In the wake of the Memphis Grizzlies stunningly firing head coach Taylor Jenkins, an anonymous NBA general manager gave his honest thoughts about Ja Morant.
While Morant has put up stellar numbers since entering the NBA in 2019, he hasn't had much postseason success.
The Grizzlies have won just one playoff series in the Morant era.
"Does he sell tickets? Yes," one rival GM told ESPN. "Is he a top-25 player when healthy? Yes. Can he win multiple series as the best player? No. Not sure most years you can win even one. Plus he is always hurt."
Morant is one of the most explosive players in the NBA. He's a talented scorer and playmaker, which is why the Grizzlies signed him to a five-year, $197 million extension in 2022.
However, the last two years have been tough for Morant. He was suspended for showing a gun on IG Live in 2023 and underwent season-ending shoulder surgery last season.
Morant only played in nine games last season due to his suspension and shoulder injury. The Grizzlies went 27-55.
According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, the Grizzlies fired Jenkins to optimize Morant. Assistant coach Noah LaRoche was the driving force behind the Grizzlies going away from ball screens, the scheme Morant liked. Memphis fired LaRoche when it parted ways with Jenkins.
Morant has appeared in 45 games this season. He's averaging 22.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 7.4 assists. The Grizzlies are in fifth place in the Western Conference standings.
It will be fascinating to see how far Morant takes Memphis in the 2025 playoffs now that Jenkins and LaRoche are gone.
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This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 3:44 PM.