Herrington: Ja Morant hit the road and brought home a new mood
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant, right, handles the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) in the first half of an NBA basketball game March 5. (Brandon Dill/AP file)
Chris Herrington
Chris Herrington covers the Memphis Grizzlies and writes about Memphis culture, food, and civic life.
Getting the best version of Ja Morant is the product of alchemy, not chemistry.
Basketball players, like other human beings, are complex, and maybe Morant more than most. There’s no precise formula to get the best version of Morant on the floor with mood, health, on-court approach and on-court outcomes all interrelated.
At Minnesota in January, Morant hit maybe his biggest shot of the year, an improbable game-winner over multiple-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, and seemed more relieved than excited. He sat slumped in the visiting locker room afterward citing exhaustion and politely declining to talk much about the game.
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