Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is not the player he was in 2022, when he was named the NBA's Most Improved Player two years after being named its Rookie of the Year.
His numbers are down across the board on a per-game basis—points, rebounds, assists and minutes. The Grizzlies operate as more of a team than they did in the earlier part of the decade, and their approach has paid dividends: At 38–24, Memphis has returned to the Western Conference's penthouse.
That does not mean, however, that Morant has become merely a cog in the Grizzlies' machine even as repeated injuries have hobbled him. After a painful outing in a 120–103 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder Wednesday, Morant insinuated he needed to be better about policing his minutes.
"(I felt) terrible," Morant said via Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal (Memphis). "I should have been out. But I was out there. Regardless of out, in—there's going to be something said."
Morant actually scored 24 points to lead Memphis, though he had to take 22 shots to get them. It was cold comfort for the Murray State product, who missed the Grizzlies' last two games with shoulder soreness.
"I've played like this all season, honestly," Morant said. "It is what it is. Got to get the win."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ja Morant, Nursing Shoulder Soreness, Calls His Wednesday Return to Action 'Terrible'.
