Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is expected to return early next season after playing just nine games last season. Suspended for the first 25 games, Morant returned for nine games before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.
During a recent appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, 13-year NBA veteran and former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Sam Mitchell shared a harsh message for Morant about how he will need to conduct himself upon his return to the Grizzlies.
“It’ll be interesting to see how Taylor Jenkins and this team functions with Ja coming back after missing pretty much the entire season,” Mitchell said. “And that’s another thing. He didn’t miss the entire season because of injuries. He missed the entire season because of himself.”
“[Ja Morant] must have a sense of humility when he walks through that door”@SamMitchellNBA shares his thoughts with @JumpShot8 on Morant’s return to court…listen⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3T01gdebFC
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) August 20, 2024
That second point from Mitchell isn’t entirely accurate, because while Morant missed 25 games due to suspension, he missed the remainder of the season due to shoulder surgery.
Mitchell then became harsher in his message to Morant, saying he should tread lightly upon his return.
“So not only does he have to tread lightly when he comes back through that door, but he has to have some sense of humility when he walks through that door,” Mitchell said. “Because, man, it’s your fault. You’re the one who let your teammates down. You did that. They didn’t do that. You didn’t get hurt, you made decisions off the field that put your life, your status on the team and the success of your team at risk. So to me, you can’t just walk through that door and start over like you did before… No, you’re going to have to earn it again.”
Morant was injured, which is why his return from suspension lasted just nine games. That said, the Grizzlies star put his team in a tough spot early last season with his suspension, but their slow start was also heavily impacted by injuries.
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