Ja Morant didn’t want to leave the Memphis Grizzlies but it has taken just three games with the Trail Blazers for him to see Portland is a better basketball fit.
Morant will face his former team of seven seasons for the first time since being traded when the Trail Blazers host the Grizzlies on Thursday night.
“A fresh start is always good,” Morant told reporters on Wednesday. “I didn’t want to leave. Memphis was enough to me, but I’m in a good place now. I’m feeling good. I’m happy. We got things rolling here. Great city, great fans. Everything so far here has been good for me, and I’m loving it.”
Morant, 27, has averaged 16.3 points and 6.3 assists and connected on 58.8% of his shots as Portland won its first three games. Morant scored 23 points in Tuesday’s 136-129 road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
He’s part of a deep backcourt that includes franchise icon Damian Lillard, veteran Jrue Holiday and youngster Scoot Henderson. He doesn’t have to be the do-it-all point guard that he often was for the Grizzlies.
“There was a lot more pressure on me than it is now,” Morant said. “Now I don’t have to go out and tax my body or do anything too much, with the guys I’ve got playing now. We are playing well. It’s just about me doing my job.”
Morant was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 draft by Memphis and quickly elevated to stardom. He was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2019-20 and later averaged a career-high 27.4 points in 2021-22 when the Grizzlies went 56-26 and lost in the second round of the playoffs to the Golden State Warriors.
But injuries and two suspensions for gun-related incidents began to dim his star. Morant was suspended eight games for one incident in March of 2023 and docked 25 games three months later for another incident.
“Obviously, I got into trouble,” Morant said. “And the dominoes pretty much went from there. Guys started getting traded. New guys coming in … and then it came to me. I take responsibility for stuff that I caused, but it wasn’t all me.”
Morant’s turn to be dealt occurred on June 29. He was sent to Portland for forwards Jerami Grant and Kris Murray.
Interestingly, the Grizzlies also have started strong after their reset by opening the season with four straight victories.
Memphis routed the Utah Jazz by 20 points at home to start the season and is 3-0 on a four-game road trip that began with victories over the Golden State Warriors and Sacramento Kings. The Grizzlies beat the Jazz again 110-105 on Monday in Salt Lake City.
Second-year forward Cedric Coward, who had 16 points and 11 rebounds on Monday, said everybody is pulling in the same direction.
“We’ve got great guys on this team that show a lot of poise,” Coward said. “And everybody was telling each other, ‘Like, we’re good in every situation.'”
Guard Ty Jerome has been the star in the early going with averages of 29.8 points and 6.5 assists. He scored just 15 points against Utah on Monday after opening the season with efforts of 45, 28 and 31 points.
The 45 points came against the Jazz in the season opener and represent a career best.
“The shape he showed up to camp in, he has put a hell of a lot of hard work in this summer,” Memphis coach Tuomas Iisalo said of Jerome. “The confidence he’s playing with is incredible.”
Portland went 3-1 against the Grizzlies last season and won a February back-to-back at home by 20 and seven points.
