Ja Morant could face 17-game suspension, NBA analyst predicts
Prior to the start of the NBA Finals, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver touched on the subject of Ja Morant's possible punishment. This came weeks after Morant was seen flaunting a handgun in an Instagram live broadcast, which caused the Memphis Grizzlies to suspend their star point guard.
Morant is treading on dangerous waters as he made a similar mistake of showing his firearm while broadcasting on Instagram. The video went viral quickly on May 14. And even though the broadcast ended, there were fans who were able to record the incident and has served as evidence against the All-Star.
After this, ESPN's Senior NBA Insider, Adrian Wojnarowski, detailed on the potential length of Morant's suspension for the 2023-24 season.
"An interesting number to look at is 17. Because now the NBA, at its disposal, has a new rule that a player has to place 65 games in the regular season to be eligible for postseason awards." Woj said.
"And so for Ja Morant, 17 games off the top immediately would make him -- or 18 games -- would make him ineligible for postseason awards. That's certainly something really at the league's disposal."
"But I think what you heard from Adam Silver last night is what a lot of people, I think all around the league and Memphis, everywhere, believe that no one's going to be able to say this time, 'Hey Adam, you went too lightly on Ja Morant.' Wherever that number lands, I think it's going to be certainly a significant part of the Grizzlies' season."
It's still unclear on how Silver will punish Morant. But given that it's the second time he's committed the same mistake, the repercussions could be heavy this time around. He made a similar mistake of showing a gun during a live broadcast back in March.
Ja Morant released a statement following the Grizzlies' announcement that he will be away from the team for at least the next two games.
The NBA is currently investigating an Instagram Live video in which he displayed a gun while at a nightclub early Saturday morning. https://t.co/jlzVe5YhGa
You might also be interested in reading this: “Whether or not he’s gonna be alive in 5 years” – Stephen A. Smith believes Ja Morant’s actions could put his life in jeopardy
Stephen A. Smith doesn't think Ja Morant should be suspended for half a season
While the NBA does further investigation to see how long Ja Morant should be suspended, analysts have gathered to give their take on the situation. Stephen A. Smith recently talked about the situation and believes that Morant's suspension shouldn't even be half the season.
"It shouldn't be a year. Hell, it shouldn't even be half the season. If he ends up getting about a 25-game suspension, I think that's fair." Smith said.
Ja Morant should NOT be suspended for an entire season…and not even half a season
From The Stephen A. Smith Show https://t.co/pVfD6W6woQ
Even with Smith's proposed 25-game suspension, Morant won't be eligible for NBA awards. It wouldn't take long until the NBA comes to a decision and tackle the rightful punishment for the Grizzlies star.
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