Taylor Jenkins has provided an update on Ja Morant’s potential return in the wake of the nightclub saga which has now seen him miss the last five games.
When asked if Morant would return on Friday, the Memphis Grizzlies’ coach was non-committal: “There are a lot of internal dialogues going on and obviously there’s still things going on at the league level that we’re in communication with. Ja’s fully engaged in this process and ready for whatever comes next after these two games” (via Tim McMahon).
Morant, of course, is currently serving a team-sanctioned suspension after posting a video of himself with a gun at a nightclub. The video was streamed live to Morant's Instagram, with the Grizzlies initially saying that he would miss at least two games following the incident.
Memphis currently finds themselves locked in a two-team battle with the Sacramento Kings for the second seed in the West, but with Ja Morant the driving force behind their rapid rise up the standings in the past couple of years, an extended absence could see them fall back to the pack over the last few games of the season.
With Morant out, the Grizzlies have thus far been able to hold their own, splitting their four games 2-2 since he was suspended. Clearly, however, their offense takes a major hit in his absence. With just a couple of games separating fifth from 12th in the West, Memphis will be desperate to avoid becoming a part of that logjam, and if Morant doesn’t return soon, the chances of them remaining in the top three in the West becomes a whole lot slimmer.
With Taylor Jenkins referencing league-level discussions in his latest response to the saga, however, exactly when their star point guard returns may be out of their hands.
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