Bold prediction has ‘different’ Ja Morant returning to Grizzlies

Since being selected second overall by the Memphis Grizzlies back in the 2019 NBA Draft, Ja Morant has managed to establish himself as one of the league’s legitimate superstar talents. From his captivating on-court swagger to his mesmerizing athleticism, the 23-year-old has become a foundational face of the current landscape of the NBA.

However, due to a slew of questionable decisions over the last year and change, he has found himself come into a bit of trouble from both law and league officials, with his latest string of off-court antics resulting in a 25-game suspension that is slated to take place during the beginning of 2023-24.

Despite this turmoil, however, hope is certainly not lost when it comes to the potential for the Grizzlies star to turn things around, and, during a recent episode of Showtime’s “What’s Burnin”, host Rachel Nichols boldly predicted that fans will see a “different” Ja Morant once he makes his way back from suspension.

“I am going to have the faith and confidence that we are going to see a different Ja Morant off the court and just overall this coming season,” Nichols said. “I’m looking for that and I’m hoping for that.”

Nichols, along with guests Paul Pierce and Amin Elhassan, would continue on to note that Ja Morant’s decision-making has not only impacted his image and availability on the court as a result of his suspensions but also his financial situation in the form of “bonuses” and “lost endorsements,” both of which are believed to provide even more incentive for the guard to stay out of trouble moving forward.

Pierce would take things a step further with praise for and positive talk regarding the Grizzlies star by labeling him as one of the “top three best American players” and comparing him to one of the game’s most gifted legends of all time.

“I mean he’s my favorite player to watch. I mean hands down,” Pierce said. “He has that Allen Iverson effect. Like when he played I wanted to see him. He’s just nice like that.”

Even with his faults and follies, Ja Morant finds himself once again coming off a tremendous season with the Grizzlies.

Logging 31.9 minutes a night, the point guard posted phenomenal averages of 26.2 points, 8.1 assists, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 46.6 percent shooting from the field.

As a result of his efforts, Morant earned his second straight All-Star selection and helped guide Memphis to their second consecutive second-seeded finish in the Western Conference standings as well as their third postseason appearance in four years.

Once he is eligible to return to the rotation following his early-season suspension, the franchise cornerstone will find himself surrounded by the likes of savvy veteran presences in Marcus Smart and Derrick Rose, who many hope will serve as positive mentors.

Though there is some skepticism over whether Ja Morant will wind up accepting and allowing help from his new-look supporting cast, Nichols seems to be rather confident that the youngster will look to grow from his recent mistakes.

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