Ja Morant lately sat down with Malika Andrews of ESPN to debate the Memphis Grizzlies’ place within the Western Convention hierarchy.
Memphis (19-11) is second within the West behind the Nuggets, who’ve an identical report. Morant is averaging 27.0 factors, 6.4 rebounds, and seven.8 assists per recreation on 45.4 p.c capturing from the sector and 34.6 p.c past the arc. Morant has executed loads of heavy lifting, with Desmond Bane nonetheless lacking in motion due to a sprained huge toe he suffered in November.
That stated, Morant is assured in Memphis’ place inside the NBA hierarchy. The 2022 All-Star instructed Andrews that he believes the Boston Celtics (22-9) are the crew to beat and the principle crew the Grizzlies must run via with the intention to win a championship. When the NBA Right this moment host requested concerning the Western Convention, Morant stated, “I’m high-quality within the West.”
The sturdy phrases come a season after the Grizzlies completed second within the West and misplaced a six-game second-round sequence to the eventual champion Warriors. The Southwest Division winners gave the Warriors a run for his or her cash, however a Morant knee damage and the championship DNA of the Warriors have been an excessive amount of for the Grizzlies.
By way of all of it, the ’22 playoff run was marked by loads of jaw-jacking, hard-nosed protection, and memorable shotmaking from a Grizzlies crew trying to burst via the championship scene. Memphis will look to exorcise these demons this season and make it to the Convention Finals and presumably past, with the Warriors going through some bother with their win-and-develop-now strategy to the season.
