When Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies aggressively pushed the eventual 2022 NBA World Champion Golden State Warriors to a hard-fought six-game series in the Western Conference Semis, it was certain a championship pursuit was in their immediate future.
The availability of the Grizzlies’ superstar floor general has been the main detriment factor to Memphis’ bumpy road since his heroics vs Golden State in 2022. Fast forward two seasons and the Grizzlies have one lone playoff appearance. The Grizzlies would fall short to the Los Angeles Lakers in yet another tough Western Conference first-round matchup that would go six games. Morant only started 11 games post-All-Star Break that season prior before being caught on Instagram Live possessing a firearm in Denver, resulting in the league suspending him for eight games.
After another Instagram Live video in the 2023 offseason, Morant would be suspended for the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season. He would return for nine games before going down with a season-ending shoulder injury. Morant’s availability paired with several other key injuries caused the Grizzlies to have a disappointing 2023-24 season in which they won just 27 games. However, expectations are high for Memphis to have a bounce-back season.
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