Ja Morant made his return from an eight-game suspension on Wednesday against the Houston Rockets. However, while Memphis Grizzlies fans are happy that he's back and healing from the controversy he's involved in, not everyone is a fan of the NBA's punishment on him. For Jay Williams, he feels the league should have been harsher on the youngster.
For those unaware, Morant took some time away from the team due to a gun scandal in which his brandsihed a firearm while in a Denver nightclub during an IG Live stream. Several issues followed after that, including the leak of his shocking photos from the said nightclub where a stripper was giving him a lapdance. The explosive guard was also accused of assaulting a teen during a girls' high school volleball game in the past.
The NBA slapped Morant with the suspension, though they included his previous absences as part of his punishment--making him available to play earlier in the week. The team delayed his return for a bit, though he was eventually given the greenlight for Wednesday.
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Grizzlies fans cheered for Morant and gave him a standing ovation as he took the court against the Rockets. Sure enough, everyone looked ready to heal and move on from the issue.
On Thursday, however, Jay Williams expressed his disappointment on the NBA's punishment for Ja Morant, which he believes is just a mere slap on the wrist.
"I do believe the NBA missed the mark on his suspension. I thought he should've been suspended for the rest of the regular season without pay, and his return should have been subject to successful counseling from the NBA," Williams said, via ClutchPoints.
Initially there were fears that Morant could be suspended for the year. In the end, however, an NBA investigation didn't find enough evidence that Morant brought the gun to the nightclub. Hence, his light punishment.
Ja Morant Gun Scandal Over, Grizzlies Star Returns from Suspension
Ja Morant came off the bench for the Grizzlies on Wednesday and scored 17 points on top of four rebounds and five assists. He played just 24 minutes as Memphis eased him back after he was out for almost three weeks.
Fortunately, the Grizzlies didn't need Morant to be at his best, with Jaren Jackson Jr. carrying the load against the Rockets. JJJ had a monster double-double of 37 points and 10 rebounds.
Memphis plays Houston again on Friday, then the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday to cap off the week. It remains to be seen if Morant will get back to the starting unit, though head coach Taylor Jenkins did say that the superstar could be a reserve player for a few games.
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