As the Memphis Grizzlies roar toward the Western Conference Playoff race, their best and brightest star, Ja Morant, is away from the team. The 23-year-old is going through a much more serious battle off the court and hasn’t-suited up since March 3, missing the Grizzlies’ past four games after a series of questionable incidents.
Now as the Grizzlies head into the final stretch with just 16 games left on their regular season schedule, it doesn’t appear Morant is close to returning to the court any time soon.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Morant is entering a counseling program in Florida. He remains without a timetable to rejoin his teammates with the Grizzlies.
While the Grizzlies would love for their two-time All-Star point guard to resume playing with the team, Morant is rightfully focusing on taking care of himself first.
Coach Taylor Jenkins has led the Grizzlies to a 2-2 record in Morant’s absence. The Grizzlies are back in action tonight against the Dallas Mavericks, with Tyus Jones stepping into the starting lineup as the point guard replacement, as he’s done several times before. Jones has started 51 games for the Grizzlies over the past four seasons, including three in the playoffs last year.
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