Ja Morant returns from his suspension on Wednesday night against the Rockets, but it comes with a big caveat about his role for the Grizzlies.
It’s been since a fateful March 3 loss in Denver to the Nuggets since the Memphis Grizzlies have had star guard Ja Morant on the floor. After an Instagram Live video showed him brandishing a weapon in a Denver nightclub, he was then suspended for conduct detrimental to the league by the NBA.
On Wednesday, he’s slated to make his long-awaited return. Despite being eligible to return on Monday night, the Grizzlies held Morant out for an additional game. But now he’s back in the fold.
It will be in a different capacity, though.
According to head coach Taylor Jenkins, Ja Morant will come off of the bench against the Rockets on Wednesday and indicated that could be the norm for some time as the guard makes his way back onto the floor.
Ja Morant will come off Grizzlies bench in return from suspension
Prior to his suspension, Morant was performing at an All-NBA level this season, averaging 27.1 points, 8.2 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game for the Grizzlies.
With his return looming, Morant addressed his suspension and the counseling that he received after the incident in Denver, per NBA.com.
“I’m completely sorry for that,” Morant said. “So, you know, my job now is, like I said, to be more responsible, more smarter, and don’t cause any of that no more.”
“I went there to counseling to learn how to manage stress,” Morant later said. “Cope with stress in a positive way, instead of ways I’ve tried to deal with it before that caused me to make mistakes.”
His return to the court will be welcomed by Memphis. Though the team went 6-3 in his absence, they are aiming to hold onto the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference playoff race.