"I compared him to Damian Lillard as a leader" - NBA analyst regrets comparing Ja Morant to Damian Lillard
Ja Morant has received a lot of criticism this season, beginning with facing some off-the-court controversy earlier this year.
Morant sought therapy during a suspension for flashing a gun in a nightclub and posting a video of his actions on social media. He also allegedly flashed a gun during a skirmish at a pickup basketball game played at the superstar’s home in the summer.
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon was yet another voice criticizing Morant. On his podcast, "Howdy Partners," the NBA reporter said Morant is not a leader.
"The biggest mistake I've made about Ja's career is when I compared him to Damian Lillard as a leader. Ja is not that. He's not a grown up yet. He's a front-runner right now. He's not accountable. He's got to look into the mirror and ask himself who am I?"
Morant and his Grizzlies are down 3-1 to the LA Lakers in their Western Conference first-round series. They lost 117-111 in overtime in a a dramatic Game 4 on Monday. Morant missed Game 2 of the series with an injury. He struggled in Games 1 and 4.
Morant shot a dismal 8 of 24 in Game 4. He ended up with 19 points and was 1 of 6 from 3-point range. He added seven assists and three steals.
Is Morant’s maturity level holding the Grizzlies back?
MacMahon is not the only one who has criticized the Grizzlies for their immaturity. Their own coach, Taylor Jenkins, made similar comments following the Game 4 loss.
“We’re far from where we need to be from a maturity standpoint,” Jenkins said. “This is all experience that you can only gain from.
"So, nothing’s gonna change overnight, but when we wear it, and we understand the struggles we’re going through individually, collectively, on, off the court and all that stuff, and we sit down and we honestly talk about it, and we face it, you’re hopefully gonna turn the corner for sure.”
.@Matt_Barnes22 says Ja Morant should reconsider the way he attacks the basket. https://t.co/9lGXeE1VWK
The Grizzlies also caused headlines when a report came out about a team rule. In the wake of Morant's Instagram live from a strip club following a road game, the coaching staff and management did not allow players to go out after games while on road trips and tried to limit overnight stays in other cities.