Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies' star point guard, has missed all but nine games this season. After serving a 25-game suspension to begin the season
Morant played only nine games before being sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a shoulder ailment.
While the Grizzlies have struggled in Morant's absence and have found some possible essential rotation pieces to surround
him with when he returns, Memphis has ultimately had a lost year in terms of postseason competition.
This development is undoubtedly attributable to Morant's injury, but the Grizzlies have also been without multiple other key players for extended periods of time.
All of this has contributed to a difficult year for the Grizzlies, but there is undoubtedly hope in Memphis that next year will be much better.
Leading this optimism is Morant himself, who said on X (previously known as Twitter) that the wait will be well worth it once he returns:
This is a wonderful message for the Grizzlies fanbase, as they have missed seeing their star point guard on a nightly basis.