“About to come back on some dog s**t” - Former MVP has Ja Morant and Zion Williamson bounce-back seasons on his bingo card
Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Pelicans stars Ja Morant and Zion Williamson are each aiming to bounce back from injuries in the 2024-25 NBA season. NBA legend Kevin Garnett is bullish on both players' chances of doing so and reaching their full potential.
Morant was limited to only nine games last season due to a 25-game suspension for repeatedly brandishing firearms and a subsequent season-ending right shoulder injury. In his absence, Memphis endured a lost season, finishing 13th in the Western Conference (27-55) after placing second the previous two years.
As for Williamson, despite experiencing a scoring decline from 26.0 points per game to 22.9 ppg, he played a career-high 70 contests. Meanwhile, he led New Orleans to the West's eighth seed (49-33).
However, the two-time All-Star missed the Pelicans' entire first-round playoff matchup against the OKC Thunder due to a left hamstring strain. Thus, he still hasn't made his postseason debut.
On Wednesday, Garnett took to X/Twitter to respond to a viral question about whether Morant and Williamson can still realize their full potential. The one-time MVP emphatically concurred, shouting out both players' South Carolina roots.
"My answer [is] YES!" Garnett said. "Ja is about to come back on some dog s**t to get his spot back, and Z was on demon time before he got hurt [at the] end of the year. Them SC boys on one!"
While Williamson has never suited up in the playoffs, Morant has made three postseason appearances. However, he has only won one playoff series, a six-game first-round victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2022.
So, both players will look to make their first deep postseason runs in 2025.
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Zion Williamson on his motivation entering 2024-25 NBA season
In an interview with The Athletic late last month, Zion Williamson touched on his motivation to prove his doubters wrong this season.
Since being drafted No. 1 in the 2019 NBA draft, Williamson has struggled to stay healthy, with many questioning his dedication to maintaining his physical fitness. However, according to the star forward, he has learned from his mistakes and is ready to take the next step in his career.
"I want to be one of them ones. I’ve been talking about it, and I’ve been making mistakes," Williamson said. "That stuff can’t happen. It’s time to take every game personal."
Despite not having made an All-NBA team yet, many view Williamson as a superstar-caliber talent. His explosive scoring ability for his size (6-foot-6, 284 pounds), makes him one of the league's most unique stars.
However, it remains to be seen if his body can hold up for an entire regular season and deep playoff run.
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