It is a totally natural response to want to watch Ja Morant play more basketball. He is, of course, box office. A talent that time and again you want to see what he will do next.
But 24 minutes against the Orlando Magic on Saturday night, and 24 minutes in a loss to the Houston Rockets the night before, have given fans reason to pause early in the season.
Is everything ok?
How bad does the thigh injury that has him questionable for tonight’s showdown with the Chicago Bulls really bother him?
Is Taylor Jenkins overthinking the six game in nine night reality of the start to this season for Memphis?
That final point clearly does weigh on the mind of not just Jenkins, but the Grizzlies collective overall. Locked on Grizzlies co-host Damichael Cole has reported hearing both players and Jenkins acknowledge the difficult work load to start the 2024-2025 campaign. Regardless of quality of opponent, to log that many minutes this early in the season is a challenge.
Especially for a team like Memphis that is actively trying to run opponents off the court with an uncommon pace, even in a fast playing modern NBA.
And especially for an elite point guard coming off of an injury he sustained during the preseason schedule.
Is the Grizzlies were not 2-1, perhaps sounding alarms would make a bit more sense. And Taylor Jenkins is clearly not above reproach – he NEEDS to have a good season this year to maintain overall confidence in his ability to do this job.
So when the team’s best player logs less time in a game than Santi Aldama, and almost exactly the same amount of run as his backup Scotty Pippen Jr. across two games, it’s worth asking the question.
What, exactly, is going on with Ja Morant?
Just because a question is fair to ask doesn’t mean you will like the answer. It sounds like, at least per Morant and Jenkins, Ja himself asked out against Houston and is not 100%. His questionable designation going in to tonight’s game is further evidence of that.
But he is indeed the superstar – the key cog in the Memphis machine. His presence brings about confidence that no matter what adversity the Grizzlies face, the team can “call 12” and he can get them out of a jam.
But he has to play to be able to pick up the phone in those clutch moments. The current rotation plan, while resulting in widespread production, is not necessarily conducive to revenge tour stat lines and elite highlight plays.
It’s October still. A long season has just begun. And the team already is not at full strength. It’s unwise to push Ja, and the entire team for that matter, this early given the state of the schedule.
But perhaps these concerns just remind us all of the stakes. Expectations have returned. And if Memphis doesn’t meet them, change will come.
One thing that won’t change? Ja Morant being fun to watch play basketball – even if it’s not for as many minutes a game as we all would like at the moment.
