Grizzlies' Taylor Jenkins Gives Update On When Ja Morant May Return
Following his eight-game suspension from the NBA for handling a gun while intoxicated at a strip club in Denver, Memphis Grizzlies All-Star Ja Morant has returned to the team and he was on the bench for Monday night's game against the Dallas Mavericks.
While he was eligible to play in this game, the Grizzlies elected to hold Morant out to allow his body time to readjust to the pace of play late in the season.
Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins spoke to reporters ahead of their game against the Mavs and was optimistic about his star's potential return in their next game.
"The reception was great," Jenkins said in regards to Morant's return to the team this week. "Everyone welcomed him with open arms, excited to have him back. He addressed the team, addressed his teammates and the staff... He's going to be a part of practice tomorrow and obviously we are hopeful for Wednesday as long as everything medically clears out."
Upon entering FedEx Forum on Monday, Ja Morant was greeted with tons of cheers from the Grizzlies' faithful and he took plenty of time to sign autographs for fans in attendance.
Defeating the Mavericks 112-108 on Monday night, the Grizzlies pulled ahead of the Sacramento Kings for the 2-seed in the Western Conference with both teams having 11 games left on their schedules.
As far as Morant's return, it does seem like he will play on Wednesday night when the Grizzlies host the Houston Rockets. This will be one of two straight games against the Rockets, as Memphis will play them again at home on Friday.
"I think it’s gonna be a seamless reintegration,” Jenkins continued on Morant's return. “We know how important he is to us. We know how important he is, he knows how important his teammates are to him."
Getting Ja Morant back on the floor both physically and mentally healthy following his absence is definitely much-needed for the Grizzlies, even though they were able to sustain success with him gone.
This organization has high hopes entering the postseason and Morant figures to be a huge part of whatever success they may find.
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