In the last nine things I liked and disliked of 2023, we look at why the Memphis Grizzlies are back on track with Ja Morant, how the Detroit Pistons are on the verge of becoming basketball's Zippy Chippy and why the Charlotte Hornets should be happy with Brandon Miller's play so far.
Jump to Lowe's Things:
Ja Morant is back | The sad-trombone Pistons
Jalen Green is stuck | Toronto's symbol of stagnation
Atlanta's Sixth Man candidate | Miller flying under the radar
Pels' crunch-time meltdown | A good bench contest | Celtics' uniforms win Xmas
1. Ja Morant is back
Morant will not give his harshest critics what they want -- submissive humility and cosmetic change they can point to and say, "The young man gets it now." He is going to talk trash and dance after game-clinching shots, and it is not for me to litigate whether Morant's brief dance after his game-icing dunk against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday -- the team's third stirring comeback since Morant's return, and second in New Orleans -- featured a (very) brief gun gesture or was merely Morant taunting the crowd with a popular local dance.
(Would it be better for Morant to not allow for any confusion? Of course. The league appears indifferent, having issued no statement.)
Morant's father, Tee, is still courtside, standing and cheering. Tee Morant told SiriusXM NBA Radio last week that the family has made no changes to Morant's "inner circle."
Morant won't cut off childhood friends or boot his father from courtside seats. Could you? Does it matter? The only thing that matters is whether Morant and that inner circle stop doing the things that forced the NBA's hand in suspending Morant 25 games.
That is an enormous cost, to Morant and the franchise he is supposed to steward. In four games with Morant, the Grizzlies reminded everyone what they were on track to be. (Morant missed Memphis' blowout loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday with an illness.) As is, they are 10-20. They need to go to 31-21 to reach .500 -- where the No. 10 Phoenix Suns are now. It's possible. The margin for error and injury is zero. No team is so young and so good that it can punt an entire season. If this ends up a wasted year, it will be Morant's fault. That is a permanent stain.
Change comes away from cameras and phones. It manifests in the absence of things. We will know what is happening only with time, or if Morant slips again.