After a controversial season for the Memphis Grizzlies, their playoff run came to an abrupt halt on Friday night with a 125-85 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers that eliminated them from the NBA postseason.
At the center of most of those controversial moments was Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant, who seemed to recognize that his off-field issues were having a negative effect on the team and the way they played.
“I just need to get better with my decision making,” said Morant, who finished the night with only 10 points up and a terrible 3-of-16 shooting line in the blowout loss.
‘Actually, that’s it. Issues out of court had a great impact on us as an organization. Just now [need] more discipline.’
It was a season to forget for Memphis – who finished with the second-best record in the Western Conference, but couldn’t hold back LeBron James, Anthony Davis and company on the play-in team.
Yes Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies were sent home with an embarrassing 125-85 loss
Morant and teammate Dillon Brooks combined for 20 points in the loss to the LA Lakers
Before the season even started, Morant was dealing with legal trouble due to two separate incidents in Memphis.
In the summer, Morant threatened a mall security guard after the star’s mother got into a fight with a shoe store employee. He arrived with a group of “as many as nine people,” and when the group was escorted out, Morant yelled back, “Let me know what time he gets out.”
Subsequently, the observatory was sued by a teen after an altercation following a fetch game that allegedly took place at Morant’s mansion in suburban Memphis.
Morant has since protested against the teen, saying he lied to police and that the teen was “deliberately” trying to hurt him.
Once the season started, Morant continued to be a lightning rod for controversy and his behavior didn’t seem to change.
First, in mid-January, there was an on-field confrontation between Morant and Fox Sports analyst Shannon Sharpe. Sharpe yelled at Morant and his Grizzlies teammates Dillon Brooks and Steven Adams, leading to a scuffle but no punches.
In addition, according to The Athletic, Morant was driving an SUV with his friend Davonte Pack and another person when a red laser was pointed at the bus of the visiting Indiana Pacers that same month.
Two people who spoke anonymously to the publication said they believed the laser was attached to a gun, while an Indiana guard nearby claimed “that’s 100 percent a gun.” However, it was not confirmed whether the laser was attached to a weapon.
Earlier this season, Morant & the Grizzlies had an on-field showdown with Shannon Sharpe
The league opened an investigation into the allegation, but concluded that it “did not confirm that someone threatened others with a weapon,” an NBA spokesman said.
Most recently, there was the incident at a Colorado nightclub where Morant allegedly flashed a gun in an Instagram Live video.
In a statement, the NBA said the league found that Morant did not bring a gun with him to an NBA facility or on the team plane, but still suspended him for eight games. Morant was also not charged with any crime by Colorado police.
Morant entered a counseling program in Florida on his own initiative after being suspended by the team.
He returned to the team just in time for the postseason, but failed to stay consistent.
Morant put up an astonishing 45-point, 13-assist tally in the 111-101 loss of Game 3 and played again in Game 5 with a 31-point, 10-rebound blowout en route to a 116-99 victory.
But it all led up to last night and the most lopsided postseason loss in the Grizzlies’ franchise history.
Most recently, Morant appeared to hold a gun to his head at a Colorado nightclub on March 4
After the game ended, Morant said he will take time to reflect and learn from the season as he addresses the issues that plagued him.
“I feel like mine is more off the field and on the field – I just get punished on both sides,” said Morant. “Off the track, make better decisions. Locked in even more on the field.
“As the leader of this team, it kind of starts with me. So no matter how I attack every situation, I know my men will follow. I just need to get better in that area.’
Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins refused to “use distractions or anything like that as an excuse,” but said this heartbreak could be “critical” to the future of the franchise for Morant’s young core forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and security guard Desmond Bane.
“I think we have a great culture, and your culture will be tested,” Jenkins said. “I mean, there will be opportunities that will see how strong you are, how together you are, how resilient you are, how disciplined you are.
Morant admitted that his off-field problems were a distraction for the team and he needs to work on them
“And then you’re really building something day in and day out to eventually try and win a championship. It doesn’t happen overnight. Nothing will be a straight line.
“In my opinion, this is probably the moment that will be the ultimate wake-up call. Are we really going to understand that it’s prep and off-season, in-season prep?
“It’s what you do on the job, off the field — obviously there are things that we need to control and embrace together. How are we going to support each other in all these things?
“This is a journey you go through from the start of the season to the end of the season, and it’s not supposed to be easy. So are we going to take it lightly and take it for granted or are we going to look really hard in the mirror?’