After another off-the-court incident with a firearm, superstar guard Ja Morant will miss the first 25 games of the 2023-24 NBA season with the Memphis Grizzlies due to suspension.
Fortunately for Morant, he can practice and travel with the team during his suspension, which should help keep him in shape while also getting to know some of his new teammates, like veteran guards Marcus Smart and Derrick Rose.
With training camp for the Grizzlies getting underway this week, Damichaele Cole of Commercial Appeal got a glimpse of Morant at the team’s practice on Tuesday.
Practicing. pic.twitter.com/EWXkYPCF7F
— Damichael Cole (@DamichaelC) October 3, 2023
Although missing the first 25 games of the upcoming season will potentially be costly for the Grizzlies if they can’t put it together without the face of the franchise, those games will fly by, and the team will benefit from Morant being around his teammates day in and day out.
However, the real question for the Grizzlies moving forward is whether this young team can contend with some of the heavyweights in the Western Conference, with the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns reloading while the defending NBA champions Denver Nuggets will be the team to beat to start the 2023-24 campaign.
There’s no doubt that this young Grizzlies squad is talented, with Morant and Desmond Bane leading the way, but it will be a matter of depth for Memphis, as it gets pretty thin for this team when looking at the second unit.
The additions of Smart and Rose should help moving forward, especially while Morant is out, but health could be an issue.
NEXT: Derrick Rose Details What To Expect From Him In Memphis
