Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies has dropped from practically superstar status in his first few years in the NBA to the middle of the pack in the previous two seasons due to a combination of injuries and contentious off-court activities.
ESPN pundit Stephen A. Smith gave Morant a terrible warning due to his downgrade over the previous years, accusing him of failing to improve his game, which has caused his progress to stall.
“You Ja, and you don’t look like you spent a second in the gym,” Stephen A. said on the Out the Mud podcast, which was presented by Grizzlies stars Zach Randolph and Tony Allen. “Tell me one thing about Ja Morant’s game that he has worked on? ” I’m not saying he can’t play because he is naturally gifted. But he looks just like the same cat as when he initially joined the league. “
Stephen A. mentioned several elements of Morant’s game, including his shooting, which many had regarded as one of his weakest points since joining the NBA in 2019. If Morant does not address this, according to Stephen A. , he may be forced out of the league.
“I’m looking at Ja like, yo bro, you ain’t gonna work on your game? ” You shot 23% from three-point range. “You are a PG,” he said. “Everything isn’t about dunking. You must improve your mid-range. Work on your 3-point shot. Otherwise, you’ll be removed from the league. That’s simply true. “
Morant made 23. 5% of his 3-point attempts during the 2025-2026 NBA season, attempting more than four times each game. Morant participated in 20 games, averaging 19. 5 points, 3. 3 rebounds, and 8. 1 assists per game.
Morant sustained a recurring elbow issue throughout the season, affecting the Grizzlies’ performance, which resulted in only 25 victories.
Stephen A. Smith revisits prior remarks regarding Ja Morant.
In the same podcast, Stephen A. Smith revisited his earlier remarks about Morant and Memphis.
The ESPN analyst looked back at his verbal battles with Morant, during which Stephen A. admitted that he no longer feels the same in Memphis following the Grizzlies star’s firearms controversy. Morant then called out Stephen A. for creating bad stories about the city.
“You have the desire to come at me for my remarks regarding Memphis,” he said. “I wouldn’t have to worry about it if you were the player you were meant to be. “There were no takers when they offered him on the trade block. “
There were rumors that the Grizzlies were shopping Morant this season, but a transaction did not materialize.
Over the past two seasons, the Grizzlies have traded Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. , both of whom played important roles in the Grizzlies’ title push three years ago.
Grizzlies might alter their fortunes in the NBA draft.
The Memphis Grizzlies have an opportunity to improve their current situation in the forthcoming NBA draft.
The Grizzlies have a 9% chance of getting the first selection when the draft lottery is conducted on Saturday. The Grizzlies may profit the most from a stacked draft, allowing them to re-establish an optimistic future.
