Ja Morant came off the bench for the Memphis Grizzlies in his much-anticipated return game against the Houston Rockets and was candid when asked about his thoughts as a non-starter.
“I suggested it because you know how well they have been playing while I was away. I didn’t want to come back and mess with any of that obvious chemistry,” Morant said, speaking to the media in the aftermath of the 130-125 win.
“I was watching the film closer to the time of my getting back, and it’s all about getting back into the flow, and getting comfortable. Once my number was called, I go in and played the same way. So nothing really changed. The advantage we have is that we have two starting point guards ad it doesn’t necessarily matter who starts and who doesn’t.”
[Morant’s thoughts on coming off the bench start off from 4:02 onwards]
The end result was a close win for the Grizzlies and Morant had a decent outing with 17 points, 4 boards, and 5 assists in the 24 minutes he was on the floor. The Grizzlies rode on Jaren Jackson Jr’s 37-point onslaught with Desmond Bane putting up 20 points.
It’s likely that Morant will come off the bench for a couple of games more before returning to the starting lineup. The team’s ability to string up wins in his nine-game absence was good news and now with him in the fold, the playoff-bound Grizzlies will look to make a deeper run in the postseason.
Memphis Grizzlies Head Coach Confirms That Ja Morant Will Start In The Future Games
Head coach Taylor Jenkins has been vocal about his support for the underfire point guard since the time he landed in soup due to his slew of controversies. And while he did confirm that he would come off the bench against the Rockets, he also added for good measure that he would eventually get Morant back in the starting five.
According to the NBA, he opined that Morant coming in as a reserve was a transition process that would make his integration into the team seamless. “We want to be really smart, not just over the first couple of games, but the first week to two,” he said. “We want to be smart with that layoff that we’re not doing anything to jeopardize his health as well. Eventually, Ja will be our starter.” he topped off.
The Grizzlies will need more of Morant on the floor as his ability on the offensive end, and his clutch play has been pivotal in Memphis’ playoff-guaranteed run. While he did look understandably rusty in his return, only time will tell if he can put the turbulent past behind him and get his edge back.
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