The regular season has not yet started and the name of Ja Morant has already been mentioned, although, as we know, the latter is suspended for the first 25 matches, for having once again appeared with a firearm on social networks last spring.
In the wake of the announcement of this heavy suspension, the players’ union regretted that the league ” requires certain unspecified conditions to be met before he can return.” Does Ja Morant currently meet these conditions?
Joe Dumars, the NBA’s head of basketball operations, responded by confirming the 25-match suspension, but without being really precise on the terms of the return.
“The league, the union, Morant and his agents are in constant communication and working together on this,” he explains to The Athletic. “Everyone is working together to make sure this kid has a smooth transition when he needs to come back. We can’t discuss this kind of thing publicly, we can’t go behind the scenes, but it happens. »
On the other hand, the NBA authorized the Grizzlies playmaker to train and travel with his teammates and Joe Dumars can then justify this choice, which he considers important.
“I think the worst thing would be to completely exclude him from his team,” analyzes the leader. “So that he can continue to grow, he must continue to train daily with his team, be surrounded and participate in group meetings. This will, I think, help him in his personal progress. He needs to be in this environment. I wouldn’t like him to have to go to a gym somewhere just to try to stay in shape, because he hasn’t been allowed to work out and is completely isolated from others. This would not be an optimal situation to offer to a 24 year old trying to get by. »
| Ja Morant | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 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 | 61 | 32 | 46.6 | 30.7 | 74.8 | 1.0 | 4.9 | 5.9 | 8.1 | 1.6 | 1.1 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 26.2 |
| Total | 248 | 32 | 47.2 | 32.1 | 75.3 | 1.0 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 7.4 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 0.3 | 22.4 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
