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Howdy, folks. Welcome back to Layup Lines. It’s Sykes, once again, here to talk some hoops. Let’s chat about Ja Morant.
If you haven’t seen the news, Morant’s suspension from the NBA finally came down this morning. It was originally forecasted that it’d likely be more than 18 games and it certainly was. Morant ended up getting a 25-game suspension plus conditional requirements for his return to the league.
The league investigated his second appearance with a gun on social media in two calendar months. In a statement, the NBA noted that Morant promised not to do this again after the first instance. He did it again and, now, his punishment is worse. About 15 games worse.
To be completely honest with you all, I’m a bit torn about it. I don’t quite know where I stand on the suspension as a whole.
On one hand, Morant’s behavior over the last year has been more than concerning. It doesn’t start with these gun incidents, either. It goes back to the reported altercation he had with a 17-year-old at an event in Memphis. It goes back to a laser allegedly being trained on Pacers players by someone in his entourage.
So, yeah, I get it. This isn’t just about one incident — it’s all of it. These are signs that, yes, there are some things going on with Ja Morant that need to be corrected. The suspension gives Morant ample opportunity to figure those things out.
But on the other hand, doesn’t this feel like a bit much? Out of all the incidents I just rattled off to you, this is probably the most tame out of each of them. The NBA broke it down to us in the league’s statement. This was Ja Morant in a car with friends in Memphis — a city in Tennessee where you can openly carry a gun without a license. That’s not illegal. No team policy was violated. The suspension is just for a moment of mindlessness.
The impact of the suspension doesn’t just take away 25 games from Morant. There are financial implications that come with this. After missing 25 games, Morant won’t be eligible for the league’s postseason awards due to the league’s new rule that players have to play at least 65 games to qualify.
That also means he won’t be eligible for a supermax extension. From a labor perspective, that’s extremely problematic and something the National Basketball Player’s Association is going to push back on. It’s important not to conflate Morant’s actions with the impending union fight he now has to be a part of. The player’s association may not be thrilled by Morant’s behavior, but it has to ensure the NBA can’t kneecap a player’s long-term earning potential. That’s the job of a union, plain and simple.
In the end, regardless of the outcome of the impending battle between the NBA and the NBPA, He says he’s going to use that time to work on his own mental health and decision-making. That’s good. That’s exactly what needs to be done here.
Because, putting aside the basketball and the money and everything else, there just seems to be something going on with Morant that the rest of us don’t quite get. And he might not completely get it, either.
Figuring that out is the most important thing of all. Because to fix any of this, Ja Morant needs to be OK. So let’s just hope he truly gets what he needs this time.
The Tip-Off
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
The NBA draft is next week, so now is as good a time as ever for you to freshen up on the prospects being picked and where everyone might go. Luckily for you, we’ve got Bryan Kalbrosky on the job. And you’re probably not going to find a mock draft as thorough anywhere else.
Here’s a breakdown of where we currently are as well as how he puts his mock together. It’s brilliant.
“There were 242 players who applied as early-entry candidates for the 2023 NBA Draft, and hundreds more were automatically eligible. After several notable prospects tested the waters, however, more than 100 players decided to withdraw from this year’s pre-draft process.
This mock draft is based on intel, research, scouting, deep data dives, and continued conversations with experts around the league. The results of this mock draft are based on the current order of the draft, though we can expect trades that will shake up the picks on the night of the event.”
See who we’ve got your favorite team picking here.
Shootaround
— Speaking of Kalbrosky, you’ll definitely want to read his latest draft profile of Noah Clowney.
— Michael Jordan sold the Hornets! Here are the 10 most notable moments from his tenure as owner.
— The Pelicans probably won’t trade Zion Williamson, but if they do, our Charles Curtis has some destination for him.
— The Nuggets’ parade was so good, but there wasn’t a better moment than Nikola Jokic changing his mind about the parade.
Enjoy the weekend, folks.
