Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins has thrown his support behind Ja Morant in the wake of accusations about violent behavior towards a teen from the franchise star.

Morant was accused of separate encounters with a 17-year-old, which included him allegedly punching the boy in the head and revealing a gun to him shortly thereafter. Morant has since been interviewed by the police, during which he told them that he had acted in self-defense.

The revelations have unsurprisingly been a hot topic in the NBA world in recent days, but the Grizzlies’ coach has refused to be drawn into the discussion. Taylor Jenkins didn’t comment on the incident itself, but he did say that he would ensure his star point guard “knows he’s cared for going forward”, according to the Houston Chronicle’s Jonathan Feigen.

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With the talented young Grizzlies team sitting in second place in the west and primed to make a deep run into the playoffs, this isn’t exactly a distraction that they’d be welcoming, particularly entering such a significant part of the season. Ja Morant has, of course, been the catalyst for their rise up the standings in the last couple of years, with a 39-point triple double against the Lakers among his most recent exploits.

The Grizzlies need Morant firing if they’re going to do any damage in the playoffs. Clearly, Jenkins is eager to ensure this episode doesn’t impact his on-court performance, and with a tough road trip upcoming which will see them play the Nuggets, Clippers and Lakers, they’ll need Morant to be at his best over the next week if they’re to continue their winning ways.