Whenever ESPN releases its annual preseason player rankings, there always tends to be controversy among fans regarding the placement of certain players. Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant was the subject of one such controversy. After a controversy-filled year which resulted in his eventual 25-game suspension to begin the 2023-24 season, ESPN deemed it fit to rank the Grizzlies star 35th on the list.

Grizzlies fans, as expected, took exception this low placement, with Twitter (X) user @BlakLivesMatter pointing out the fact that ESPN may have taken too much of Morant's off-court troubles into account when writing their rankings. And it did not go unnoticed for Morant, who had a two-word reaction to his ESPN player ranking placement.

“no Uturns ✍🏾,” the Grizzlies floor general wrote on his official Twitter (X) account.

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This simply means that ESPN cannot take back what Ja Morant perceives to be an unfairly low ranking of himself, and that they must eat their words when the Grizzlies star proves them wrong once he makes his return to the court.

However, given Morant's 25-game suspension, his placement at 35 may end up being optimistic, especially when the list only takes into account players' impact for the 2023-24 season. Make no mistake about it, Morant remains a dynamic presence for the Grizzlies, a dazzling floor general who puts pressure on the rim like few other guards can in today's NBA. But he only has a maximum of 57 games to suit up in during the 2023-24 campaign, which will definitely put a damper on how much he can lead his team to great heights.

And it's not like there are plenty of players egregiously ranked above the Grizzlies star; only Paolo Banchero or maybe even Pascal Siakam, Jalen Brunson, and Brandon Ingram can raise eyebrows (then again, not really) look like they have an argument to be ranked below Ja Morant. But those players should be better next season, especially in terms of availability, so it's not like Morant can, without argument, say that he deserves a higher placement than those players.

At the end of the day, this perceived slight can only serve as an additional chip to Morant's shoulder as he looks to put his troubled past behind him.