Grizzlies' Ja Morant Doubted As the 'Face' of a Contending Team By NBA Insiders
While the firing of head coach Taylor Jenkins represented a doubling down by the Memphis Grizzlies in star guard Ja Morant, some around the NBA are questioning his ultimate value, according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, Tim MacMahon and Michael C. Wright.
"There are doubts throughout the league about whether Morant, whose superstar ascension has been interrupted by off-court issues and injuries, can be the face of a contending franchise," the report said.
One general manager anonymously voiced their skepticism in the story.
"Does he sell tickets? Yes," the GM said. "Is he a top-25 player when healthy? Yes. Can he win multiple series as the best player? No. Not sure most years you can win even one. Plus he is always hurt."
The Grizzlies have made the playoffs three times with Morant on the squad, and they're poised to make their fourth trip this season. Still, fans are waiting for Memphis to turn the proverbial corner, and the failure to do so has been partially due to Morant.
The two-time All-Star was sidelined for the final three games of the 2022 Western Conference semifinals. The following year, the Grizzlies flamed out badly in the first round, a sobering result for a young roster that wasn't short on confidence.
Then came Morant's 25-game suspension to open the 2023-24 campaign, and he made only nine appearances before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
Letting Jenkins go with just nine games left in the regular season wasn't done at Morant's behest, but the team clearly had him in mind.
After Jenkins chose to lessen the offense's reliance on the pick-and-roll, The Athletic's Sam Amick, Fred Katz and Joe Vardon reported Morant "complained about the new scheme, which takes the ball out of his hands and removes the screens he likes to use as a ball handler to make plays."
One source added the 6'2" playmaker "hates the offense," which was evident in his effort level at times.
MacMahon said in the newest episode of the Hoop Collective podcast that the coaching change "was about optimizing Ja Morant."
Interim head coach Tuomas Iisalo doesn't have a lot of time to implement new ideas with the team, so it may be tough to judge whether the Grizzlies have made any progress with Jenkins gone.
Should Memphis look flat en route to a quick postseason exit, though, it might warrant big-picture questions about Morant and the organization's direction.
