Ja Morant missed the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season as a result of being suspended. The Memphis Grizzlies went 6-19 without their superstar.
Since returning to the floor, Morant has led the Grizzlies to a 3-0 record and he has been nothing short of fantastic. In these three games, the two-time All-Star averaged 28.0 points, 9.0 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game. As a result, the league honored Morant on Tuesday by naming him the Western Conference Player of the Week.
This is the third time Morant has been named Player of the Week, as he earned this distinction in back-to-back weeks during the 2021-22 season.
In his first appearance of the season against the New Orleans Pelicans last Tuesday night, Morant recorded 34 points, which included a game-winning layup as time expired. More recently, Morant recorded a season-high 11 assists in Memphis' 125-119 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday. No player on the Grizzlies had recorded more than 10 assists in any game this season prior to Morant's performance.
The team has also averaged 62.0 points per game in the paint over their last three games. Morant is averaging 20.7 points per game in the paint, which would lead all players in the league, per team release.
The Grizzlies have seemed to find new life and new energy with Morant's return to the court. While there is still work to be done in order to prove that they can be in playoff contention, the Grizzlies are suddenly looking like one of the hottest teams in the league because of their young leader.
Ja Morant has sent a clear message to the rest of the league with his recent Player of the Week recognition, a message that should instill a sense of urgency and fear when rival teams see the Grizzlies on their schedule.