Ja Morant Injury History Could be Major Concern for Blazers

Portland Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant has only played in 79 games over the last three seasons while he was playing for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant reacts during warm ups prior to the game against the Milwaukee Bucks. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

9, 50, 20. That's the amount of games Portland Trail Blazers guard Ja Morant played in each of the last three seasons.

Morant was traded earlier this offseason from the Memphis Grizzlies to the Blazers for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, which was a very low package compared to what he would have been worth a few years prior. A change of scenery could be what Morant needs, but the injury history has a chance to follow him.

“We will probably see a more available Ja. He might play in games,” an NBA scout told SI's Blake Silverman.

“He's got a bad knee, doesn't really work on his physical fitness, I doubt that he's all of a sudden become an elite-level shooter, and he's small. So you have that, you've got a bad defender who's a small guard who can't shoot, who physically is unfit, paired next to a small guard who's a bad defender and who can shoot [in Lillard]. So probably going to be tough.”

Ja Morant's Fresh Start in Portland Isn't Guaranteed Success

Ja Morant stands on the court following the game against the Charlotte Hornets. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The claims made about Morant are valid concerns. He is a small guard that thrives on being able to drive into the lane. He hasn't been a great defender in the NBA as someone who stands only 6-2.

The Blazers acquired him mainly because his price was so low, not necessarily because he is exactly the kind of player Portland needed. The Blazers have four viable starting point guards in their rotation without a true shooting guard now that Shaedon Sharpe is out for most of the season, so the fit in Portland's backcourt will be questionable at best.

Perhaps new head coach Micah Nori can figure it all out and get his players to adopt a harmonious strategy that will put all these claims to bed. Unfortunately for him, it won't be an easy task.

The Blazers' season could ultimately come down to Morant and whether he is able to make the changes he needs to make in his career to evolve as an NBA player. Morant is a two-time All-Star for a reason, and Memphis was able to build a team that went to the playoffs four times because of him. Morant needs to make some changes to his game, but if Portland is able to push the right buttons and bring that out of him, all of these concerns can be eradicated.