"He should've been suspended for the rest of the regular season" - Jay Williams criticizes NBA on Ja Morant's situation
Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant returned to the court on Wednesday night after his league-imposed suspension. After missing nine games (eight under supension), he came off the bench against the Houston Rockets, finishing with 17 points and five assists in a 130-125 victory.
The NBA suspended Morant after a live stream showed the Grizzlies superstar waving around a firearm while at a Denver strip club earlier this month. Due to the ramifications of the incident as well as a collection of other off-court actions drawing negative publicity, Morant underwent counseling at a Florida facility for "stress relief."
Many have been concerned about the well-being away from the court for Morant, one of the league's rising superstars. ESPN's Jay Williams believes the league should have suspended Morant for the rest of the season.
"I do believe the NBA missed the mark on his suspension," said Williams, a star at Duke whose promising NBA career was ended after one season because of injuries suffered after crashing his motorcycle in June 2003 while speeding, not wearing a helmet and not being licensed to ride a motorcycle.
"I thought he should've been suspended for the rest of the regular season without pay, and his return should have been subject to successful counseling from the NBA."
"I do believe the NBA missed the mark on his suspension. I thought he should've been suspended for the rest of the regular season without pay, and his return should have been subject to successful counseling from the NBA."
Jay Williams on Ja Morant
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Ja Morant and Memphis Grizzlies look to finish season on high note
The hope for the Memphis Grizzlies is that the off-court distractions can be put to rest. While Morant's saga has been an unfortunate development, his return to the court was a welcome one by NBA fans.
Memphis will now look to put this behind and have its superstar back for the remainder of the regular season.
Memphis (45-27) has won seven of its last 10 games and is in the midst of a four-game winning streak. Memphis remains firmly in second place in the Western Conference, trailing the Denver Nuggets (49-24) by 3.5 games for the No. 1 seed.
STILL THAT DUDE @JaMorant https://t.co/Mw3Cw6o7yT
The Grizzlies have 10 games remaining on their regular season schedule as the playoffs are looming. Memphis will take on the Houston Rockets (18-55) again on Friday night before hitting the road for a game against the Atlanta Hawks (36-37).
After that, they will return home the start of a three-game homestand. It will feature a matchup against the Orlando Magic (30-43) on Tuesday before a pair of games against the LA Clippers (38-35).