Grizzlies so good, but Ja feels so irrelevant these days. Why?

[Dacost]

So many reasons.

1.suspension
2.injurys
3.new system (no pick and rollz)
4.26 minutes a game.
5. Scotty pippen is a really really good backup.
6.Tripple J becoming the number 1 option.

At the end of the day I expect all of this to go away in the playoff where we should see him playing 30m plus.

[Drygon]

1) Ja is no longer Memphis' best player
2) He doesn't as much nowadays
3) His off-court actions ruined his his marketability and hype
4) Ja has missed a ton of games the last 2 seasons (mostly last year)

[Ruma85]

Well I think it's also production though. He was like a 26-27 ppg player 3 years ago. Wow... it was already 4 years since his best season so far. He's only 25. Is he gonna have a Serge Ibaka type arch where he randomly peaks at like 21-22? He was also the NBA's most electrifying player a couple years ago. IMO more so than Anthony Edwards.

Didn't he have a highlight dunk just weeks ago? He also said he's laying off the dunking for good reason he always gets hurt from his reckless style.

I just see a guy taking a backseat and it's leading to team success. His numbers are fine if they are winning. Now if he had these stats and they were losing you would have a point.

Well my problem with it... is it puts a ceiling on Memphis. Them morphing into the 2010 Atlanta Hawks type team= 2nd round exit at best. You cannot win really in the NBA without a clear, reliable 1A superstar. The Celtics last year kind of defied that, but that's because they have two guys that are borderline of that (Tatum overall is that guy, but in the playoffs hasn't been consistently yet)... and they had astronomical shooting, low turnovers and stupid depth.

JJJ as great as he is, I still think is more ideally slotted as a high end #2 option. I don't see him being a reliable offensive engine for an entire deep playoff run when teams actively work on locking him up. So 2 years ago the reason for being high on Memphis if you were was a very deep, young, elite defense.. with a clear 1A superstar emerging in Ja that logically you'd expect to get to a top 10 player level. But his backslide individually for the better of the team (arguably) may actually lower their ceiling, even if it raised the floor.

Interesting... there depth is fantastic, I would take them over the Rockets for sure.

[Special_Puppy]

He hasn’t grown as a player since 2022. People expected him to be a top 10 player in the league by now

[OkcSinceSGA]

So many reasons.

1.suspension
2.injurys
3.new system (no pick and rollz)
4.26 minutes a game.
5. Scotty pippen is a really really good backup.
6.Tripple J becoming the number 1 option.

At the end of the day I expect all of this to go away in the playoff where we should see him playing 30m plus.

He's actually averaging more like 29 minutes.. but still that's a factor no doubt because he was running 34 mpg on average his prior 3 best seasons.

[JustBuzzin]

Well I think it's also production though. He was like a 26-27 ppg player 3 years ago. Wow... it was already 4 years since his best season so far. He's only 25. Is he gonna have a Serge Ibaka type arch where he randomly peaks at like 21-22? He was also the NBA's most electrifying player a couple years ago. IMO more so than Anthony Edwards.

Didn't he have a highlight dunk just weeks ago? He also said he's laying off the dunking for good reason he always gets hurt from his reckless style.

I just see a guy taking a backseat and it's leading to team success. His numbers are fine if they are winning. Now if he had these stats and they were losing you would have a point.

Well my problem with it... is it puts a ceiling on Memphis. Them morphing into the 2010 Atlanta Hawks type team= 2nd round exit at best. You cannot win really in the NBA without a clear, reliable 1A superstar. The Celtics last year kind of defied that, but that's because they have two guys that are borderline of that (Tatum overall is that guy, but in the playoffs hasn't been consistently yet)... and they had astronomical shooting, low turnovers and stupid depth.

JJJ as great as he is, I still think is more ideally slotted as a high end #2 option. I don't see him being a reliable offensive engine for an entire deep playoff run when teams actively work on locking him up. So 2 years ago the reason for being high on Memphis if you were was a very deep, young, elite defense.. with a clear 1A superstar emerging in Ja that logically you'd expect to get to a top 10 player level. But his backslide individually for the better of the team (arguably) may actually lower their ceiling, even if it raised the floor.

Is it possible he will turn it on in the playoffs?

I miss old Ja Wick wit da blicky as well, but he's playing with other good players. Memphis is deep as well. I'm not sure they need the old Ja in the regular season. I think we will need to see that guy during the playoffs. Let's see how he does in the playoffs and go from there.

[phanman]

Although he's fixed his off court issues to be available his season, he's already missed 21 games. He is definitely still relevant but with Bane and JJJ continuing to improve, they've become less reliant on him to carry the offense. Especially with how deep the team is and a plethora of quality rotation players who even lead to Marcus Smart being shipped to Siberia.

With all that said, Ja is still the primary ball handler and the one that puts the most pressure in the paint. Once the playoffs start, his impact will showcased more heavily that it is currently.

[Ruma85]

Didn't he have a highlight dunk just weeks ago? He also said he's laying off the dunking for good reason he always gets hurt from his reckless style.

I just see a guy taking a backseat and it's leading to team success. His numbers are fine if they are winning. Now if he had these stats and they were losing you would have a point.

Well my problem with it... is it puts a ceiling on Memphis. Them morphing into the 2010 Atlanta Hawks type team= 2nd round exit at best. You cannot win really in the NBA without a clear, reliable 1A superstar. The Celtics last year kind of defied that, but that's because they have two guys that are borderline of that (Tatum overall is that guy, but in the playoffs hasn't been consistently yet)... and they had astronomical shooting, low turnovers and stupid depth.

JJJ as great as he is, I still think is more ideally slotted as a high end #2 option. I don't see him being a reliable offensive engine for an entire deep playoff run when teams actively work on locking him up. So 2 years ago the reason for being high on Memphis if you were was a very deep, young, elite defense.. with a clear 1A superstar emerging in Ja that logically you'd expect to get to a top 10 player level. But his backslide individually for the better of the team (arguably) may actually lower their ceiling, even if it raised the floor.

Is it possible he will turn it on in the playoffs?

I miss old Ja Wick wit da blicky as well, but he's playing with other good players. Memphis is deep as well. I'm not sure they need the old Ja in the regular season. I think we will need to see that guy during the playoffs. Let's see how he does in the playoffs and go from there.

I think people are underrating Memphis, excited to see them in the playoffs.

[RunOKC]

He was out for 1.5 seasons pretty much, and since returning he's been a part time player

If he has a good postseason he'll build some interest back

[Prince187]

The NBA is an entertainment product. And the league doesn’t want to feature him anymore because of his off the court image. It’s like a star actor not getting lead roles anymore. I think he’s still the same player who averaged 27 in his 3rd year while playing on a winning team. This is Adam Silver’s doing

[ShootersShoot]

Ja Morant feels like an afterthought in 2025. Is it because of injuries? Is it because of JJJ surpassing him as team’s best player? What is it? The play is still very much electrifying

I think the big thing here is that the Grizz are doing something new on offense, and not just new for them:

Watch on YouTube

Beyond that, with JJJ being able to score like he is now while also being the defensive anchor, JJJ simply is the most valuable regular season player on the team.

Now the question is really about the playoffs. Will this new approach scale to the playoffs? Will they need Ja to bail them out with hero play in the playoffs? We'll see.

Great take..the coaching is getting a lot of credit and rightfully so. Ja is doing his part and his numbers dont really stand out but its all for the best if the team is winning.

[OkcSinceSGA]

Well my problem with it... is it puts a ceiling on Memphis. Them morphing into the 2010 Atlanta Hawks type team= 2nd round exit at best. You cannot win really in the NBA without a clear, reliable 1A superstar. The Celtics last year kind of defied that, but that's because they have two guys that are borderline of that (Tatum overall is that guy, but in the playoffs hasn't been consistently yet)... and they had astronomical shooting, low turnovers and stupid depth.

JJJ as great as he is, I still think is more ideally slotted as a high end #2 option. I don't see him being a reliable offensive engine for an entire deep playoff run when teams actively work on locking him up. So 2 years ago the reason for being high on Memphis if you were was a very deep, young, elite defense.. with a clear 1A superstar emerging in Ja that logically you'd expect to get to a top 10 player level. But his backslide individually for the better of the team (arguably) may actually lower their ceiling, even if it raised the floor.

Is it possible he will turn it on in the playoffs?

I miss old Ja Wick wit da blicky as well, but he's playing with other good players. Memphis is deep as well. I'm not sure they need the old Ja in the regular season. I think we will need to see that guy during the playoffs. Let's see how he does in the playoffs and go from there.

I think people are underrating Memphis, excited to see them in the playoffs.

I think they are a better Houston Rockets. Very good defensive teams, with a lot of good players but no true superstar to carry them in a deep playoff run. I think Houston is out in 1st round to someone like the Lakers probably, and Memphis maybe the 2nd round if they play well. They will probably take out a team like the Clippers, Suns or Wolves in round 1.

[JustBuzzin]

Well my problem with it... is it puts a ceiling on Memphis. Them morphing into the 2010 Atlanta Hawks type team= 2nd round exit at best. You cannot win really in the NBA without a clear, reliable 1A superstar. The Celtics last year kind of defied that, but that's because they have two guys that are borderline of that (Tatum overall is that guy, but in the playoffs hasn't been consistently yet)... and they had astronomical shooting, low turnovers and stupid depth.

JJJ as great as he is, I still think is more ideally slotted as a high end #2 option. I don't see him being a reliable offensive engine for an entire deep playoff run when teams actively work on locking him up. So 2 years ago the reason for being high on Memphis if you were was a very deep, young, elite defense.. with a clear 1A superstar emerging in Ja that logically you'd expect to get to a top 10 player level. But his backslide individually for the better of the team (arguably) may actually lower their ceiling, even if it raised the floor.

Is it possible he will turn it on in the playoffs?

I miss old Ja Wick wit da blicky as well, but he's playing with other good players. Memphis is deep as well. I'm not sure they need the old Ja in the regular season. I think we will need to see that guy during the playoffs. Let's see how he does in the playoffs and go from there.

I think people are underrating Memphis, excited to see them in the playoffs.

I had Memphis winning the West before the Luka trade.

Not sure who my pick is right now. I seriously think the Lakers have a shot depending how much they can get out of Len/Hayes at center. Had they got Mark Williams they for sure were my pick to win the West.

[RHODEY]

Ja Morant feels like an afterthought in 2025. Is it because of injuries? Is it because of JJJ surpassing him as team’s best player? What is it? The play is still very much electrifying

Because he was dismantled at MSG by the team no one is allowed to talk about

[ghillphx]

Ja Morant feels like an afterthought in 2025. Is it because of injuries? Is it because of JJJ surpassing him as team’s best player? What is it? The play is still very much electrifying

That's how teams win championships. Get over it.

[LockoutSeason]

He’s not “irrelevant”. He needs to prove himself with some playoff success now.

[maverick_41]

He misses lots of games. He always holds a questionable tag. Seems Morant doesn't take care about his health the way professionals do.

Hopefully, by the age of 35 he will focus of his job and not Boyz in da hood ****.

[NZB2323]

He’s 40th in PER, 72nd in VORP, 39th in BPM, 136th in WS and he doesn’t dunk anymore.

[Dacost]

He misses lots of games. He always holds a questionable tag. Seems Morant doesn't take care about his health the way professionals do.

Hopefully, by the age of 35 he will focus of his job and not Boyz in da hood ****.

That's a bs take JA has been great after the suspension.

[maverick_41]

He misses lots of games. He always holds a questionable tag. Seems Morant doesn't take care about his health the way professionals do.

Hopefully, by the age of 35 he will focus of his job and not Boyz in da hood ****.

That's a bs take JA has been great after the suspension.

After the suspension he had a second suspension.
He misses a lot of games, he is constantly injured or half-injured, where is the false here?