2023-24 was a season to forget for the Memphis Grizzlies.
After clinching two straight Southwest Division titles, embarking on consecutive postseason excursions, and collecting a total of 107 wins from 2021-22 through 2022-23, Taylor Jenkins' squad endured a considerable amount of hardships this past campaign, and the member of the franchise affected most by said hardships was Ja Morant.
From his initial 25 game suspension to start the year to his season-ending right shoulder subluxation just nine games after his mid-December return, the superstar guard's fifth-year experience was far from ideal.
However, now six months removed from undergoing successful surgery to fix the ailment, the belief is that Morant will be gunning for a resurgence season in 2024-25 to help re-establish himself and the Grizzlies as a whole as being considered one of the top threats in the entire association.
Fortunately for him, the 24-year-old can now finally begin his on-court redemption journey, as he has officially been fully cleared to participate in any and all basketball activities and, in response to the news, Morant issued a strong three-word reactionary message on his personal X account that should get Grizzlies fans absolutely hyped.
Grizzlies star Ja Morant officially cleared for all basketball activities
it’s GO t:me
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 9, 2024
As a result of his absence from the hardwood for the vast majority of the past year, the Grizzlies have unfortunately seen quite a bit of hardship, as they managed to win just 21 total games without their cornerstone guard in the lineup. Simultaneously, fandoms residing outside of Grind City have found themselves suffering from a bit of recency bias when it comes to where the young stud stacks up against the league's elite.
Based on his reaction to being medically cleared, it appears Morant is focused on reminding everyone of how special a player he is.
JA MORANT WINS IT AT THE BUZZER 🤯 pic.twitter.com/Tu2MAComDY
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) December 20, 2023
A two-time All-Star and an established All-NBA selection, Morant boasts stellar career averages of 22.5 points, 7.4 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.0 steals on 47.2 percent shooting from the field.
Even this past season, despite only being active for less than a month's worth of action, he showcased his exceptional skill set and overall impact on winning basketball, as he dropped 25.1 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per night while guiding the club to a 6-3 record as well as their longest winning streak of the season at four games.
With him being a full go for basketball activities, the belief now is that he can hit the ground running and start his preparations for what is hoped to be yet another sensational campaign for both the Grizzlies and their franchise centerpiece.