“They throw rocks then hide they hand.”

— A post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that was liked by Ja Morant.

Yes, we have been reduced to this.

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Not just interpreting the social media posts of the local basketball superstar. Interpreting how he reacts to other people’s posts.

This post was by someone named @spiffy_moh. When Ja Morant liked it, the questions began.

Who exactly does Morant think has been throwing rocks?

Who is hiding their hand?

Was Morant referring to the ESPN piece about him that was published Wednesday but has been in the works for a good long while?

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Was he even referring to the Grizzlies organization, especially the “team sources” quoted in the piece?

Could this be a sign of a growing schism between Morant and the Grizzlies?

Or did Morant just happen to like a post on social media and this entire interpretive exercise is nuts?

These are the sorts of questions devout Grizzlies fans must wrestle with — for at least 25 more games.

And they emerged out of nowhere. On a random Wednesday in October. When there is no actual Morant news.

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But that’s when ESPN published a story headlined: “‘The alligators got him’: The transformation and troubles of Ja Morant.”

The story doesn’t contain any major new revelations. It’s a smartly written, deeply reported chronicle of Morant’s journey from humble, small-school basketball star to the troubled megastar he has become. 

You can read it yourself. Decide what you think.

But as for me — and the majority of Memphians, I believe — I’m most interested in where the Morant story goes from here.

Will it be a tale of triumph and redemption? Or a tale of disappointment and wasted gifts?

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For better or worse, I already know about Morant’s transformation and troubles. I don’t know how it all ends.

Given that, the most important part of this latest ESPN story might not be anything that is actually in the story. It might be the impact it has on Morant.

Will he understand the story goes with the territory?

Will he — let’s just be wildly optimistic for a moment — consider it further motivation to prove that he’s not the bad guy some would suggest?

Or will he see the piece as more evidence that he is being unfairly attacked — and, this time, by the franchise itself?

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I can certainly understand why Grizzlies center Xavier Tillman called the story “annoying.” As far as we know — always an important caveat! — Morant has done nothing wrong of late.

But there was the ESPN story, anyway. Isn’t that piling on?

No, not really. It’s the way the world works. Morant got unending attention for his basketball exploits. Now he’s getting unending attention for his misdeeds.

The bigger concern might be Morant’s relationship with Memphis and the Grizzlies, which is nearly impossible to ascertain.

Morant included a Grizzlies logo in the massive tattoo he got over the summer. That’s a good sign, right? And, just Wednesday, head coach Taylor Jenkins said Morant is making “positive strides.”

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But the ESPN story has multiple references to “team sources” who have some harsh things to say about Morant.

One “team source” identified Morant’s father, Tee, as a problem.

“He never made the NBA,” the team source is quoted as saying, “but this was his chance to live like he’s an NBA superstar.”

Woah.

Think either of the Morants took kindly to that particular quote? Especially coming from a “team source?”

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I can almost guarantee that quote didn’t come from general manager Zach Kleiman or head coach Taylor Jenkins. But those two men may have to deal with the fallout — with reassuring Morant they didn’t sell him out.

Indeed, this almost certainly explains why Jenkins said he spoke to Morant Wednesday and told him “he has 100% support from us and his teammates.”

In other words: It wasn’t the Grizzlies throwing those rocks!

There’s no telling if Morant believes this. Or what he believes these days. Any reasonable person would understand Morant’s problems have nothing to do with the Grizzlies or the city of Memphis in particular. They are the natural result of the choices he has made. And the way back for Morant is to make different choices going forward. His gifts will take care of the rest.

So in the spirit of optimism, let me tell you about one more social media post, this one from Morant himself. It popped up late Wednesday afternoon.

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“Storm don’t bother us,” he wrote, “too many umbrellas.”

I’d like a season’s worth of those.