If the Memphis Grizzlies are to overcome the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, they will have to do it without their best player in Ja Morant. According to multiple reports, Morant is dealing with a bone bruise and is doubtful to return for the remainder of the postseason.

Memphis believes that Morant got hurt in Game 3 of the Warriors series when Jordan Poole grabbed his knee while going for a steal. The All-Star guard later underwent an MRI test that revealed a bone bruise, although the Grizzlies didn’t announce the info right away.

Morant missed the past two games of the series including the Grizzlies’ 134-95 blowout win on Wednesday night. But despite the fact that Memphis found ways to stay competitive, it is hard to imagine them overcoming Golden State let alone making a championship run without Morant on the floor.

The former second overall pick averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game as the Grizzlies finished the regular season as the No. 2 seed in Western Conference. These performances got Moranthis first All-Star nod while he also took home the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.

Morant has been slow to get going in the playoffs, having several off games in the first-round series against the Timberwolves. However, he has been on fire in three games against Golden State, averaging 38.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists.

The post Grizzlies’ Ja Morant Doubtful for the Remainder of the Playoffs Due to Bone Bruise appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Memphis Grizzlies All-Star guard Ja Morant was named the recipient of the NBA’s Most Improved Player award for the 2021-22 season. Morant swept the competition, including San Antonio Spurs’ Dejounte Murray and Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers, getting 38 first-place votes and 221 points.

Morant being in consideration for the MIP was somewhat controversial considering that he was already considered a rising star in the league last season. Historically, the award was given to players who mostly came out of nowhere to become stars. However, Morant’s jump in 2021-22 was so drastic that the league felt he qualified.

This season, Morant improved his career highs in almost every category and did that by a lot. After averaging 19.1 points in 2020-2021, he had 27.4 per game in 2021-22. The 22-year-old player also went from 4.0 rebounds to 5.7 boards while improving his shooting percentage from 44.9 percent to 49.3 percent.

“Shoutout to all the guys who were up for this award, our aim is to always improve,” Morant wrote on Twitter. “So to be acknowledged for this award lets all of us know we are trending in the right direction.”

This was the second award for Morant since he arrived at the league. The Memphis Grizzlies’ second overall pick in 2019 also won the Rookie of the Year award in his first season in the NBA. This makes him the only player in league history to win both the MIP and ROY awards.

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The Memphis Grizzlies won’t rush their star point guard Ja Morant to get back on the court. According to the team’s head coach Taylor Jenkins, Morant will be sidelined for at least two more weeks due to soreness in his right knee.

Morant missed a week’s worth of action so far after hurting his knee in a 120-105 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on March 19. By shutting him down for two more weeks, the Grizzlies are looking to ensure that the 22-year-old All-Star makes a full recovery and is ready for the playoffs. 

“We expect him to make a full recovery before the playoffs, and we’re excited about that with two and a half weeks left in the season,” Jenkins told reporters on Thursday. “We’ll offload him early, then he’ll start reloading pretty soon here with that two weeks in mind to reevaluate.”

Ja Morant has been playing on an impressive level so far in the 2021-22 season. He has averaged career numbers across the board, including 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. This helped him get his first All-Star appearance while propelling the Grizzlies to a championship contender tier.

The Memphis Grizzlies are currently second in the Western Conference with a 50-23 record. This is only the fifth time Memphis managed to hit the 50-win mark in franchise history and the first time since 2014–15.

The post Grizzlies Star Ja Morant to Miss at Least 2 More Weeks With Knee Soreness appeared first on SportzBonanza.

There were no surprises in this year’s NBA Rookie of Year race. Memphis Grizzlies’ point guard Ja Morant won the award in a dominating fashion, collecting all-but-one first-place votes.

Morant, who averaged 17.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 7.3 assists in 2019/20 while almost leading the Grizzlies to playoffs appearance, collected 498 points out of 500 maximum. He was followed by Miami Heat’s Kendrick Nunn (204 points) and New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson (140). Williamson, who was the No.1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, got the only remaining first-place vote.

“I’m definitely honored. I put a lot of work in, day in and day out,” said Morant, who is the second player in franchise history to receive the NBA ROY award after Pau Gasol. “This journey has been rough but, you know, in the end, it’s all paying off. I still have a lot more work to do, but for guys, kids who are not heavily recruited right now, this gives them hope.”

Grizzlies drafted Ja Morant out of Murray State with the second overall pick, and the 21-year-old point guard immediately took over as the face of the franchise. Fueled by Morant’s electrifying play, Memphis held the No.8 in the West for the better part of the season and massively exceeding the expectations as a rebuilding franchise.

However, the Grizzlies didn’t manage to keep themselves in the postseason, as they were passed by Portland Trail Blazers on the standings and then eliminated in the play-in tournament for a playoff spot during the NBA restart in Orlando.

The post Grizzlies’ Ja Morant Named NBA Rookie of Year appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Murray State’s Ja Morant, projected to be the second overall pick in upcoming NBA Draft, underwent knee surgery on Monday.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Morant had a minor arthroscopic procedure in order to remove a loose body in his right knee. Reportedly, the 19-year-old guard is expected to make a full recovery in four weeks.

Following the procedure, Morant went on his social media and shared with his followers that the surgery was a successful one.

Ja Morant is coming off a breakthrough sophomore season with Murray State in which he averaged 24.5 points per game and helped the Racers to the second round of NCAA Division I Tournament. Morant also added the division-leading 10.0 assists alongside 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.

Thanks to his stellar performances at college, Morant captured the attention of NBA scouts and is considered as the best player in this year’s draft class after Duke’s Zion Williamson. He will most likely be drafted by Memphis Grizzlies, who hold the No.2 pick.

Grizzlies are reportedly ready to get into a full rebuild mode and will make Morant the face of the franchise. We will find out whether this will turn out to be true on June 20th, when the 2019 NBA Draft is set to take place. 

The post Ja Morant, Projected No.2 Pick in 2019 NBA Draft, Undergoes Knee Surgery appeared first on SportzBonanza.

If the Memphis Grizzlies are to overcome the Golden State Warriors in the second round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs, they will have to do it without their best player in Ja Morant. According to multiple reports, Morant is dealing with a bone bruise and is doubtful to return for the remainder of the postseason.

Memphis believes that Morant got hurt in Game 3 of the Warriors series when Jordan Poole grabbed his knee while going for a steal. The All-Star guard later underwent an MRI test that revealed a bone bruise, although the Grizzlies didn’t announce the info right away.

Morant missed the past two games of the series including the Grizzlies’ 134-95 blowout win on Wednesday night. But despite the fact that Memphis found ways to stay competitive, it is hard to imagine them overcoming Golden State let alone making a championship run without Morant on the floor.

The former second overall pick averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game as the Grizzlies finished the regular season as the No. 2 seed in Western Conference. These performances got Moranthis first All-Star nod while he also took home the NBA’s Most Improved Player award.

Morant has been slow to get going in the playoffs, having several off games in the first-round series against the Timberwolves. However, he has been on fire in three games against Golden State, averaging 38.3 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists.

The post Grizzlies’ Ja Morant Doubtful for the Remainder of the Playoffs Due to Bone Bruise appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Memphis Grizzlies All-Star guard Ja Morant was named the recipient of the NBA’s Most Improved Player award for the 2021-22 season. Morant swept the competition, including San Antonio Spurs’ Dejounte Murray and Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers, getting 38 first-place votes and 221 points.

Morant being in consideration for the MIP was somewhat controversial considering that he was already considered a rising star in the league last season. Historically, the award was given to players who mostly came out of nowhere to become stars. However, Morant’s jump in 2021-22 was so drastic that the league felt he qualified.

This season, Morant improved his career highs in almost every category and did that by a lot. After averaging 19.1 points in 2020-2021, he had 27.4 per game in 2021-22. The 22-year-old player also went from 4.0 rebounds to 5.7 boards while improving his shooting percentage from 44.9 percent to 49.3 percent.

“Shoutout to all the guys who were up for this award, our aim is to always improve,” Morant wrote on Twitter. “So to be acknowledged for this award lets all of us know we are trending in the right direction.”

This was the second award for Morant since he arrived at the league. The Memphis Grizzlies’ second overall pick in 2019 also won the Rookie of the Year award in his first season in the NBA. This makes him the only player in league history to win both the MIP and ROY awards.

The post Grizzlies’ Ja Morant Wins the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award for 2021-22 appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Memphis Grizzlies won’t rush their star point guard Ja Morant to get back on the court. According to the team’s head coach Taylor Jenkins, Morant will be sidelined for at least two more weeks due to soreness in his right knee.

Morant missed a week’s worth of action so far after hurting his knee in a 120-105 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on March 19. By shutting him down for two more weeks, the Grizzlies are looking to ensure that the 22-year-old All-Star makes a full recovery and is ready for the playoffs. 

“We expect him to make a full recovery before the playoffs, and we’re excited about that with two and a half weeks left in the season,” Jenkins told reporters on Thursday. “We’ll offload him early, then he’ll start reloading pretty soon here with that two weeks in mind to reevaluate.”

Ja Morant has been playing on an impressive level so far in the 2021-22 season. He has averaged career numbers across the board, including 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game. This helped him get his first All-Star appearance while propelling the Grizzlies to a championship contender tier.

The Memphis Grizzlies are currently second in the Western Conference with a 50-23 record. This is only the fifth time Memphis managed to hit the 50-win mark in franchise history and the first time since 2014–15.

The post Grizzlies Star Ja Morant to Miss at Least 2 More Weeks With Knee Soreness appeared first on SportzBonanza.

There were no surprises in this year’s NBA Rookie of Year race. Memphis Grizzlies’ point guard Ja Morant won the award in a dominating fashion, collecting all-but-one first-place votes.

Morant, who averaged 17.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 7.3 assists in 2019/20 while almost leading the Grizzlies to playoffs appearance, collected 498 points out of 500 maximum. He was followed by Miami Heat’s Kendrick Nunn (204 points) and New Orleans Pelicans’ Zion Williamson (140). Williamson, who was the No.1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, got the only remaining first-place vote.

“I’m definitely honored. I put a lot of work in, day in and day out,” said Morant, who is the second player in franchise history to receive the NBA ROY award after Pau Gasol. “This journey has been rough but, you know, in the end, it’s all paying off. I still have a lot more work to do, but for guys, kids who are not heavily recruited right now, this gives them hope.”

Grizzlies drafted Ja Morant out of Murray State with the second overall pick, and the 21-year-old point guard immediately took over as the face of the franchise. Fueled by Morant’s electrifying play, Memphis held the No.8 in the West for the better part of the season and massively exceeding the expectations as a rebuilding franchise.

However, the Grizzlies didn’t manage to keep themselves in the postseason, as they were passed by Portland Trail Blazers on the standings and then eliminated in the play-in tournament for a playoff spot during the NBA restart in Orlando.

The post Grizzlies’ Ja Morant Named NBA Rookie of Year appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Murray State’s Ja Morant, projected to be the second overall pick in upcoming NBA Draft, underwent knee surgery on Monday.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Morant had a minor arthroscopic procedure in order to remove a loose body in his right knee. Reportedly, the 19-year-old guard is expected to make a full recovery in four weeks.

Following the procedure, Morant went on his social media and shared with his followers that the surgery was a successful one.

Ja Morant is coming off a breakthrough sophomore season with Murray State in which he averaged 24.5 points per game and helped the Racers to the second round of NCAA Division I Tournament. Morant also added the division-leading 10.0 assists alongside 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.

Thanks to his stellar performances at college, Morant captured the attention of NBA scouts and is considered as the best player in this year’s draft class after Duke’s Zion Williamson. He will most likely be drafted by Memphis Grizzlies, who hold the No.2 pick.

Grizzlies are reportedly ready to get into a full rebuild mode and will make Morant the face of the franchise. We will find out whether this will turn out to be true on June 20th, when the 2019 NBA Draft is set to take place. 

The post Ja Morant, Projected No.2 Pick in 2019 NBA Draft, Undergoes Knee Surgery appeared first on SportzBonanza.