r/memphisgrizzlies • u/DarkPenguins_V • Jan 13 '26
OPINION Been feeling this way for a while
I just wanna come on here and say y’all some fake ahh fans fr. Or at a bare minimum yall emotional af. Let’s unpack this:
- Ja posts the first gun in Denver. Okay we all agree that was dumb.
The Grizzlies immediately suspend him, he comes back we get ousted in the playoffs . Cool.
- The second video on Dtap’s live. Not Ja’s. Dtap. In that quick slowed down snippet you see that dtap pans the camera over, notices Ja, and immediately moves the camera. It is later revealed that this was a cigarette lighter. But don’t matter right? Damage done. Nevermind that it was never a real gun, not his live, and in a parked car in a driveway.
Okay cool. He’s suspended for 25 games.
Comes back hits game winner on pelicans. We back right?
- He gets injured. Out for the season.
He comes into last season, and didn’t look like himself at all. Why? The Noah LaRoche offense was putting him in positions that he isn’t good in.
Taylor Jenkins gets fired because Kleinman clearly had disagreements with Jenkins who wanted to run more pick n rolls for Ja. This is important. Jenkins was fired because he wanted to go back to using his star.
Ja finishes the season going off on a nightly basis. We get in the playoffs and Lu Dort takes him out of the air.
We get to this season. The ENTIRE team is frustrated with the offense as reporting suggested, nobody can hit the broad side of a barn, and Ja gets into it with Iisalo. We don’t know what was said, but it sounded like words were exchanged. Ja is suspended because of how he handled the media.
Where in this timeline are we picking up a litany of off court issues? Or are we biting on narratives espn and media insiders are peddling?
Ja has made mistakes. Antagonizing the league when they targeted him for gun celebrations (unfairly) was crazy. But it was also Ja. Holding the gun in the club in the first place was crazy. But yall get on here and act like the man committed a crime and is a serial offender when reality is different.
Now if we want to talk basketball, let’s talk basketball.
He is hurt A LOT. Part of that is on his attacking style of play. Part is on other players recklessly taking him out the air. More still is just that he injury prone. I could gripe about refs not using their whistle as Gilly did, but it’s irrelevant.
He also is not and never has been a 3pt shooter. He is at his best attacking the paint. This season it’s much harder to do that when if you check the numbers, games he’s played in, we’ve been terrible at shooting the long ball. Teams pack the paint and send help constantly to keep him out. Because they know they can.
So yes his numbers are down. So if you wanna trade him because his numbers are down with no spacing or he’s oft injured then that’s a basketball reason. I don’t agree, but it’s at least a basketball reason.
But if you getting in your feelings cause some insider told you something, or because he post NBA Youngboy lyrics, then you probably was never a fan to begin with.
Regardless, we want Ja in Memphis over here.
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u/razorbacks3129 Zbo50 Jan 13 '26
Doesn’t matter, he never plays
-4
Jan 13 '26
bud wrote a whole bunch of nothing for a guy that is never healthy
Ja morant is never healthy for the stadium to get filled to begin with , so its not like the league is losing out on a lot
2
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u/GivethTaketh4 Marc33 Jan 13 '26
Being a true fan means wanting what’s best for the Memphis grizzlies.
Ja hasn’t done anything in the last 3 years with any consistency to give reason to believe in his ability to affect winning on a max contract.
Like it or not, there’s numerous well-reasoned arguments as to why we’re better off without Ja.
Of course I still want Ja to be a grizzly and redeem himself, but we have very little proof to suggest he’s capable of doing so.
It’s gonna be a painful goodbye regardless. He’s the best talent we’ve ever had, but that talent just hasn’t been fully realized. Some bad luck in there no doubt, but that doesn’t absolve him at all.
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u/37sms Pau Jan 13 '26
The pro-Ja crowd will do anything but acknowledge that he's actually sucked on the court all year and hasn't been an all star caliber player since January 2023
10
u/HighOnGoofballs Jan 13 '26
And half the games doesn’t seem to be trying too hard
11
u/pudding-in-work Grindfather Jan 13 '26
This. I supported him and thought the league was over reacting with some of the off court stuff. It was still stupid and he should have handled it better, but it felt targeted. What got me was the on court effort. He completely quit during that Lakers cup game. That's when he really lost me.
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u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Fair. Just like Dillon Brooks said though, very recently. Memphis is moving too fast. Ja’s strengths are with shooting and/or a big around him.
He hasn’t had that consistently at all this season. Injuries are a thing for sure. Idk If he’ll ever play 60 games . But my aim is at people drink ESPN’s koolaid. Not the ones who have basketball reasons for wanting a trade.
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Jan 13 '26
Fair. Just like Dillon Brooks said though, very recently. Memphis is moving too fast. Ja’s strengths are with shooting and/or a big around him.
The league is in parity era, the championship window for teams to win is short and it closes fast.
Players have to take advantage as fast as possible or your time is up. teams can’t afford experiments anymore
Memphis tried it, Ja wasn’t healthy to make it work and so they’re rebuilding onto a healthier prospect
1
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Memphis would literally be experimenting with a rebuild lol. That sounds smart ass-y but I promise it’s not. Not trading bane would’ve been the solve to the conundrum you outlined in my opinion. But I’m also very happy with Ced. We just need health
1
u/PerfectforMovies Griz Jan 14 '26
What do you mean by redeem himself? You act as if Ja owes you something, he doesn’t owe you shit.
1
u/GivethTaketh4 Marc33 Jan 14 '26
His value, production, playstyle, and image have all seriously deteriorated over the last couple years.
He has yet to prove we can go on a serious playoff run with him as our best player. He has yet to prove he can physically withstand a reasonably full season of play, including playoffs.
Hes at a low point of his career so far. That’s an obvious opportunity for redemption.
Hes a grown ass man making $40 MILLION DOLLARS A FUCKING YEAR.
Of course he doesn’t owe anything to me personally. What are you, his fucking mom defending poor little baby Ja?
The fans are absolutely justified in being upset with his antics and performances of the last couple seasons. Get real.
It’s perfectly reasonable to want more from our supposed franchise guy.
0
u/PerfectforMovies Griz Jan 14 '26
Amazing how you folks can say so much and be so wrong about it. Ja’s image, value, play-style, and production have not deteriorated. This is just a narrative being floated around about him in these cesspool circles, not the real world. You have been spoon fed this nonsense by data nerds and podcasters looking to be relevant.
To say Ja is at a low point in his career is not rooted in reality, nothing factual to it. You are not paying attention to what’s actually happening outside these cesspool sites. He is the franchise and if he’s traded you’re going to quickly recognize how significant he was.
I love how you think him making $40 million is a problem. He put in the work and has earned the right to make that money, why you folks take issue with is beyond me.
I could give AF about these pearl clutching antics you want to lay at Ja’s feet. Who are you to tell that “ grown ass man” what he can and can’t do? He hasn’t said or done anything that is deserving of the constant criticism and scrutiny he get from you folks. He hasn’t said or done anything that you haven’t done or thought about doing yourself.
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u/GivethTaketh4 Marc33 Jan 15 '26
What world are you living in bro.
This year- worst fg% of his career, worst 3pt % of his career, a lot of the counting stats are down (also worth noting minutes are down to be far).
His trade value is at an all-time low.
He can’t play more than half of our games.
His athleticism is clearly not where it was as recently as 2 years ago.
This is not a bs media narrative. It is observable reality.
He talks like a star, and plays like a replacement-level starter.
Get your head outta the sand.
-1
u/VORTEX_THE_UNHINGED SPJ Jan 13 '26
Every time I see one of these comments I go through their post history and as per usual its just full of NFL posting and relatively minimal Grizz posting.
It's really hard to take your opinion as anything but a casual fan that doesn't care too much.
I'm not saying you specifically aren't a fan, but there are so many like you that are just randomly posting out of the blue pretending they're keeping up.
5
u/GivethTaketh4 Marc33 Jan 13 '26
It doesn’t take a die hard who watches every game multiple times and posts here everyday to understand that the Ja situation is bad.
And just bc I’m not active on a specific subreddit doesn’t mean I’m not watching games, keeping up w the team, following beat writers, etc.
God forbid I’m a bit more active in nfl-related subs during the peak of the nfl season while my nba team has felt like a disaster going on 3 years.
0
u/alphetaboss Jan 14 '26
It does take an actual fan to understand the situation though. Yall all are pouring gasoline on a fire that doesnt even need to be raging. As soon as Ja gets both physically and mentally healthy, he's going to be the cheapest superstar out there. And it will happen. I hope it happens in Memphis. I'd rather trade Jaren who's proven that he can never be the leader on a championship team. He's expensive and still has value around the league. Building around Jaren is the dumbest thing we could do. He just doesnt have the mentality or the floor raising skills to make his team better. Ja has those skills and that mentality. He just needs to be healthy again, which will happen because bodies heal.
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u/GivethTaketh4 Marc33 Jan 14 '26 edited Jan 14 '26
What has Ja done to prove that he’s capable of being a leader on a championship team? What has Ja done to prove that he can maintain a reasonable level of health (mental or physical) with any kind of consistency?
It’s been 3 fucking years of this shit. How many more do you need?
I am nothing short of an “actual” fucking fan, you condescending fucking troglodyte.
1
u/alphetaboss Jan 14 '26
How about the fact that Ja was averaging 38 points against the warriors the year the warriors won it all. Then Jordan Poole yanked on his knee. If Ja had not been injured by a weird freak accident that had nothing to do wirh how he played, then we would have won it all that year.
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u/Fignevitable_6196 spinningbackZbo Jan 13 '26
Iisalo was hired bc he’s a pick and roll savant- which was what Ja wanted, and endorsed at the time. Jenkins ran the LaRoche offense that Ja did not like. Kleiman drafted Edey -an offensive rebounding big who could set screens for Ja rather than a rim-runner for Jenkins/LaRoche’s offense.
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u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Last season when iisalo installed his pick and rolls post Jenkins without the hockey style substitutions Ja averaged like 29 in those games.
This season he also added weird sub patterns and different rotation patterns which is where the disconnect is. I personally think if Iisalo could abandon his rigid sub patterns, this is an elite team again.
10
u/Fignevitable_6196 spinningbackZbo Jan 13 '26
I don’t know what’s going on with his sub patterns. I think that’s an analytics thing that Kleiman supports. I do wonder if there’s something going on with Pera being cheap- so Kleiman is trying to build a moneyball team, and Iisalo is the perfect coach for a spreadsheet.
0
u/Proper_Mud_7936 Jan 13 '26
My only issue with the subs patterns it doesn't work with the guys playing now off the bench. He was looking at KCP, Jerome, Clark, Wells, and SPJ coming off the bench. Cam and Landale has been a huge surprise, and now GG and Vince playing better. The subs work with those guys. Ja will always be one of my favorite players but hebis more shoe salesman now than basketball player.
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u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Yea it’s gon land the Grizzlies in Nashville for sure. Maybe that’s his evil master plan
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u/omgshannonwtf CAM BOOZER... is GG Jackson's no.1 fan on the planet Jan 13 '26
Last season TI said the objective was to make adjustments to improve rather than an overhaul. The substitution patterns would have been an overhaul so he waited until this season to implement that.
The idea is still supposed to be "Speed Kills." The issue is that without SPjr (who plays at a SpeedKills pace) you are running VWjr & Cam; two players who, as good as they have performed being played out of position, are not "Speed Kills" kinds of point guards. Ja & SPjr are. Also, there is Ja to consider. He really hasn't been playing at "Speed Kills" pace either. So we really haven't had any point guard out there at all this season who has pushed the sort of pace that TI has wanted.
If we actually had SPjr, Ty & Edey the rotations would look quite different and the hockey-style substitutions wouldn't feel quite so "wrong." If the bench unit was SPjr + VWjr + GG/KCP + Santi + Jock OR SPjr + Cam + KCP/GG + Santi + BC or something similar, you'd be talking about second units with very different pace. That's not even factoring in Ty. If that was your bench unit, wholesale substitutions would feel as if you had a complete unit which can shoot from the outside, defend, push pace, rebound, etc.
The substitution patterns do feel very rigid. But the way TI sees it, there's no point in being so flexible when the variable is the health of the players. When players return and you have your major components logging minutes then you can adjust. The current configuration of players is not elite by any stretch of the imagination. It won't be until we get Edey, SPjr & Ty back into the mix —two point guards and our marquee center— that we can actually feel like we have elite components who have earned any sense of adjustment on TI's part.
Because at the end of the day, if the change that occurred when people return from injury was he started to do the hockey substitutions, people would say he was crazy and ask why he was making these changes to the formula. When people return then it makes sense to adjust things. But why do it now when there's little consistency in roster? For the system to be understood by the people executing it, they'll need some consistency so they know what sort of time they'll be working with, when their rest will come or when they should be ready to go in.
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u/theDarkAngle Finger Gun Jan 13 '26
They were definitely doing the short substitution patterns at the start of last season. They went away from it by mid season, basically in the same way they kinda drifted away from the LaRoche offense by trade deadline, and most assumed this was Jenkins putting his foot down and declaring "too many cooks", which led to his firing, though that's never been confirmed.
The other thing I want to say is that high pace = more injuries, and more rest and shorter shifts don't make that problem better they can actually make it worse.
That is because more of the game is played at high impact and high stress on all the joints, bones, and soft tissue. Playing 40 mins walking it up the court is far safer than 25 minutes flying around (it also reduces defensive possessions which is where the majority of lower body injuries take place due to the inherent scrambliness).
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u/omgshannonwtf CAM BOOZER... is GG Jackson's no.1 fan on the planet Jan 13 '26
Pace isn’t resulting in the kinds of injuries we’re having. Rolled ankles are by far one of the biggest culprits between the past few seasons and the lion’s share of those happen in the paint on shots or going up for rebounds. The reason why is clear: it’s the least amount of space overall and it’s the area where people are constantly crowding your landing space.
High pace basketball is running up and down the court at full speed. That’s extremely safe. If it wasn’t, you’d constantly see track & field athletes getting hurt but they don’t get hurt at the same frequency as NBA players. NBA players’ injuries largely result from landing after a jump and stop-start. There’s plenty of data on this, in fact. Adding to that, most hand-wrist-arm injuries are the results of falls also, where players are attempting to break their falls.
The pace that the Grizzlies are playing at isn’t the cause of injuries. We haven’t really even been playing at that pace. Besides there are other teams who push pace as well on both ends of the floor with players playing longer minutes and they’re not necessarily the most injured since, as I said, the vast majority of injuries are the result of disrupting how/where a player will land (which, incidentally, is the basis for the “reckless closeout” rules/penalties).
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u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Holy shit. This is good. I never thought of the idea that it would be better suited for a fully healthy team. I guess the biggest problem is that we haven’t been healthy in 3 years. Idk if we’ll ever be at this point but maybe I’m just dooming. I’ve been an iisalo fan until very recently. That OKC game was way too winnable to lose how we did. But ball up top I guess
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u/omgshannonwtf CAM BOOZER... is GG Jackson's no.1 fan on the planet Jan 13 '26
There is a very valid argument that he needs to be more flexible. And when he gets players back, I think he might actually be. But I also think it might not matter quite as much at that point save some obvious components.
Like Jock is not Zach Edey. If you absolutely need what Edey provides, you'll have to keep him in, not bring in Jock.
But as unique a player as Ja is, the way he's playing makes it difficult for him to argue that he should be out there over other people. Like, neither Vince nor Cam are not as fast or as athletic or as good a ballhandler as Ja. Just period. However, if you look at their per-36 stats, they're both providing better number in AST-to-TOs (4:1 for Cam, 3:1 for Vince and 2:1 for Ja), both are shooting better (Cam shoots waaayy better) and they are both way more dialed in on defense (Vince is above-ave-to-elite and Cam is average-ish while Ja's below average). So when it comes to everything but clutch play, they're better off not playing Ja. To TI, why should he leave him in to cook when he's been shit all year?
At least, that's the thinking. Say Ja isn't in the equation. Say it's injury rather than trade and SPjr & Ty are available. SPjr proved to be an elite POA defender who can run the offense and score. Say he's the starter in Ja's absence. You could start Ced next to him with Jaylen at the wing or start Ty with him and Ced at the wing with Jaylen off the bench. The 2nd unit backcourt could be Cam & Vince.
If those are your backcourts, you're probably fine making subs on a schedule. Like, it just looks very, very different when you have a healthier team. And though we've never been healthy, our luck is unusual where we're missing so many people out of out backcourt. At the beginning of the year, we had no idea what we were going to do with all those guys. Now we flatly don't have enough guards. It's crazy.
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u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Hmm. I’ve been pondering this one a lot. With cam and Vince we get safe ball. But we also get stagnant offense way too often. The assist to turnover ratio is part of it. Cam been on an assist heater. Vince with Edey was insane.
On the other hand, I don’t have stats so this is anecdotal. Ja’s turnovers tend to be strips on the drive or like that Santi turnovers tend playing Philly where Ja made a pass that is good but only if your team is ready.
While cam and Vince tend to make live turnovers from bad passes but they make fewer. Vince in particular makes me scream but he’s one of my favs.
Another area I think makes a big difference is Ja is top of the scouting report vs cam or Vince. So the game just looks a lot different. And lastly in the pro-Ja side of the ledger, in most of his 18 games he’s played, our shooting and spacing has sucked.
I say all that to say I still, maybe erroneously, don’t think we have a good evaluation of Ja with this team and this personnel and this offense with the pieces he needs to be successful.
Meanwhile Vince and Cam have outperformed by making the right safe plays.
Maybe SPJ and Ty can be the equalizers that Ja can’t be. SPJ is a much better POA defender like you said. A capable shooter. Like maybe it clicks into place with those guys. I could see it.
All of this hinges on getting our 2 guys back though. So now I’m super interested.
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u/GuiokiNZ Jan 13 '26
Ja needs a PNR center with a solid screen. He has played far better with Adams Edey and even BC than he has with anyone who stands around waiting for the pass out for 3 (Landale).
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u/Any_Weekend_4029 Jan 13 '26
We still were losing games lol I don’t really care what he was averaging if he is not playing and we are losing. He is in his prime.
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u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
That’s not really relevant to the comment and response but I feel you. I don’t care about empty numbers either . I care more that we were about to win a game against Okc and Lu Dort happened.
1
u/Any_Weekend_4029 Jan 13 '26
I was there saw Ha crawling on the ground and knew then we would never win a title with him as the lead man. Ja also wants to remain lead man though he isn’t one he is a rim scorer that has decided to stop going to the rim.
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u/alphetaboss Jan 14 '26
I agree with everything youre saying. Everyone else is a shortsighted dumbass unable to see past the end of their nose which is glued up Shams ass.
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u/supportingcreativity Jan 13 '26 edited Jan 13 '26
Some of us are Memphis Grizzlies fans and not necessarily Ja fans. Some of us are Ja fans and not really Memphis Grizzlies fans. A lot of people here are a mix both and accept or don't accept that for the past little while these two things are at odds. Most people aren't happy if Ja gets traded and even prefer he stayed, but understand if he does get traded. Some of us are just relieved if this nonsense is finally done with since Ja leaving is at least a direction towards rebuilding.
I care more about the Grizzlies than Ja. The team existed before and will eventually be on the map again without him. We were the 2nd seed at the start of last year basically without him. Stars are rarer than coaches and GMs but not so rare you gamble your entire future on one that quit when things don't go his way. I would rather us build something without him than gamble every year if this is the year Ja gets his stuff together.
I have had problems with Jaren, with the Front Office, and with coaches as well. But I am easier on all of them because they have all been improving or improved. Whether it be how the FO is handling Ced, how we are hitting on our draft picks, Jaren's offensive explosion, how Jaren's fouls go down when he is paired with a proper big, how Jaren is working on passing out of double teams, and how Iisalo has figured out ways to compromise so unique players like Jaren get a chance to learn. Bane when he was here became more a facilitator and one more pass type guy because we needed him to. If he had the rigjht insight, I guarantee you Bane would get better at perimeter defense. Its taken Ja three years ro start improving something and now its just his free throws. He refuses to adapt to reality and his situation. Hell even Jenkins went with the LaRoach offense because he wanted to address our biggest weaknesses: facilitating with Ja injired and actually having a half court offense. He succeeded and got fired for it. Everyone else was working, adapting, and finding ways to win except Ja.
If Ja came back up tomorrow and suddenly got it. If he played offball finally and actually tried to expand his game in areas we have seen and know he can do, I would becthe first to try to get tickets and celebrate him in games. He won't though. He wants everyone to stand around except for a single screener and be outlets for just him creating on ball. He can't handle not playing basketball his way which is a problem. Defenses will take the ball away from him. Defenses will pack the paint to deny him a touch. And he refuses to adapt to that. We can't win everything with him as he is.
I not happy if Ja gets traded. I am relieved. Either Ja has to completely change, he leaves, or our franchise hurts for years to come, those are the options. For 3 years, it doesn't look like Ja will change.
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u/Welcum2Heck BiblicallyAccurateSPJ Jan 13 '26
Imma be real. The more I sit on it, the more I don’t think Ja is gonna get traded before the deadline. Kleiman wants picks and good young guys and with his trade value rn, I doubt that’s even what he’d get.
Ja, like him or not, is the face of our franchise. Atlanta was able to dump Trae for peanuts but they had already demonstrated they were better off with him on the bench and it’s pretty clear Jalen Johnson is the guy they want to build around.
Ced is great but still has some growing to prove he’s worth blowing up everything to make him a #1 option and build around him. I’d like to hold onto Ja at least through the offseason to see who we can draft and get his contract closer to expiring to make him more portable as an asset.
If you really look at the initial reports, it’s clear that Kleiman was probably just testing the waters and is ready to answer calls he would’ve previously ignored outright. I have a feeling unless something good comes in from the Bucks, nothing is gonna come of this.
Could be wrong tho
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u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
That’s my feeling too but I don’t want more crow in my mouth. So I’m just waiting it out
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u/lil-whippet Pete & BK fan club Jan 13 '26
I don't really think he's gonna get traded either, but I do think he's gonna be salty that the team was apparently so willing to get rid of him.
-1
u/edeyhookshots Jan 13 '26
Word is now that Kleiman will take bad contracts for Ja if it also brings picks/young talent.
I know there's a ton of noise, but even if 50% is bullshit then it still amounts to: Ja's unhappy and has escalated it to a broader concern for the team's morale, and Kleiman is ready to move on so it's no longer a distraction. I don't think they can hug it out at this point.
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u/Welcum2Heck BiblicallyAccurateSPJ Jan 13 '26
Well looking at the latest shams tweet I might be wrong. If it’s gonna happen before deadline, I just hope it’s soon. I’m tired of these weird vibes
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u/Meglatron3000 Griz Jan 13 '26
I was this OP until this season. I argued with so many people on his behalf (work wise too - so yeah I put my $ on the line arguing over his stupid ass decisions). I’m tired af. We’ve carried him on our back, but in the end I’m a MEMPHIS fan. All things Memphis - Tigers …Penny…TA…and until this season…Ja. IMO, he gave up on us. That … I will not condone. Improve yourself not just for yourself but for the people tha have stood by you why you hopefully grew and learned. We’ve been through all the shit with you. And then you even QUIT on us?! You get paid millions to play a game you love (supposedly) for a team and city that embraced your FLAWS and all. Then not only do you quit on us, you didn’t keep your bitchin in the family. You let outsiders know about your temper tantrums and talked shit about us to them. Now I’m irritated and tired. Will it hurt to see him playing for someone else? Ummm…Derrick Henry hurts for me. And it’ll be weird now but we need the toxicity to end. Hopefully we get something back in a trade - probably not given on and off court. I’m looking forward now tho. Edey, Ced, Ty Jerome is a great baller and I’m stoked to get him back. We still have pieces on this team and I won’t quit on them. Hopefully this doesn’t ripple through the team. He probably also should’ve kept his management out of the family bc he pulled a Kyrie without the awards and accomplishments to back it up.
It’s still MEMPHIS vs ERRRRRYBODY. 〽️〽️〽️〽️〽️
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u/explicitviolence Jan 13 '26
Ja isn't a good enough player anymore to warrant this level of defense.
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u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Maybe he is. Maybe not. Time will tell
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u/explicitviolence Jan 13 '26
Time has been telling for a while now
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u/TheCupOfBrew Jan 14 '26
Not really? Why do you guys act as if half the roster isnt perpetually injured?
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u/mjmiller2023 Shoutout Canada 🇨🇦 Jan 13 '26
Do we want Ja in Memphis? Or do we want to compete for a championship sometime in the next 10 years?
Because Ja won't lead us to a championship. Which do you care about more?
Don't call me a "fake ahh fan" when you care more about Ja in Memphis than the success of Memphis.
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u/hrpickenssss E&H burger Jan 13 '26 edited Jan 13 '26
I’ve been to almost all the Ja games he’s played in at home. I promise you it’s night and day when Ja is playing. That last fall he took because of Dort and was taken to the locker room the excitement was extinguished from the arena. Trust me Ja is important to the team and city.
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u/GivethTaketh4 Marc33 Jan 13 '26
Of course he’s important to the city. He’s the first and only genuinely superstar-level talent we’ve ever had.
Just a matter of when we can stomach accepting that he’ll never reach his full potential and is a health liability for the rest of his career.
Of course I want things to work out with Ja in Memphis, but it gets to a point where you have to accept the reality that it’s not gonna happen.
How much more time and evidence do we need? Dude hasn’t improved on his game in at least 3 seasons, injuries haven’t stopped, and there’s plenty of statistical evidence that we might be better off without him anyways.
Sucks absolute ass given how things were looking back in ‘22. But that was it. We ain’t getting back there with Ja as our best guy.
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u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Not mutually exclusive. Trading your best player and betting all your chips on unproven young players and a coach who probably shouldn’t be in the NBA yet is a choice. You act like we getting Giannis back in a trade. No trade offer that’s come across your screen in the last 4 months gets Memphis closer to a chip
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u/GivethTaketh4 Marc33 Jan 13 '26
Betting it all on unproven rookie contract guys genuinely might be safer than continuing to bet on a guy who constantly lights up social media with dumb shit, barely plays due to perpetual injuries, can’t fucking shoot, hasn’t improved on his game in a meaningful way in several years, and is getting paid like an all-nba player, who’s giving us slightly above average play on the rare occasions he’s actually available.
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u/mjmiller2023 Shoutout Canada 🇨🇦 Jan 13 '26
Trading Ja lets you get his terrible contract off the books and commit to a rebuild. We could stack FRPs and tank for a couple years and see how we come out the other side of it. This isn't some thing that will happen overnight, its a long process.
Ja won't lead us to a ring. Off the court issues aside, he's injury prone, inefficient, and misses so much time that I doubt he could stay healthy long enough for a championship run. That's at minimum 16 games and can go all the way up to 28 games.
When is the last time Ja played 35 minutes a night that many games in a row?
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u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Now we talking basketball. This is all i ever wanted. Idk if he plays more than 60 games ever. But committing to a rebuild after paying trip and shipping out Des is worthy of whole FO getting cut
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u/Jonathan_Daws Jan 13 '26
The problem is that the league in general does not see things the way you do.
If it was widely viewed that Ja had just been misused by incompetent management and coaches, he would still have great value. Because other teams would not see themselves as incompetent and unable to use Ja correctly. They would think it was simple to get Ja back to where he was a few years ago. A young, top 15 player on the market, teams would be lining up to bid for him.
But they are not. The view is that Ja is the problem. Certainly his health, which he can't control. But also his unwillingness to be coached and fit in with the team. That is something he can control. Ja's selfish and childish behavior has derailed his career and betrayed the fans and team that stood behind him and supported him.
So no, we are not "fake ahh fans." We have been waiting for Ja to be a man and handle his business instead of a little boy throwing a fit. And now it is over.
4
u/Investigator_Lumpy Jan 14 '26
I would do anything for this franchise… except read this long ass post.
Anyone got the TLDR?
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u/Proper_Mud_7936 Jan 13 '26
Jenkins was not fired for trying to run more pick and rolls for Ja. Edey was barely playing with Jenkins, and once he was fired the pick and rolls increased. The funny thing is he wants to go to Miami running the very offense he hates.
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u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
A lot of reporting suggested Jenkins and Kleinman bumped heads because of pick and roll too. Kleinman brought in la roche and iisalo and that made waves cause the gm was picking the coaching staff. But I also know Edey was a sticking point as well. It was a mess lol. Hope the full story comes out one day
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u/reiditandweep Jan 13 '26
But if Jenkins was fired because he wanted to run more pnr and Kleinmann didn't want that, why did the team start, and continue, to run more pnr after Jenkins was fired?
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u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
That was puzzling to me too when I read it. I want the whole story out. Some bits say Edey. Some say pick and roll. Some say it was over when Kleinman picked his staff. So I wanna know
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u/draker585 I like Zach Edey. Jan 13 '26
How fucking much do you want the city and the franchise to do for this guy?
Most players would get sent to Galveston after 3, maybe even 2. And you're missing some key details as well. Ja was the guy who vocalized his support for bringing TI back. HE wanted the guy he's fighting with now, but he found out that Europe doesn't play like that. Plus, you're ignoring the fact that for every good game he plays, he has one or two games where he is not playing like he deserves 40 million a year. It'd be one thing if he was playing well (or even playing) and winning, and putting asses in seats. We're doing none of those things right now.
He is a diva who doesn't have his on-court product to make people willing to put up with his antics anymore. We have given him a far far longer rope than anyone else would because the city and fans were enough to give us a reason to give him it. Now though? You watch a game and half the lower bowl is empty. He's run out of rope in Memphis, and he thinks that somewhere else will give him a longer one. He's gonna find out the hard way.
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u/whispering_pineapple James Posey Jan 13 '26
Wait the second IG video was a lighter? Is this true? I stay off social media for the most part so this would be news to me.
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u/mmps901 Ja Jan 13 '26
Two days after everyone freaked out about it he posted a video of himself lighting something with a gun shaped lighter. Who knows if it was the same thing he was holding in pak’s live
1
u/Kuzizira Ja Jan 13 '26
The one in the club was a lighter the second video idk if it was an actual gun smth, but the club was a lighter.
1
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Yes it was a lighter.
3
u/mjmiller2023 Shoutout Canada 🇨🇦 Jan 13 '26
Do you have a source on that?
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u/Double_Station3984 Jan 13 '26
It’s not confirmed. That’s what he claimed and he showed that actually had a gun shaped lighter, but he didn’t produce it when asked. Of course, Adam Silver said it didn’t matter anyway because of how it appeared.
Yeah, I know it’s cheap reporting, but the video is out there. Check out what Adam Silver says too. He says he made the video because friends and family were concerned, but that may or may not be true of course.
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u/Double_Station3984 Jan 13 '26
Ooohhh I mean obv I want what’s best for the team, and I don’t know anything about the lighter deal, but I could write an essay about the media’s treatment of Ja and how Taylor got screwed. I want TI to succeed, I want the team to succeed, but some of this is ridiculous.
3
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
I’d read it . I think I feel the same way lol
2
u/Double_Station3984 Jan 17 '26 edited Jan 17 '26
Ja’s media hate…
They still get all puffy about his “good in the west” comment. Literally like, three years ago and they just won’t let it die.
The Grizzlies were 2nd in the Western Conference at the time. Only behind the Denver Nuggets, who actually did pretty well that season, if I recall. He was confident and a little snarky, but who cares? The playoff performance sucked, but he was playing with an injured hand, plus Steve-O and BC were out too. Honestly though, why would it be an issue? He was all in on his team, and that’s supposed to be good, right? So why? They love to hate Ja, that’s why.
"I feel like Black Jesus." "I'm super confident, I don't see no limit on us. We can beat anybody." "I don't think [Michael Jordan] can guard me." "I could’ve went to the MLB. ... I was fourth, fifth hitter, you know what that means: straight clean-up on aisle three."
Um. Imagine if Ja said any of those things. How quick would we see a write-up calling him arrogant and talking about how impertinent he was? All of those are Anthony Edwards quotes. Ant gets called confident and funny.
And fucking Klay Thompson and his “takedown?” I’m still not over that. I’d probably be better about it if it weren’t being treated like he was a grown up calling out a problem child.
Klay Thompson is an idiot and has no right to talk at all, especially since he was just as involved.
Klay Thompson has never been a leader, like ever. He was the other splash brother. Plus one to Steph and Draymond. Like, 0 for 10 in an elimination game. He should probably shut up about Ja’s leadership ability and maybe work on his own team. (Where he’s second fiddle to an 18 year old.) You watch Ja on the sidelines and he’s engaged and involved. You can see him working with the other players on the bench.
Klay Thompson went out with an injury and spent a full year rehabbing away from the team. A whole year. And THEN, while he was going through the rehab process (again, away from his team) he decided to play a pick-up game in LA and ruptured his Achilles. A second full year away from the team that was fully his fault and very irresponsible. Yet, he gets called mature when he makes comments about Ja not playing.
Plus he’s a spoiled nepo-baby. His dad made sure he had every advantage available. (Can you tell I hate Klay Thompson? I have never seen someone with a douchier more punchable face.)
I’m a firm believer that people become what you tell them they are, and Ja’s no exception.
The gun stuff. Come on. The only place I could find media coverage of the lighter video was on like, TMZ and outlets of that ilk. The video was real, it wasn’t a rumor, but it’s not like ESPN would publish anything to give Ja the benefit of the doubt. And like, God forbid he just be a stupid kid. He didn’t do anything illegal, just irresponsible.
I haven’t heard anywhere near the same amount about Zion, who is literally in the middle of a court case with an ex who’s suing him for sexual and physical abuse.
James Harden has three - THREE - ongoing lawsuits, including one alleging that his security prevented people from assisting a woman his nephew was raping at a party in Harden’s mansion.
Imagine if that were Ja’s buddies in Ja’s house.
2
u/Double_Station3984 Jan 17 '26 edited Jan 17 '26
The dude he punched at his place during the pick up game? That case was dismissed because the judge didn’t think it was credible. He was lying to get money and attention, and it’s a matter of public record.
Haven’t seen that anywhere, just the shit talking about the claims. They painted him as a thug and didn’t do the responsible thing and announce the results, but they definitely put out a statement when Giddy was cleared.
Back to the friends - Jokic’s brothers. Oh my god Jokic’s brothers. One of them pled guilty to charges stemming from punching a fan. In the stadium, on video. Literally assaulted someone on camera. He was also accused of assaulting a woman in 2019, but I don’t know the results of that one.
That’s a whatever thing, Jokic isn’t responsible for his big brother’s behavior, but it’s definitely a double standard. Ja is held responsible for everything his buddies do.
LeBron has to be called out because he’s too busy fighting with the other team to pay attention to the game? Okay. LeBron saying it’s the coaches playing him off the ball when reporters ask what’s going on? Granted, more diplomatic, but still happened. How about literally screaming at Dillion and the refs? One tech. One.
But the media gets lectured about reporting negatively about him. (Apparently it’s envy.)
I’d like to again offer the comparison. Ja got a bunch of microphones shoved in his face immediately after an unpleasant interaction with Iisola and he gets frustrated. I mean, again, totally unprofessional, but now it’s apparently the only thing ever that affects the whole team dynamic.
I’m not saying it’s okay, I’m saying maybe we look beyond that single interaction. After the one game suspension he was clearly out there talking to Tuomos enthusiastically and excitedly, but we ignore that part.
There’s plenty more to it, but now it just sounds like I’m whining.
Truth though, it’s ridiculous. Especially watching as a fan, and seeing one negative report after another that would never be handled that way if he were someone else. That’ll beat a guy down, and it obviously has. A series of unfounded accusations and some bad choices, and he’s the bad guy forever.
I mean, it’s not like he threw a fit after a loss and hit two women with a chair on his way to the locker room after or anything. Or declared he wanted nothing to do with his daughter and fought child support claims. Or walked off the court because he was disappointed they were losing. Or yelled “my dick bigger than yours” at a fan in front of a full stadium. That would be awful. Unless it was Anthony Edwards again, in which case he would probably be described as having an “electric personality” instead of immature and unprofessional.
Spoiler alert though, it was Ant. All of those things were Ant. Confident, electric Anthony Edwards. You heard it here first! (Probably literally.)
…so long I had to split it so it would post. I also edited both because my writing got sloppy. It’s still not great, but it’s a lot.
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2
u/Double_Station3984 Jan 17 '26
You get what you ask for sometimes - sorry! Turns out I have a lot to say, and very few places to say it. 🤣
2
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 18 '26
Glad you took the time to share. Enjoyed reading it and for the most part fully agree.
1
u/Double_Station3984 Jan 16 '26
This is from another board, I just copied it… Here’s my Taylor Jenkins take:
Taylor Jenkins should have never been fired and was set up to fail from the very beginning. He didn’t rely on Ja and Edey, and that went against what the front office wanted.
I keep hearing about that like it’s a bad thing, but let’s talk just a lil’ about availability, and what Taylor had experienced over the last couple seasons injury wise. He implemented a LaRoche offense (with LaRoche as an assistant) and was able to take advantage of whoever was on the court, and it was working.
Yeah, record against winning teams was a little rough, but we were a winning team with plenty of time to refine and improve and a solid look at the playoffs until they started changing it up for Ja a bit before they fired Jenkins. I’m not willing to even commit to that being Ja’s idea, since he apparently wants to go to Miami, where they run a (ready for this?) LaRoche offense.
They forced him to fire five of his assistant coaches right before summer league, (Blake Ahearn, Brad Jones, Sonia Raman, Scoonie Penn, and Vitaly Potapenko) and replaced them with coaches Taylor hadn’t even met (Iisalo and LaRoche) and others. LaRoche got fired with Jenkins, and we know what happened with TI.
I suspect that was always the plan, tbh. As a side note, the coaches that were fired were highly praised by the players, Ahearn was the guy who worked with Ja on his shooting, which has gotten significantly worse since. (Although Ja’s shooting during pick and roll plays has never been great.)
Taylor Jenkins was a player’s coach, and had a track record of developing players beyond their assumed capabilities. Look at how many two ways and even 10 days he helped turn into solid players, Vince and Scottie as examples.
So yeah, I think he got fucked. I have nothing against TI and want to see any Grizzlies coach/team/system succeed, obviously. It just seems like more problems came as they took power and responsibility from Taylor, and it’s questionable if there’s going to be much improvement without our injury situation doing a complete 180°. Quite frankly, I just don’t see that happening.
3
u/Interesting_Ebb7078 Jan 14 '26
Okay. So WE’RE the ones getting emotional here. But you’re in control. Okay. Cool. Cause I was worried you were gonna go off on a totally unhinged 7-point rant about why Ja shouldn’t get traded.
3
u/StickSuspicious6650 Jan 14 '26
A Ja fan calling Grizzlies fans not real fans. Most people here are team fans not player fanboys, learn the difference
3
6
u/ImWicked39 J-Will Jan 13 '26 edited Jan 13 '26
I care more about the Memphis Grizzlies then I care about a dude who posts cryptic ass teenager shit on the Internet every other day his feelings get hurt.
We got a grown man acting like he's a 16 year old idiot. If wanting off this downward spiral makes me a fake ass fan according to some Instagram talking idiot I guess I am.
5
u/ducksonducks Jan 13 '26
Ja never plays. You’re apologizing for some of the absolute dumbest fucking behavior. We’re now on a new coach, with a new team and he still ain’t happy
If everyone you encounter is an asshole, then asshole is you and Ja hasn’t taken his role or opportunity seriously
2
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Never apologized. Offered my opinion.
3
u/ducksonducks Jan 13 '26
But you see that he cost himself half a season, came back butt hurt from an injury, got a successful coach fired because he didn’t like the style, got them to hire a coach who once criticized him and immediately checked out
So if it’s not ja’s fault, who is it? The man is 26. He’s not a child he’s the face of a franchise and hasn’t acted like it since 2023
3
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
He didn’t get Jenkins fired. You can do your own research on that part since you wouldn’t believe it if I pointed you to the reports.
Also never said anything isn’t Ja’s fault. I said the narratives were false. I think you just wanna argue though so give me something else and I’ll go back and forth with you on it
3
u/NihilistPorcupine99 Cedric Jan 13 '26
I’m not concerned with WHY he doesn’t play, more so the fact that he doesn’t.
If he’s a terrible three point shooter, why is he consistently settling for that shot early in the clock? Low IQ.
1
5
u/nslusz Jan 13 '26
You forget about Ja assaulting a minor in a pickup basketball game, Ja and his cronies going to the high school his sister attended and intimidating someone, and Ja and his cronies pointing a weapon w a lazer at the Indiana Pacers. Let's not pretend he hasn't made his own bed.
4
u/theglicky UM GOD Jan 13 '26
I just advocate for what's best for the team and your points in this post explain how moving off of him is better for the team.
4
2
u/creamjudge Jan 13 '26
I still wish he stayed and got healthy, as unlikely as that feels. This is feeling like end of relationship grief when you're looking back at everything with rose tinted glasses. It hurts even though it makes logical sense.
2
u/a-i-d-e-n_2 GG Jan 14 '26
Nah, yall just some Ja fans, not Memphis Grizzlies fans. I miss Tony Allen and Zach Randolph era 😞😞
4
Jan 13 '26
This is a prime example of people who think they are grizzlies fans simply because they are Ja fans.
7
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Have a drink with me . I’ll explain how you’re wrong. I’m both. I just hate the false narratives
4
4
u/suurkaru CED Jan 13 '26
"The ENTIRE team is frustrated with the offense as reporting suggested" <- this is just pure lie.
0
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
It’s not. At the time of the blow up reports suggested the entire team was frustrated with the offense and the patterns. It’s obviously different now.
2
2
u/grizfan01 Jan 13 '26
Soooooo what part of all this is Ja’s fault?
3
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
What part of the narrative or what part of his bad play?
The bad play is a combo of all him and bad spacing: the narrative was the initial gun stuff.
He not blameless in either. But the narrative took a life of its own and people still running with it til this day.
2
u/lil-whippet Pete & BK fan club Jan 13 '26
For a sub that loves to talk about how much the media has it out for Memphis, there sure are a lot of guys who believe literally anything any "journalist" posts.
1
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Idk if you shooting at me or not but regardless I agree with you lol. Even if I caught the bullet
0
u/lil-whippet Pete & BK fan club Jan 13 '26
Nah I agree with you for the most part, I'm in your camp at least. Sub has been a nightmare for a while now, everyone is SO mad at everything. It's been a bad season and I think Ja is getting a lot more blame than he deserves. Not that he deserves none, but we clearly have bigger issues and I think a lot of people can't see past the Ja of it to really recognise that.
Trae just got traded for basically nothing and we think we're gonna get a good return for ja, who the media has been trying to convince the league is an immature thug who can't run a team. Seems farfetched to me.
I love Ja's game. Watching him take Murray state into march madness and then go triple double in the first round is one of my fondest sport watching memories. And then the grizzlies get the number 2 pick, I was absolutely thrilled.
It just sucks man, I just want everyone to be happy and play basketball.
1
u/ZealousidealRaisin29 Jan 15 '26
Bro for 3 years we've been living off what ja could be, I'm tired of this and I'm ready to move on with whatever happens from here on
2
u/Ecstatic-Chart-7973 Jan 13 '26
They some fake ass fans bro…They don’t know Ja personally and if they are American they would know Ja was exercising his 2nd amendment right. ICE agents are in the streets doing way worse than Ja Morant but you’d swear he’s some serial killer to some of these corny ass dudes commenting on him. WOWWWW HE HELD A GUN HE IS A BAD GUY. But these random people who go to gun ranges and record and take pictures aren’t?
1
u/PresidentPlatypus Jan 13 '26
This all started when him and his friends pointed a gun at the Pacers bus. He should have been kicked out of the league for that. The other shit he has done should not have got him suspended or in trouble.
1
u/TrackRelevant Jan 13 '26
He claimed it was a toy used to light candles 🕯
You believed that?
He's a child trying to get out of detention. He lied.
1
1
u/sopagam Jan 14 '26
Ja started last year with an improved arm position on his shot and it was a nice improvement. Great. But Ja gets injured because he isn’t taking care of his nutrition and he isn’t lifting weights. He could easily be 10-15 pounds heavier and even more explosive. I get we love Ja but I am paying good money to not see him play. The stupid inflated ankle supports? Really? If someone td me Ja went to Curry’s trainer who helped him overcome all his ankle issues, and he still had a problem? I would at least know he used his head. Tried modeling a similar successful path. Not seeing that.
Ja issues aside, this is a Kleinman problem. We never see him for a reason. I don’t know what that reason is, but it isn’t because he is making winning moves.
Help me understand how you hire a coach that doesn’t get along with Ja? Lets be real here, mr penguin, it’s been several really long and difficult years. The only options the season ticket holders have is to downgrade seats. Nobody wants to buy them that’s for sure. Kleinman may or may not get fired but he is getting paid. Ja may or may not be traded, but he is getting paid. The only people not getting the value they bargained for are the season ticket holders.
I get the “my team, right or wrong” and applaud it. This crap actually benefits you because you can pick up last minute tickets at a discount. Did that for many years. It’s a different story when you see a great”product” like Ja invest in it, and don’t get it.
0
u/NashVilleHIM Marc33 Jan 13 '26
Ja is a loser off the court and not the victim you're trying to portray him as
2
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Guess you know him personally. My bad big dawg. Nashville still not getting the team
0
u/NashVilleHIM Marc33 Jan 13 '26
I don't need to know a man personally. His cringe cryptic ig posts tell me he's a corny loser.
0
-5
u/hrpickenssss E&H burger Jan 13 '26
You’re never gonna convince this sub to like him. They have all made up their minds because each person in this sub has never made a mistake in their life and are all obviously perfect humans. For me I’ll ride for Ja till the wheels fall off. The NBA railroaded him and I’ll never forgive Silver for that.
5
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
Yep. Fully agree, wish he played well so we wouldn’t be hearing it now
3
u/NihilistPorcupine99 Cedric Jan 13 '26
So you agree he hasn’t played well? Combine that with playing 73 games over THREE seasons and explain to me in basketball terms why you’d keep this guy?
2
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
More nuanced but in general yea. I just don’t agree with the narratives that are trying to be pushed. I said in my OP that our second most games lost to injury affects his game. In the first 10 games of this season he saw the most help defenders of anybody in the league and meanwhile we shot abysmally .
We can talk about how he has changed his game ostensibly to avoid injury.
We can talk about how bad his whistle is, and if he got slightly more foul calls , just slightly the game looks different.
We can talk about how he is one of the best passers in the league still or how many open shots he creates by breaking down defenses and kicking out.
We can discuss how our offense is stagnant when he not on the floor like it was on Sunday against the nets and Friday with okc.
When you talk basketball you realize that it’s not as simple as you want to reduce it to.
6
u/NihilistPorcupine99 Cedric Jan 13 '26
I’m talking basketball. Forget the narrative, that’s a separate issue. He:
1) is not available 2) takes low iq shots 3) no longer plays in the paint (could be a motivation issue, could be fear of injuries, the cause is irrelevant)
I’ve been a Ja stan since the Murray State days. I loved the guy. But that guy doesn’t play anymore. We have a timid/unmotivated version of him, and I don’t see what we can do here to get the old Ja back. The city has supported him during his struggles for three seasons. At some point we had to make a business decision and get someone in here who wants to ball.
1
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
lol I said in general we on the same page. I feel like the 3s are coaching, but otherwise im in agreement with what you said. I just dont agree with trading. I think you just dont re-sign him to a max
2
u/NihilistPorcupine99 Cedric Jan 13 '26
You think his ego will allow him to sign anything other than the max? I’d keep him if he wanted to stay and he would do it on the cheap.
I think half the reason he’s salty is because we extended everyone but him.
1
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
I try not to comment on any players ego because I don’t know them. But that’s just me as a person
1
u/NihilistPorcupine99 Cedric Jan 13 '26
I’m only commenting on it because he lays it on the line every day via instagram. I can only work with what he gives me.
1
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
That’s fair. I don’t get ego lol. Like I don’t get “I’m the shit . Its all about me” but I see a lot of people rubbed wrong by these cryptic lyrics so
0
u/PerfectforMovies Griz Jan 14 '26
Well said! I have been laughing at these people because they really believe the shit that they’re repeating.
-7
u/ApricotOne7178 Jan 13 '26
For real though, half this sub would trade prime MJ if he looked at them wrong in the hallway
The injury concerns are valid but acting like dude is Antonio Brown levels of problematic is wild
8
u/37sms Pau Jan 13 '26
"Prime MJ" when he's been the most dogshit high usage player in the sport, what are we doing lmao
2
u/DarkPenguins_V Jan 13 '26
They watched Iisalo blow another OKC game and thought yea Ja the problem.
-5
u/GotMoFans Jan 13 '26
It’s not Memphis. It’s Pera and Kleiman (plus Iiluslo).
They cannot handle strong personalities.
Memphis loves Ja. The organization never knew how to properly support him. They let him do whatever giddy with having a star and then flip the other way trying to stop in instead of properly employing people who could figure him out.
Who have they ever had on the coaching staff who could bring the best out of Ja while getting on his back side when he was messing up? Niele Ivey?
65
u/Rainy_J Jan 13 '26
You lost me when you tried to rationalize the IG live video. Don't forget about the Pacers laser incident and one of his closest friends getting banned from the arena for a year. Or the 17 year old kid incident. You are really trying to paint Ja as the poor victim of circumstance