- Derrick Rose sent Ja Morant a serious message
- The veteran does not want to “babysit” Morant
- Rose and Morant are viewed as having similar playstyles
This summer, the Memphis Grizzlies signed point guard Derrick Rose to a two-year, $6.55 million contract to have a solid backup behind Ja Morant and a veteran leader in the locker room. The point guard seems likely to bring a no-nonsense element to the team, and that aspect of his leadership showed in his latest statement to the media.
When speaking about Ja Morant, Derrick Rose made some stern comments. The veteran stated that he’s “not here to babysit”, and wants to “push” the point guard to become even better than he is now.
“I’m not here to babysit, I’m not here to follow you around, I’m not here to cheerlead,” Rose said per Teresa M. Walker of AP. “I’m here to push you. In the league, there are very few opportunities where players get a chance to play with somebody that has a similar style of play. I’m very fortunate to be in a situation where a lot of people look at his game and they kind of compare our games together. But he’s on a whole other level.”
There is no doubt that having a presence like Rose will be useful for Morant. Rose is a former MVP who, as mentioned, has a “similar style of play” to Morant, and there is no doubt that Morant can learn a lot from him.
Ja Morant is already an All-NBA tier player right now, averaging 26.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game for the Grizzlies last season. Hopefully, Rose can push him to the next level, and we’ll see what sort of season Morant has next year.
Ja Morant Has Gotten Into Trouble Off The Court
Everyone knows that Ja Morant is elite when he is on the court, but many people have soured on him for his off-court antics. Morant has been part of multiple incidents where he brandished a firearm with videos making it onto social media. There is no doubt that this is unacceptable behavior from one of the faces of the league.
As of right now, the goal for Ja Morant should be to move past the controversies and show that he can still be an elite player. Morant has already hinted at a redemption arc next season after his recent scandals, and hopefully, he can show everyone that he is a change man next year.
The Memphis Grizzlies Will Have To Survive Without Ja Morant
It was previously revealed that Ja Morant’s suspension next season will last for 25 games. That is a little bit less than one third of the season, and definitely a substantial amount of time for a team to be without its superstar. It will be interesting to see how the team fares without the electric point guard.
The two key players who will likely be asked to step up in Morant’s absence are Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr., both of whom are key contributors for the Grizzlies already. Bane is likely to be the primary scorer, in Morant’s absence, while Jackson Jr. will continue to hold down the fort on the defensive end.
Hopefully, we see the Grizzlies have a good season next year even without Ja Morant for a portion of it. The team is certainly talented, and could be in the mix as one of the contenders in the West once Morant returns.
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