 31.6 | 74.4 | 1.1 | 4.9 | 6.0 | 8.2 | 1.7 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 27.1 |
| Total | 240 | 32 | 47.2 | 32.4 | 75.1 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 7.4 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 22.5 | |
