Grizzlies news: Ja Morant enters counseling in Florida

Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant is still away from the team, but recent reports suggest he is doing the right things to get himself right. Will this lead to a return to the court before the season ends? 

The Grizzlies have been without Ja Morant for the past five games, and it looks like that number will only grow. Morant has reportedly entered a counseling program in the state of Florida, according to ESPN. His timetable to return is still very much up in the air according to the same report.

The decision to enter counseling is a big one by Morant, regardless of whether it was his alone or at the request of the team. Realizing you have a problem is often the hardest part of the journey toward solving it, so this news should be viewed as a step in the right direction.

He clearly needs help with handling all of the responsibility that comes with his status, and how he has dealt with them so far has been unhealthy. Hopefully, the counseling he will receive will be what he needs to get back to being himself. The question that remains is whether he will see the court again this year, and it’s a difficult one to answer.

Ja Morant is at the mercy of the Grizzlies, NBA

First and foremost, whether Ja Morant returns this season is irrelevant unless it’s because his issues have been resolved. He is signed long-term and is just 23 years old. He has plenty of time to get his career back on track. However, in a West that hasn’t been this wide open in years, having him back for a playoff run would be huge.

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), it won’t be a decision for Ja Morant to make himself. The Grizzlies will be the ones who decide when he has reached the point where he can return to the team, and that doesn’t seem likely to be anytime soon. The NBA could also step in, as they are still investigating what exactly happened that night in Denver. They could suspend him at any point once they determine what happened.

Until the NBA concludes its investigation, all Ja Morant and the Grizzlies can do is continue to work on his problems. Counseling is likely just the first step toward doing that. Hopefully, fans will be able to watch Ja fly high on the court again soon. Until then, we all just have to hope for some much-needed good news.