With No Timetable for a Return, Ja Morant and the Grizzlies Might Be Taking Things Seriously
Ja Morant may not be back on the court anytime soon and that might be a good thing for everyone. Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins addressed the Morant situation on Sunday night ahead of the Grizz's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Jenkins says there is no timetable for Morant's return, which is hopefully a good sign.
Grizzlies’ Taylor Jenkins said gun video was a “very tough moment” & there’s no timetable for Ja Morant return: “He understands he’s made some difficult decisions & poor choices… He understands he’s got to get help to get to a better place, not just for himself but for his team” pic.twitter.com/nLVkyJQKnS
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) March 6, 2023
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins on Ja Morant’s gun video: “We take it very seriously. … Nationwide, league-wide, there’s a lot of attention on gun violence… Its a growth opportunity, a learning opportunity.” pic.twitter.com/TushVKQmBe
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) March 6, 2023
Taylor Jenkins on Ja: pic.twitter.com/DHVhVehrwK
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) March 6, 2023
Jenkins makes it sound like the team and Morant are both taking this seriously and if they are, that's great. Morant is an awesome basketball player. He's a special talent. He could be the face of the NBA in a good way. He's also 23 and making some very bad decisions which could turn him into the face of the NBA in a bad way.
The Grizzlies could easily have said he's taking two games off and brought him right back and done nothing but pay lip service to gun violence. It sounds like they - and Morant - will actually try to do something. Only time will tell, but everyone appears to want to move in the right direction from here. It could save the future of the franchise. It could save Morant. Even if it means the main goal of this season has nothing to do with the postseason.