Golden State outlasted Memphis 123-119 due to Jordan Poole’s magical 32-point outing helping make Ja Morant’s 36-point effort mute. The win was highlighted by some heated jaw-jacking between the Warriors and Grizzlies, particularly between teammates Klay Thompson (24 points, nine rebounds, four assists) and Draymond Green (13 rebounds, 13 dimes, two blocks, one steal) and Grizzlies swingman Dillon Brooks.

#NBAXmas was a vibe.@MichelobULTRA || Joy Cam pic.twitter.com/N4sPUkAExM

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

At one point, Thompson hit a mid-range J from the free-throw line to put the Dubs up 16, and while he ran back to play defense, Brooks stumbled backward and fell. Replays showed Thompson leaning over Brooks and sticking his tongue out in Brooks’ face as he shuffled back to the other end of the court.

“Some good, old-fashioned trash talk,” Thompson said per ESPN. “It’s always fun to talk trash. We’ve been doing that since we were in middle school. You usually play your best, or you get frazzled. For me, it’s usually the former.”

Get hype, #DubNation pic.twitter.com/0Ao8iD1njD

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

Although the Warriors and Grizzlies may not call it a rivalry, it’s hard not to call it with all the evidence in front of us. The contention started after the Grizzlies outlasted the Warriors during the 2021 play-in tournament to get a first-round matchup with the Utah Jazz. The following year, the Warriors beat the Grizzlies 4-2 in the second round of the Western Conference semifinals.

That playoff rematch lit the flames of a burgeoning rivalry as Green got ejected in Game 1 for a Flagrant 2 foul on Brandon Clarke, and then he got elbowed in the eye during Game 2.

Brooks earned a one-game suspension for his role Gary Payton II missed extensive time after he fouled Payton hard on a fast break resulting in Payton suffering an elbow injury that knocked him out of 10 postseason games. The damage only seemed to stoke some flames as Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called Brooks out for violating an unwritten code.

From there, the second-round playoff series only got more heated and physical as Golden State tried to prove the old grizzled (no pun intended) vets had some juice left in them and could outlast the young and hungry Grizzlies. Once the series was over and Golden State marched on to win their fourth title in eight seasons, the Warriors, specifically Thompson and Green, took offense to Memphis talking trash and called them out for what they perceived to be disrespectful comments.

Way to bring the energy tonight, #DubNation

pic.twitter.com/pFXTGubWTj

— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) December 26, 2022

After the championship parade, Green and Morant had a back-and-forth on Twitter, with both parties declaring their excitement for a primetime Christmas. The anticipation and hype did not fail as the Dubs and Grizzlies put on a show. However, the Grizzlies will have to wait a little longer to exact their revenge after losing on Sunday.

The post The Memphis-Golden State Rivalry Continued with ‘Trash Talk’ on Christmas Day appeared first on SLAM.

Memphis (19-11) is second in the West behind the Nuggets, who have a similar record. Morant is averaging 27.0 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game on 45.4 percent shooting from the field and 34.6 percent beyond the arc. Morant has done a lot of heavy lifting, with Desmond Bane still missing in action because of a sprained big toe he suffered in November.

That said, Morant is confident in Memphis’ place within the NBA hierarchy. The 2022 All-Star told Andrews that he believes the Boston Celtics (22-9) are the team to beat and the main team the Grizzlies will have to run through in order to win a championship. When the NBA Today host asked about the Western Conference, Morant said, “I’m fine in the West.”

The strong words come a season after the Grizzlies finished second in the West and lost a six-game second-round series to the eventual champion Warriors. The Southwest Division winners gave the Warriors a run for their money, but a Morant knee injury and the championship DNA of the Warriors were too much for the Grizzlies.

Through it all, the ’22 playoff run was marked by plenty of jaw-jacking, hard-nosed defense, and remarkable shotmaking from a Grizzlies team looking to burst through the championship scene. Memphis will look to exorcise those demons this season and make it to the Conference Finals and possibly beyond, with the Warriors facing some trouble with their win-and-develop-now approach to the season.

The post Ja Morant: Memphis Grizzlies Are ‘Fine in the West’ appeared first on SLAM.

But being 6’2″ and leading the NBA in paint scoring? Nah, Ja Morant is different for that. The fourth-year guard says the answer is simple as the fact that “motherf—ers can’t stay in front of me.” We can laugh at the comment all we want, but big facts are big facts; the 23-year-old out of Murray State led the League in points scored in the paint last season, becoming the first guard to do so in at least 25 years.

The behind-the-back in-transition at the speed he’s going. Sheesh, Ja. (via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/ztqceYs5Ss

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) October 14, 2022

And he does it with a God-given burst, the ability to change directions like a cheetah chasing it’s prey, and a shifty handle that even Allen Iverson could admire. Not to mention his supernatural ability to finish at the rim going around and through centers, Morant has taken notes from athletic guards like Derrick Rose and Iverson, two elite guards who won MVPs in 2001 and 2011, an ironic ten-year gap.

“People look at that athletic stuff, but that happens once a game or once every two games,” teammate Desmond Bane said of Morant’s highlight-reel dunks per ESPN. “But he finishes with 26 points and 20 of them are in the paint, so it’s like, how the hell did he get the other 18?”

Come on now, Ja. (via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/BcW8dIlKiO

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 16, 2022

One weapon Morant uses is his floater. Morant has 40.7 percent of the 90 floaters he attempted this season, and he’s averaging 14.5 points in the paint per game, good for seventh-best in the League. Last year, he hit same shot 44.7 percent of the team.

“It allows me to not receive contact every time,” Morant said, “being able to have that floater right before I get to the big.”

Morant can also dive deep into his bag and finish with either hand, and he thrives launching to the rim off one foot, two feet, leaping off his left instead of the right or vice versa. Morant is finishing his lefty layups 57.5 percent of the time this season.

Trip dub in The Garden? Go crazy, Ja.

27 pts
14 ast
10 reb

(via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/YEE2tb27un

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 28, 2022

Morant has 37 games with 20 paint points amongst guards in the last 25 years, fourth behind Dwyane Wade (56), Russell Westbrook (54), and Kobe Bryant (39). This season, Morant is the only player 6’3″ and under in the top seven of paints in the point scored per game. The only guard ahead of him Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the 6’6′ breakout point guard of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I can’t just rely on dunking every single play, so I have to have different types of finishes to be able to get my shot off,” Morant said, “whether it’s high off the glass, same leg/same hand, reverse, hanging in the air forever.”

Memphis will look to win their fifth game in a row against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.

The post How Ja Morant Became the Top Paint Scorer in the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

The @memgrizz announced the following medical update: pic.twitter.com/dqrovrIQYW

— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) December 8, 2022

The Grizzles said Bane is progressing in rehab and that if his sprained toe responds positively to a “reloading protocol,” he’ll be able to return to play by the end of December or early January. Bane was initially expected to miss at least 2-3 weeks of action.

des bane wit the dot cause he aim different pic.twitter.com/TVd9YjqCMM

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) November 12, 2022

Bane was averaging a career-high 24.7 points. 4.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game and quickly established himself as the Robin to Ja Morant’s Batman when he suffered his toe injury.

The post Desmond Bane Expected to Miss An Additional 3-4 Weeks Due to Big Toe Injury appeared first on SLAM.

ICYMI: 

Most of the fireworks on Friday night happened in Houston in an absolute shoot-out between the Rockets and Atlanta Hawks. Trae Young and Dejounte Murray combined for 83 points, but it wasn’t enough. After leading by as much as 16 points in the third quarter, Atlanta squandered the lead, and the Rockets surged late to capture their fourth win of the season, 128-122.

Despite Murray scoring a career-high 39 points and making a career-high eight threes, the Hawks couldn’t get the job done. A big reason for this was their performance on the boards in the absence of Clint Capela, who was out due to dental pain. Houston outrebounded Atlanta 59-28. This included a 22-6 drubbing on the offensive boards and a 37-22 advantage on the defensive boards.

Most of the headlines after the game were about the aftermath of a third-quarter scrum between each team’s respective backcourt. Young and Murray did plenty of showboating on the way to scoring a combined 83 points, and you get the sense that Green and Kevin Porter Jr. didn’t like it one bit. Green and Porter took to Instagram to mock Young following the game. Green waved goodbye to the Hawks after their 18-point fourth quarter. 

Ja Morant messed around and dropped a triple-double in Madison Square Garden, dropping 27 points, 10 rebounds, and 14 dimes. He’s been highly productive during Desmond Bane, who suffered a sprained big toe injury on Nov. 15 and won’t be back for at least another week.

Postgame, Morant credited New York Knicks point guard and Chicago/Memphis legend Derrick Rose for paving the way for hyper-athletic guards by saying; 

“He really made it to where people believe in guys like me,” Morant told the Commercial Appeal. “Coming in, athletic guards, I felt like he was pretty much the one who kind of made it more famous. With how acrobatic his finish is, his touch around the rim, and how explosive he was. Coming in, he was my comparison. It’s crazy to be out there on the floor sharing a court with him.”

Klay Thompson was off to a rough start on the offensive side of the ball to begin the season, but he’s beginning to get on track. He shot 61.5 percent from the field in Sunday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Golden State scored 47 points in the first quarter and never really looked back. They had crisp offensive execution the entire game. 

The Boston Celtics continued their winning ways. They have won 12 of their last 13 games. They are a League-best 16-4 on the season. Jaylen Brown had 36 points in their most recent win sans Jayson Tatum against the Washington Wizards. The Celtics are poised for a return to the NBA Finals if they keep playing the way they’re playing. 

Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, and the Brooklyn Nets are now only a single game under .500 following their 111-97 win against the Trail Blazers on Sunday night. Seth Curry was a big factor in the win against his former squad, with 29 points on 11-15 shooting. 

Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox has been playing out of his mind and is turning some heads. Fox has been shooting a career-high 53 percent from the field, helping him average 25.1 points per game, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game.

Fox has the Kings sitting in sixth place in a jammed Western Conference with a record of 10-8. Fox’s play has been so good that this past weekend, he inked a deal with one of the biggest and most well-known sports agencies in basketball Klutch Sports. For Sacramento, Fox’s recent play and lead role in the Kings’ resurgence could be just what the team needs to end their 16-year playoff drought.

The Kings have the talent and youth to be very disruptive if given a postseason opportunity. The team’s additions of Kevin Huerter and Malik Monk (in addition to Fox’s play) have been a great fit. Hopefully, Fox and the team can continue this momentum.

Over the weekend, the Lakers played the San Antonio Spurs for the third time in their last four games. During the third quarter of Saturday’s game, Russell Westbrook was going up for a layup after previously grabbing a rebound and was fouled on the way up by Spurs center Zach Collins. When Westbrook rose up from the ground heated from the foul, you could see that he had a cut and was visibly bleeding from his forehead.

The two teams got together for what seemed like a couple of seconds after the foul, but everyone was calmly escorted to their respective benches. Westbrook, who was fuming for a good reason, was taken away by LeBron James, who quickly compressed Westbrook’s head wound with a towel and walked him over to the bench to be further examined by the Lakers team doctors.

Once the situation calmed down, a Flagrant 2 foul was given the Collins, and a tech was given to Westbrook. Postgame, James commented on the altercation, saying;

“I saw where the cut was immediately. It was just common sense to put pressure on the cut right away. Don’t let it continue to go. Before we became teammates, we’ve always been like brothers and cool and things of that nature. His health is more important than the game of basketball. We were just trying to stop that and let the training staff do their job after we got him over to the bench.”

Miami center Bam Adebayo has had a quiet yet phenomenal stretch over the Heat’s last six games averaging 25.5 points per game and 10.2 rebounds on 52 percent shooting from the field. However, in Adebayo’s last two games, he has scored over 30 points and has been a key contributor toward the end of games on both the defensive and offensive sides.

The Heat are currently on a three-game win streak led by Adebayo’s diverse and consistent play, and the team looks to carry that momentum into their Wednesday matchup with the 2022 Eastern Conference Champion Celtics. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEKEND:

Ja Morant’s father asked for his son’s jersey for the first time in Morant’s career. Morant stated that it was “special” for him to get a triple-double in the Garden and that it was a place that he always had a special feeling for.

Morant admitted after Sunday’s game that MSG was special for him to have a triple-double since it was a place he watched in so many games on television as a kid — which was why his father made the unusual request for his jersey.

“It’s just the bright lights, man,” Morant told ESPN post-game. “Having a triple-double in the Garden is crazy. Growing up actually watching teams come here and play, watching the Knicks play — everybody loves the Garden. We really called it the bright lights. Everybody is watching. So for me to be able to go out and play like I played tonight was big-time for me.”

The post ICYMI: We Got You Covered With Thanksgiving Weekend News appeared first on SLAM.

Rose has been in the League since 2008 and, like Morant, was also a lottery pick after the Chicago Bulls selected him with the first overall pick. Rose is the youngest player ever to win the NBA MVP Award at just 22, and if Morant keeps up his current level of play at 23, he could possibly join him.

Rose and Morant have very similar play styles from their relentless slashing, defying the laws of physics for crafty layups, and making memorable electrifying finishes at the rim.

As Morant and Rose squared off in the Garden last night, you could tell that Morant and Memphis were on a mission. Morant powered the Grizzle’s to a win over the Knicks by dropping his fifth career triple-double. Morant finished with 27 points, 14 assists, and 10 rebounds.

Postgame, Morant reflected on the comparisons that he has drawn to Rose.

“He really made it to where people believe in guys like me,” Morant told the Commercial Appeal. “Coming in, athletic guards, I felt like he was pretty much the one who kind of made it more famous. With how acrobatic his finish is, his touch around the rim, and how explosive he was. Coming in, he was my comparison. It’s crazy to be out there on the floor sharing a court with him.”

It is always nice to see the next generation give their respect to those who helped to influence them and their game coming up. It just goes to show no matter what stage of your career that you’re in, respect for the game never goes out of style.

The post Ja Morant: Derrick Rose ‘Made it to Where People Believe in’ Athletic Guards appeared first on SLAM.

The @memgrizz announced the following medical update. pic.twitter.com/DfuU5SEULL

— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) November 15, 2022

Bane has been dealing with the injury since Nov. 11, when Memphis beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 102-92. Bane dropped 24 points, three rebounds, and five assists on 7-16 shooting from the field and 2-7 shooting from beyond the arc in 33 minutes.

des bane wit the dot cause he aim different pic.twitter.com/TVd9YjqCMM

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) November 12, 2022

Bane is averaging 24.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game on 46.5 percent shooting from the field and 45.1 percent from downtown. Memphis (9-5) are fourth in the West and will look to improve their standings with a home game against the New Orleans Pelicans (7-6) on Tuesday.

The post Desmond Bane Set to Miss 2-3 Weeks Due to Sprained Big Toe appeared first on SLAM.

Bane has dropped back-to-back thirty-point games, tallying 31 points (and six rebounds and four assists) against the Kings and 38 points (and seven assists) against the Nets. In his past two games, the TCU product has shot 73.9 percent from three.

“Shots are falling,” Bane said, per ESPN. “Early on, I was getting similar looks, and now I kind of got my legs under me, and (now) they’re falling.”

Grizzlies Coach Taylor Jenkins described Bane’s “great two-game performance.”

“He’s been playing great all season — I think his defense was really good as well — When he’s in that zone, he’s hard to stop.”

In his third season with the Grizzlies, Bane is averaging 22.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists on 46.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Last season, the guard averaged 18.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists during his second year in the League. Bane continues to grow into a lethal two-way player, keeping the Grizzlies rolling and putting the League on notice.

“Back-to-back performances show you how good he is,” Morant said. “I don’t feel like I’ve got to say it when you can see it.”

Bane looks to go back-to-back-to-back as the 3-1 Grizzlies take on the 4-1 Jazz tomorrow night.

The post Ja Morant: Back-to-Back 30-Point Outings ‘Show How Good’ Desmond Bane Is appeared first on SLAM.

Morant doesn’t remind Durant of any other player.

“He’s a unique player. A lot of athleticism and creativity out there. Body type reminds you of somebody like—well, he’s taller than A.I. [Allen Iverson], but a wiry, strong player — but he’s an incredible player, man,” Durant said per Bleacher Report.

The Murray State product lived up to Durant’s pregame praise with 38 points, eight rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in a 134-124 Memphis win. Morant, Durant, Desmond Bane, and Kyrie Irving combined to score 150 points on 62 percent shooting from the field.

At just 23-years-old, Morant has the rest of the NBA on watch.

A 2022 All-Star and the NBA’s Most Improved Player, the guard led the Grizzlies to second in the Western Conference last season. Morant has averaged 35.3 points, 7.0 assists, and 4.3 rebounds this season while leading the Grizzlies to a 3-1 start. Memphis ousted the Nets, Houston Rockets, and New York Knicks but fell to Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

Durant’s teammate Ben Simmons spoke on 12 before their Monday night match-up. The duel between Simmons and Morant ended late in the fourth quarter after the 2022 All-Star baited Simmons into fouling out as the Grizzlies inbounded the ball.

“He is an incredible athlete — He pushes the pace, gets his team going, shares the ball. He’s relentless at the rim.”

The Morant magic continues Thursday Night versus the Sacramento Kings.

The post Kevin Durant Calls Ja Morant ‘The Face of Our League Going Forward’ appeared first on SLAM.

Simmons was frustrated with the officiating all night, but none vexed him more than his sixth and final foul, a touch foul when Simmons aggressively defended Ja Morant near halfcourt while Morant tried to waste time with 3:52 left in the game. 

Simmons and Coach Steve Nash were flabbergasted by the call. 

“I just saw the play,” Simmons said after the game. “It wasn’t a foul. [Orr] called it a foul, made a mistake, it is what it is … it’s really frustrating … it’s not a foul, but it was bullshit. It’s frustrating because it’s late game, fourth quarter, it’s a physical, close game. It’s the NBA. It’s not college. It’s not high school. Some people are going to get hit; some people bleed; it’s basketball.”

Ja Morant just explained how he baited Ben Simmons into a sixth foul by remembering something that happened during his rookie year. pic.twitter.com/lKgerareWm

— Gary Parrish (@GaryParrishCBS) October 25, 2022

Morant believed he had something to do with Simmons’ getting called for the foul and explained how he baited him into being disqualified. 

“If y’all want to go dig up a play, I think my rookie year I was in Philly, and the same situation happened like that versus Ben in the first half. I went to look at Coach to get the play, and [Simmons] ran through the ball, got the steal, and went to dunk — I knew it at that moment. Once I seen him and I was rolling the ball, and I was at half [court], I looked at Coach, and I see him try to like ‘oh yeah.’ So I knew I had him. He was going to press up, and I was just going to force the ref to make the call.” 

Morant and Simmons were going at it all games, each receiving technicals in the first half. Morant finished with 38 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. Simmons finished with seven points, eight dimes, and three boards. 

The post Ja Morant Takes Credit For Baiting Ben Simmons into Fouling Out appeared first on SLAM.

Clarke has carved out an excellent role coming off the Grizzles’ bench. Over the course of three NBA seasons, Clarke has averaged 10.9 points per game for his career. The stat that jumps out at you when looking at Clarke’s game is that he’s shooting 59.1 percent from the field for his career. This past season alone, Clarke shot a career-best 64.4 percent from the field for the entire season.

Another reason for the extension is that Clarke has been ranked in the top five in several categories, like second-chance points, points in the paints, and offensive rebounds. Because of things like this, Clarke has been critical in the Grizzle’s emerging as a powerhouse team within the Western Conference.

With such a talented young core of players like Clarke, Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr, and Desmond Bane, the Grizzles have a real shot at being a top-seeded team in the Western Conference. The sky truly does seem like the limit for this squad, and with tip-off around the corner, anybody who is a basketball fan should be excited about what is to come.

Photos via Getty Images.

The post REPORT: Brandon Clarke and Memphis Agree on a Four-Year Extension appeared first on SLAM.

12 is simply different.

(via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/NII8jKnYes

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 27, 2022

When Morant’s teammate, Desmond Bane, was asked about Morant and his human “highlight reel” moments on an Old Man and the Three podcast episode released on Thursday, Bane said he and the Grizzlies have come to expect these moments from 12.

“At this point, it’s becoming routine.” Bane said. “We play Ja’s on a highlight reel somewhere.”

“It’s not fair to say that it’s normal because it’s definitely not. But we see it so much it’s just like — that’s Ja. That’s who we know Ja as, and then when we go on the road, and you hear the ohs and ahs, and you see the way these other players talk about him, you really get an appreciation for how special he really is. There’s nobody in the League that’s doing stuff like him. He’s like a mix of like healthy Derrick Rose and AI; he’s one of his own.”

“At this point, it’s becoming routine. We play, Ja’s on a highlight reel somewhere.” —@DBane0625 on being teammates with a human highlight reel like @JaMorant

Full conversation with @jj_redick and @talter: https://t.co/n4IX6hJjqg pic.twitter.com/I1aIfe7Ocr

— TheOldMan&TheThree (@OldManAndThree) July 7, 2022

That’s a lot of high praise from Bane, and you could sit there and ask, “well, that’s his teammate. What else is he supposed to say?”

Let’s be honest here, though, Morant has evolved and grown his game through three seasons. Not only did he win the MIP, but he also earned his first All-Star nod after leading Memphis to the second-best record in the West at 56-26. Memphis ultimately lost 4-2 to the eventual-champion Warriors in the second round of the postseason. Last week, the Grizzlies awarded Morant’s efforts with a max extension.

Morant averaged a career-best 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game on 49.3 percent shooting from the field and 34.4 percent from deep last season.

The post Desmond Bane Speaks On Playing With Human ‘Highlight Reel’ Ja Morant appeared first on SLAM.

BREAKING: Memphis Grizzlies F Jaren Jackson Jr., underwent surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot on Wednesday and is expected to be sidelined for 4-to-6 months, sources tell ESPN. Jackson is expected to make a full recovery. pic.twitter.com/RBFlyYiiUq

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

The procedure will knock the versatile big man out for at least 4-6 months before he makes a full recovery, according to the Grizzlies.

The @memgrizz today announced the following medical update. pic.twitter.com/pFV4gNVMVk

— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) June 30, 2022

Jackson is coming a breakout season after averaging 16.3 points, 5.8 rebounds, and a League-best 2.3 blocks per game in his fourth year in the NBA. Jackson was integral in the Grizzlies finishing second in the West with a 56-26 regular-season record.

Jackson has suffered two knee injures that knocked him out early during the first two seasons of his NBA season. However, Jacksons fortunes turned around last season after he played 78 games and earned first-team All-Defensive honors.

The pairing Jackson has formed with Ja Morant has made the Grizzlies one of the more dangerous up-and-coming squads in the NBA going into the 2022-23 campaign. As long as the team stays healthy, there’s no telling how quickly they’ll become a title threat in the coming future.

The post Grizzlies Announce Jaren Jackson Underwent Right Foot Surgery appeared first on SLAM.

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant has agreed on a five-year, $193M designated rookie maximum extension that could become worth $231M, his agent Jim Tanner of @_TandemSE tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2022

After four seasons, Morant has emerged as a certified superstar after winning Most Improved Player of the year, earning his first All-Star bid, and being named to the All-NBA Second Team. Morant also averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game while leading Memphis to a 56-26 record, good for second place in the Western Conference. Morant led the Grizzlies to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs before Memphis fell to the eventual champion Golden State Warriors in six games.

“Over the past three seasons, Ja has truly emerged as an NBA superstar and must-see TV,” Jim Tanner, Morant’s agent, told ESPN. “From Rookie of the Year to NBA All-Star starter, to All-NBA Second Team and Most Improved Player, we are incredibly proud of him for his dedication to improving his game and developing into a team leader. The Grizzlies are a perfect fit for Ja. The organization and the city have embraced him.

“The sky is the limit for Ja both on and off the court, and we look forward to helping him continue to build his legacy in the league.”

Memphis is my home

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 1, 2022

Morant and the Grizzlies will look to take the next step as one of the youngest and hard-nosed teams in the League. Led by Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane, this Grizzlies team could be a threat for many years to come. They even have a budding rivalry brewing with the 2022 champion Warriors. Morant and Draymond Green have gone back and forth on Twitter. Klay Thompson called Jackson out for some tweets he perceived as disrespectful.

damn pic.twitter.com/nU7WexVjN8

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) July 1, 2022

The young and hungry Grizzlies vs. the grizzled veteran Warriors could be the best NBA feud since the Kings and Lakers, Lakers and Spurs, or even Cavaliers and Pistson when LeBron James was coming up in the League as a young and upcoming threat to the NBA’s hierarchy.

The post REPORT: Ja Morant Locked in With Memphis After Signing Max Extension appeared first on SLAM.

2021-22 All-NBA teams:

First: Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum

Second: Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, DeMar DeRozan

Third: Karl-Anthony Towns, LeBron James, Chris Paul, Trae Young, Pascal Siakam

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 25, 2022

Although Jokic is the reigning MVP, he wasn’t the leading vote-getter for All-NBA First Team, Antetokounmpo was. The Greek Freak received all 100 votes for one of the forward spots on the First-Team. Jokic and Joel Embiid, who finished as runner-up for the ’21 and ’22 MVP, split votes as the First-Team center. Embiid ended up being named as the center for the Second-Team.

Antekounmpo was not only the lone unanimous All-NBA selection this season, but he also became the first player over the last 50 years to be a unanimous selection to the All-NBA First Time in four consecutive seasons, according to ESPN Stats and Information research.

Doncic became the fourth player in NBA history to earn his third First-Team selection before turning 24-years-old, joining Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan, and Max Zazlofsky. Jokic, Antetokounmpo and Doncic were joined by Jayson Tatum and Devin Booker. According to the NBA, this is the first time since 1954-55 that the First-Team comprises players at least 27-years-old or younger.

Booker and Tatum earned the First-Team nod for the first time in their career. This is the first overall All-NBA selection for Booker and Tatum’s second nod. Tatum is the first Celtic to make All-NBA First-Team since Kevin Garnett did it in 2008. He’s also the youngest Celtic to earn an All-NBA First-Team selection since Larry Bird in 1980.

The Second-Team is rounded out by Stephen Curry, Ja Morant, DeMar DeRozan, and Durant. Chris Paul, Trae Young, LeBron James, Pascal Siakam, and Karl-Anthony Towns filled out the Third-Team. James picked up his record 18th All-NBA nod, placing him ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kobe Bryant, and Tim Duncan for most All-NBA picks, and became the first player in League history to make the All-NBA in his 19th+ season.

Paul is the first guard since Bryant to make an All-NBA team in his 17th+ season.

The post Nikola Jokic Headlines 2021-2022 All-NBA Teams appeared first on SLAM.

The clutch win helps complete the Warriors’ revamp from missing the playoffs to regaining their luster this season. The season could be considered a success just because Thompson finally played his first game since losing nearly three years of his career due to a torn ACL and Achilles tear he suffered in back-to-back seasons.

“I knew it became routine in the 2010s for the Dubs, but that’s a special special opportunity. We do not take that lightly; we’re gonna keep our feet up the next couple days. Watch this Suns-Mavs Game 7. Get the popcorn ready. But it’s just—it’s so special; I’m gonna enjoy it tonight, and I’m going to be hungry when that time comes cause you can’t take it for granted. Nothing is guaranteed in sports.

Game 6 Klay ain’t nuthin’ to mess with.

30 PTS | 8-14 3PM | 3 BLK pic.twitter.com/yaHS1j59LR

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 14, 2022

Out of Thompson’s eight three-pointers, none seemed to feel more satisfying than the 28-footer he hit to give the Warriors a 13-point lead with just under three minutes to go in the fourth quarter. Just one minute later, Stephen Curry hit a triple from the left corner to increase the lead to 16. The back-to-back daggers capped off a 32-point fourth quarter to escape with a WCF berth.

“Today, I was thinking about the last couple years and what this team has been through, and to have another closeout game at Chase Center, it gave me butterflies. I was nervous all day, but I was just having so much fun tonight, and I’m proud of this team for being so resilient.

Built for Game 6. (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/HQ4RmPyRIl

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 14, 2022

The setup going into the pivotal final frame was the Warriors nearly giving away the game due to some poor decision-making (22 turnovers) and tough shot-making from Desmond Bane (25 points, seven rebounds) and Dillon Brooks (30 points). Their performances were matched by Andrew Wiggins, who finished Game 6 with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Draymond Green contributed 14 points, 15 boards, and eight dimes.

The solution to the Warriors’ messy play was a monumental fourth-quarter effort where they outpaced the Grizzlies with a 10-0 run to give the Dubs a 97-89 lead at the 5:04 mark. The lead ballooned to as much as 16 after Curry nailed a stepback J late in the fourth quarter, sending San Franciso into a frenzy, while Memphis took a punch to the chin that ended their memorable season and launched them back into the limelight.

Golden State will have four days to enjoy their win, and they will face the winner of the Phoenix-Dallas series next week.

The post Game 6 Klay Thompson Leads Warriors to Conference Finals appeared first on SLAM.

Up by a whopping 46 points with 8:40 left in the fourth, the entirety of FedEx Forum was bumping as DJay’s ‘Whoop That Trick’ blasted overhead, and fans directed their towel swinging and chanting toward the six-time All-Star, who playfully threw a jab at the cities rallying cry.

It’s safe to say Memphis didn’t take too kindly to Curry’s comments and returned in kind with a 134-95 blowout to force a Game 6. But that didn’t stop Draymond Green from reveling in Wednesday night’s playoff atmosphere.

As break dancers filled the court to toss out shirts and encourage the crowd, Green was dancing right along with them from the Warriors sideline, whipping his towel around his head and mimicking the Memphis fan base.

Steph Curry watching the PA play ‘Whoop that Trick’. Draymond Green enjoying it. pic.twitter.com/R2TP1AFnHT

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) May 12, 2022

With a 3-2 series lead in Western Conference semi’s, the former Defensive Player of the Year was asked about his response to embracing the chants where Curry stood with a gleaming smile taking in the fanbase’s retort to his comments.

“They not going to whoop that trick alone,” Green said postgame. “We going to whoop that trick together if we going to whoop that trick.”

Draymond explains why he was having fun with the fans in Memphis while they chanted “Whoop That Trick” pic.twitter.com/M38AsQ8WPk

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 12, 2022

“One thing I don’t respect is people who only bring it when they’re winning, embrace crowds when you’re winning. We call those frontrunners,” Green elaborated. “We’re not frontrunners. We got our ass kicked, and that’s all right. It happens, but you don’t be frontrunners. When you spew it out, you got to be willing to take it, not hide from it, not duck it, not run from it, embrace it. So I appreciated the crowd tonight and the energy they brought to the game. If they want to whoop that trick, we’re going to whoop it together.”

The Warriors will get another crack at putting the series to bed and advancing to the Western Conference Finals against Memphis at home on Friday night.

The post Draymond Green Explains Why He Was Dancing Along to ‘Whoop That Trick’ after Game 5 Loss appeared first on SLAM.

The Grizzlies were led by Desmond Bane, Tyus Jones, and Jaren Jackson Jr., who each scored 21 points apiece to avoid elimination and force Game 6 in San Francisco.

Memphis never trailed in Game 5, leading by as much as 55 points while shooting 47.5 percent from the field, 43.9 percent from beyond the arc, and manhandled the Warriors inside to the tune of 55 rebounds and 50 points in the paint. The Grizzlies scored a franchise-record 77 points in the first half, their 52-point lead going into the fourth quarter tied for the largest deficit in a playoff game in the past 70 years.

The Grizzlies also forced the Warriors into 22 turnovers

Unicorn. pic.twitter.com/PHKtId2kPC

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 12, 2022

“We knew what was at stake,” Jackson said per ESPN. “We didn’t change anything, though. We just calmed down, looked at the film, understand what we had to take away from the last game, and just went out there and executed.”

The big-time Game 5 win was thanks to Memphis going back to what helped them become the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, sheer dominance on the boards, forcing turnovers, and reliable bench scoring.

Bane with the and-1. pic.twitter.com/o5QwdEzlE4

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 12, 2022

The Grizzlies got back to doing the things that helped them post the second-best record during the regular season. They outrebounded Golden State and dominated on the offensive boards. They forced turnovers and got their best production from the bench of this series. The Grizzlies finished the night with a 52-35 edge and held Jordan Poole, who outpaced the Grizzlies in the first games of the series, to just eight points and three assists.

Memphis entered the second quarter with a 35-28 lead and left the second half with a 77-50 lead after unleashing a 20-4 run, including 14 straight, to outscore the Warriors 39-22 in the second frame. Out of halftime, the onslaught continued with the Grizzlies opening the second half with a 20-6 outburst that all but ended any hopes of Golden State making a comeback.

Tyus Jones three ball after the warriors turnover. pic.twitter.com/mKCun7FD4f

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 12, 2022

The Memphis faithful celebrated while chanting their signature rallying cry, “Whoop That Trick! Whoop That Trick”, which drew a laugh from Stephen Curry (14 points, four assists, three rebounds), who infamously said the Warrior’s game plan for Game 5 was “Whoop That Trick” earlier on the Wednesday edition of NBA Today.

“Obviously, this was a very impressive win for our group, great bounce-back for sure,”  Memphis Coach Taylor Jenkins said.

Watch JA after this play. pic.twitter.com/PG2rom1urJ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 12, 2022

The Warriors will look to close the series out on Friday in San Francisco. The Dubs have won five straight playoff games at home, including their last seven overall.

The post Jaren Jackson Jr. On Memphis’ Dominant Game 5 Win: ‘We Knew What Was At Stake’ appeared first on SLAM.

Golden State could’ve easily folded but their veteran will allowed them to erase a seven-point deficit and outscore Memphis 39-29 in the final frame, setting the scene for Stephen Curry to give the Warriors their first lead of the game with 45.7 seconds left. Curry subsequently sealed the deal with eight free throws over that same time period.

Stephen led the way for Golden State with a game-high 32 PTS. Game 4 belonged to Dub Nation.

(via @warriors)pic.twitter.com/Cs9I1IeJNp

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 10, 2022

As you can see, the championship pedigree of Golden State will never not be tested, but the proud franchise has won 20 playoff series since 2013. The Warriors know anything can happen in the playoffs with a 3-1 lead (see: 2016 NBA Finals) which is why the Dubs will rely on their championship will to eliminate the Grizzlies on Wednesday.

The second half of the Splash Brothers and another playoff tested veteran Klay Thompson, kept the 3-1 lead in perspective.

“Wednesday’s going to be the hardest one yet,” Thompson said per the Memphis Commercial Appeal. “It always is. The closeout.”

The post Klay Thompson Says Closeout Game 5 Will Be the ‘Hardest One Yet’ appeared first on SLAM.

The two-time MVP achieved the record with 46.2 seconds left to go before halftime after missing his first five attempts.

Stephen Curry has just become the ONLY player in League history to record 500 career playoff threes.

— SLAM Newswire (@SLAMnewswire) May 10, 2022

Curry dropped 32 points in the late win, knocking down eight free throws over the final 45.7 seconds to cement Golden States’ comeback win on Monday night. Curry also dished eight assists and corralled five rebounds as Golden State rallied from seven points going into the fourth quarter, outscoring the Grizzlies 39-29 in the final frame.

A master at creating separation. (via @warriors) pic.twitter.com/yAhRnDSj7r

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 10, 2022

Chef Curry tied the game at 90-all with a fall-away baseline J with 3:25 to go, while a pair of free throws with 45.7 seconds to go gave the Warriors their first lead of the night, a 94-93 edge.

The fact Golden State did this without shooting the ball very well and turning the ball over 16 times could be interpreted as a mixed bag. It would be valid to say the Warriors should’ve dominated tonight with Ja Morant not being in the lineup and being in the crib.

The win is all the sweeter because of the leadership and high-level play of Curry. Recently hired Kings head coach Mike Brown heaped praise on the all-time three-point king calling him the easiest superstar to be around.

“The great part about Steph, he’s got to be easiest superstar to be around — He’s always thinking about how can he help the team next.”

“The great part about Steph, he’s got to be the easiest superstar to be around… He’s always thinking about how can he help the team next “

Mike Brown on Stephen Curry’s positive mindset even through tough stretches of play. pic.twitter.com/tI53w0GQDA

— NBA (@NBA) May 10, 2022

However, the Grizzlies were 20-5 without Morant in the regular-season. Be that as it may, the Warriors showed their championship mettle against a Grizzlies team that has routinely clawed back from deficits throughout the playoffs. This Game 4 loss will ultimately be a lesson for Memphis on closing out high-stakes games against championship contenders like Golden State.

The Grizzlies-Warriors shift back to Memphis for Game 5 on Wednesday, with Memphis looking to close the series deficit to 3-2.

The post Stephen Curry Takes Charge and Leads Warriors to Game 4 Win appeared first on SLAM.

“I don’t even know what that means in the playoffs. I did not even understand what he meant by that,” Brooks said.

The 26-year-old later followed up by saying he would “take the playback if he could.”

“It’s in the past,” Brooks said per ESPN. “I didn’t mean for it to hurt somebody. If I were to take it back in a moment, I would. But it’s in the past.”

Brooks will be back in the Grizzlies lineup for Game 4 against the Warriors, while Ja Morant remains doubtful to play while he deals with some knee soreness that he experienced in Game 3.

Ja Morant reacted to Jordan Poole grabbing his knee.

(via @JaMorant) pic.twitter.com/9XhvkPfYxG

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 8, 2022

The Grizzlies look to tie the series up 2-2 on Monday.

The post Dillon Brooks on Steve Kerr’s ‘Code’ Comments: ‘I Don’t Even Know What That Means in the Playoffs’ appeared first on SLAM.

Grizzlies‘ Ja Morant (right knee) is likely to miss Game 4 vs. Warriors, coach Taylor Jenkins says.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 8, 2022

However, Morant is now listed as doubtful on the injury report for Game 4. He was seen walking into the Grizzlies shootaround on Monday morning, but according to Mark Medina, he was in street clothes and didn’t participate in “any on-court work.” Medina also reported that the Grizzlies are still “working through” Morant’s injury while declining to share any details on Morant’s MRI results.

Morant is currently on the injury report as doubtful for game four. https://t.co/RQPCv0MbSN

— Kerith Burke (@KerithBurke) May 9, 2022

The Grizzlies were 20-5 when Morant wasn’t in the lineup this season. Something that Coach Steve Kerr gave Memphis plenty of credit for.

“They’re a hell of a team — They’re really deep.”

Steve Kerr on if Ja Morant doesn't play for the Grizzlies tonight: "Memphis went 20-5 without him. They're a hell of a team. … They're really deep."

— Connor Letourneau (@Con_Chron) May 9, 2022

The controversy behind Morant’s injury has picked up quite a bit with Morant, in a since-deleted tweet, calling out Jordan Poole and the Warriors for “going against the code,” something Kerr rallied around after Gary Payton II suffered a fractured elbow during Game 2. The injury might’ve occurred after Jordan Poole accidentally grabbed at Morant’s knee while attempting to force a turnover.

Some fans had fought back against the narrative, claiming that the injury more than likely occurred earlier when Morant collided with Klay Thompson as he attempted to close out on Splash Brothers’ long-distance attempt. Some even pointed out that Morant tripped Stephen Curry as the two-time MVP drove past him. When Thompson heard about Morant’s claim, he laughed, outright dismissing the notion Poole could do that.

“I don’t even think he’s strong enough to affect somebody’s knee,” Thompson said. “We’re not out there trying to hurt people or trying to club people in the back of the head on a fast break.”

Klay Thompson started laughing when he heard Ja Morant tweeted that Jordan Poole broke the code.

"I don't even think he's strong enough to affect somebody's knee. We're not out there trying to hurt people, or trying to club people in the back of the head on a fast break." pic.twitter.com/Srz8FZurJ1

— Sam Hustis (@SamHustis) May 8, 2022

The Grizzlies and Warriors will lock horns on Monday, with the Warriors looking to take a 3-1 series lead with a Game 4 win.

The post Ja Morant (Knee) Listed as Doubtful for Game 4 appeared first on SLAM.

The NBA is suspending Memphis’ Dillon Brooks for Game 3 vs. Golden State on Saturday, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) May 5, 2022

Brooks was ejected three minutes into Game 2 after he committed a hard foul on Gary Payton II during a fast-break opportunity, ending with Payton suffering a fractured elbow that will keep him out of action for three weeks. The injury incensed the Warriors Coach Steve Kerr to the point Kerr said Brooks broke an unwritten player’s code with the foul.

“I don’t know if it was intentional, but it was dirty,” Kerr said. “There is a code. This code that players follow where you never put a guy’s season [or] career in jeopardy by taking somebody out in midair and clubbing him across the head, ultimately fracturing Gary’s elbow — He broke the code. Dillon Brooks broke the code.”

“The line is pretty clear; you don’t hit on the head when he’s in midair, breaking his elbow. That’s where the line is.”

Brooks has averaged 13.4 points per game during the Grizzlies’ 2022 playoff run.

The post NBA Announce Suspension of Dillon Brooks For Game 3 Against Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

The infraction occurred when Brooks chased Payton down in transition in an attempt to stop a fast-break layup. Brooks hit Payton in the head in the subsequent action; the hard foul resulted in Payton hitting the court hard and staying down for several minutes. The incident makes the second straight game in the second-round series where a starter will miss a large chunk of a playoff game due to a Flagrant 2 ejection.

“I don’t know if it was intentional, but it was dirty,” Kerr said per ESPN. “There is a code. This code that players follow where you never put a guy’s season [or] career in jeopardy by taking somebody out in midair and clubbing him across the head, ultimately fracturing Gary’s elbow — He broke the code. Dillon Brooks broke the code.”

“The line is pretty clear; you don’t hit on the head when he’s in midair, breaking his elbow. That’s where the line is.”

Payton will undergo an MRI on Tuesday for further evaluation. A timetable for his return has not been determined.

The second-round series has undoubtedly lived up to the hype. Heading into Game 2, Memphis and Golden State were aware that their series would be a physical affair. Kerr said Game 2 would be their most physical game all season, which turned out to be accurate by all accounts.

“Playoff basketball is supposed to be physical,” Kerr said. “Everybody’s going to compete. Everyone is going to fight for everything.”

Without Payton in the lineup, who started Games 1 and 2 due to his defensive acumen, the Warriors will have to rely on someone else to guard Ja Morant, who just dropped 47-points in the Grizzlies’ 106-101 win over the Warriors.

Kerr said he hopes Andre Iguodala can fill the task once he returns from a back injury, hopefully by Game 3. Another solution might be to guard the reigning Most Improved Player by committee and hopefully slow him down with different coverages and defenders.

The Grizzlies-Warriors series shifts to San Francisco on Saturday.

The post Gary Payton II Suffers Broken Elbow After Dillon Brooks’ Flagrant 2 Foul appeared first on SLAM.

Warriors star Draymond Green’s Flagrant Foul 2 in Game 1 will not be reduced by the NBA, league spokesperson tells me and @anthonyVslater.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 2, 2022

Later that afternoon, Green set up an emergency episode of his podcast ‘The Draymond Green Show’ in his Memphis hotel room to set the record straight on his hard foul and reaction to the ejection.

“If we went through the definition of a flagrant 2 foul, I’m not sure that that play would quite fit the definition of a flagrant foul; I’m not sure if it’ll meet that criteria,” Green said.

The former Defensive Player of the Year reiterated during his postgame press conference and via the pod that his reputation as a player was the reason he was ejected, saying “tonight was probably a reputation thing.”

The penalty for Green’s ejection has yet to be disclosed while the Warriors prepare for Game 2 of their Western Conference Semi against the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday night.

The post REPORT: Draymond Green’s Flagrant 2 Foul Will Not Be Reduced appeared first on SLAM.

By the end of this game, Morant had the entire arena, along with any NBA fan that loves this game screaming at the top of their lungs. The Murray State product officially put his name in the hat of the undisputed future superstars after finishing Game 5 with 30-point, 13 rebounds, and nine assists to lift Memphis to a shocking 111-109 victory as time expired.

The 2022 All-Star’s poster at the end of the third quarter would impact national headlines even if the Grizzlies lost.

12 is simply different.

(via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/NII8jKnYes

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 27, 2022

But it was his 18-point 4th quarter that set the League on fire. He overcame six missed free throws to lead Memphis on a 23-7 run to make the game close. Morant then took the game over late in the fourth quarter.

First, with a little over a minute left in the game, Morant received a tap back rebound from Brandon Clarke to knock down a huge three-pointer to give his team the lead.

12.

(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/yBc4zqPkic

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 27, 2022

Then after Anthony Edwards knocked down a clutch corner three-pointer to tie the game at 109, Morant closed the game out in spectacular fashion.

JA MORANT IS UNREAL!

The @memgrizz win Game 5! pic.twitter.com/h7setPIvTp

— NBA (@NBA) April 27, 2022

Memphis now owns a 3-2 lead in this first-round Western Conference series, with Game 6 being Friday night in Minnesota.

The post Ja Morant Sends Minnesota to the Brink of Elimination With Game Winner appeared first on SLAM.

And yet, back in December Ja had made it clear via Twitter who he felt was deserving of the award: Desmond Bane.

On Monday night, the SLAM 238 co-cover star posted on his Instagram story that he gave the award to Bane and left it in his kitchen.

“You deserve it killa!” he wrote in his caption.

Bane has improved across the stat sheet in his second year and is averaging 18.2 points and 4.4 rebounds. When Morant was out with a tweaked knee last month, he stepped up and averaged around 25.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists in three games. He dropped 34 points in a Game 4 loss to the Timberwolves.

The Grizzlies are currently tied with Minnesota 2-2 going into Game 5.

The post Ja Morant Wins 2022 Most Improved—and Gives Award to Desmond Bane appeared first on SLAM.

“We gotta come in with a desperate mindset and do whatever it takes to win this series,” Towns said.”The same way we got up 26 is the same way we gotta come back next game and play. This is home court; we’ve been doing a great job at home defending it. We are one of the best teams at home, so we really gotta up our chops on the line next game.”

Towns finished the game with eight points, five rebounds, and one assist. He shot 3-of-4 from the floor and only attempted one three-point shot. The backcourt of D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Edwards led the Wolves in scoring with a combined 41 points.

Towns followed up his statement by saying he has to work through the adversity and that sticking with his teammates will get them through this series.

“Stick with what got us here, believe what we’ve done all year, and continue to believe in through ups and downs like this, Towns said. “This one hurts, and we have some games like that this year and bounced back, so I just hope we can do that game four.”

The Timberwolves look to tie the series on Saturday when they play Game 4 in Target Center.

The post Karl-Anthony Towns On Game 3 Loss At Home: ‘This One Hurts’ appeared first on SLAM.

This happened at halftime of Game 2 after Adams picked up two personal fouls (including a Flagrant 1) in the first three minutes of the game. After a Game 1 performance of four personal fouls, three rebounds, and three assists, Adams lost his spot in the rotation to Kyle Anderson.

That decision opened up minutes for Brandon Clarke, who provided tremendous contributions from the bench on a night when Memphis exclusively went with a small ball lineup that kept Adams on the bench while Jaren Jackson Jr. battled foul trouble.

YEAH YEAH @brandonclarke23 pic.twitter.com/BXZGkFBjqg

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) April 22, 2022

Clarke scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half for Memphis to help his team come back from two considerable deficits to win 104-95 and take a 2-1 lead in their first-round matchup over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With Memphis down 16 points going into the final quarter, Clarke was huge going down the stretch, scoring 12 points in the fourth quarter to help spark a 50-13 run to shock the Wolves in Target Center.

came back from 26 points down…….twice

a nice 50-13 run to end the game. pic.twitter.com/HlZiL59bHd

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) April 22, 2022

With Karl-Anthony Towns dogged by foul trouble, Clarke took full advantage of the Wolves’ small lineup by controlling the boards and scoring down low.

After the game, Clarke’s teammates swarmed him on the floor to celebrate, including Adams, who was benched to make room for his heavy minutes down the stretch. Clarke took to social media to show his appreciation and reminded everyone it was not over.

Real fighters let’s go 2 more https://t.co/jpiN9VUtVN

— Brandon Clarke (@brandonclarke23) April 22, 2022

Game 4 between these two teams is scheduled for Saturday.

The post Brandon Clarke Shines In Game 3 Win Over Minnesota appeared first on SLAM.

While Ja Morant (16 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists) will deservedly receive most of the attention for the Grizzles’ Game 3 comeback due to his triple-double performance, his backcourt mate Desmond Bane deserves some credit too, after being a major cog in Memphis’ comeback bid thanks to his timely long-range shooting.

Memphis started the game down 12-0 and found themselves down 26 points in the first half and 25 in the second before going on significant runs to get back in the game before halftime and snatch a 2-1 series lead in the second half.

The Timberwolves really blew TWO 25-point leads pic.twitter.com/pWyR5D61M3

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 22, 2022

The triumphant comeback began with the hot shooting of Bane, who scored a game-high 26 points (7-15 from beyond the arc) and grabbed six rebounds.

Desmond Bane led the @memgrizz in scoring while draining 7 three-pointers to lead #GrindCity to the 26 point comeback victory!@DBane0625: 26 PTS, 6 REB, 7 3PM

MEM vs. MIN Game 4: Sat. 10pm/et on ESPN#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/JbK9397lY9

— NBA (@NBA) April 22, 2022

Then after D’Angelo Russell hit a three-pointer to put Minnesota up 79-54 in the third quarter, Bane helped his team erase a 25-point lead with a massive 23-4 run to tie the game at 83-83, capped off by a three-pointer with 8:30 left in the game. This fourth-quarter dagger in the corner effectively put the game away as Memphis outscored Minnesota 37-12 in the final frame to match the fourth-largest comeback in NBA playoff history.

THAT CATCH AND SHOOT BADGE GO CRAZY pic.twitter.com/YMwC2IEipt

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) April 22, 2022

After the dust settled, Bane was proud of his teammates for staying composed to clinch an emotional Game 3 victory.

“Everybody stayed with it, stayed resilient throughout the whole entire game; it’s an emotional victory — coming from being down a lot,” Bane said per Yahoo Sports.

“We’ve got to keep our heads; it’s first to four.”

Game 4 of the Grizzlies-Timberwolves series takes place on Saturday.

The post Desmond Bane Powers Memphis Comeback Bid to Beat Timberwolves appeared first on SLAM.

Although he scored 32 points, Morant was unhappy with his overall performance and on Instagram posted a captionless picture that featured a clip from the Last Dance where Michael Jordan spoke about can trash when they’re in the lead.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 12 (@jamorant)

The All-Star point guard had the best total floor game of his playoff career, leading Memphis to a 124-96 blowout. Despite only scoring 23 points in the game, he made his teammates better and controlled the game with a near triple-double adding nine rebounds and 10 assists. His playmaking opened up the offense and allowed seven Grizzlies players to score in the double figures.

Ja spin.
JJJ block.
JJJ three.
Ja three.

What a @memgrizz run on NBA TV!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/L5fr72yYiK

— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2022

While Morant was working his magic with his teammates on the floor evening the series, his family became one of the more fun storylines of the NBA playoffs. His father has collaborated with Karl Anthony Towns’ father to add a fun trash-talking element to the series that started at the end of Game 1.

KAT and Ja’s dad’s are still talking trash to each other pic.twitter.com/stJECBnvug

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 20, 2022

For the first time in the series, Morant’s daughter, Kaari, has become a viral sensation after cameras panned her enjoying her dad’s latest exploits on the court.

This moment of @JaMorant’s daughter, Kaari

So wholesome

(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/SLusGpnhuW

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 20, 2022

Once his post-game on-court interview concluded, Morant motioned his daughter to join him as he carried her on his shoulders to walk back to her grandfather.

Ja and Kaari walking off in #PhantomCam after the Grizzlies Game 2 win! pic.twitter.com/Ae85LGbr8H

— NBA (@NBA) April 20, 2022

As the series shifts to Minnesota, Morant’s family has brought an up and personal visual of total family support for a superstar we haven’t since Stephen Curry rose to prominence during the 2014 playoffs. Something that impressed ESPN analyst Jalen Rose to the utmost earlier this week.

.@JalenRose says the NBA “is in the best position that it’s been in since Michael Jordan retired.”

Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/I8i0TlrU0e

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) April 18, 2022

The pivotal Game 3 matchup is on Thursday, where the winner will go up 2-1 in their first-round matchup.

The post Memphis Grizzlies Even Series Led By A Ja Morant Family Affair appeared first on SLAM.

JA OFF A TRAMPOLINE WITH THE TWO HAND!!!!!

(via @NBAUK) pic.twitter.com/jMoqZrlCCA

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 16, 2022

However, Anthony Edwards showed the NBA world that he is not a young player that is not afraid of the moment. Edwards matched Morant’s 19 first-half points and engineered the Wolves’ offense in the second half to the first upset of the NBA playoffs.

Edwards shined in his first playoff game scoring 36 points while adding six assists in a 130-117 Minnesota win over the Grizzlies for their first road playoff victory since 2004. The Timberwolves now lead 1-0 going into Game 2 on Tuesday night with the win.

@theantedwards_ was feeling it in his playoff debut dropping 36 points to give the @Timberwolves the 1-0 series lead!

36 PTS | 6 AST | 2 BLK | 4 3PM

GAME 2: T-WOLVES/GRIZZLIES
Tues. 8:30pm/et on NBA TV#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel pic.twitter.com/iyE4Jet5Fj

— NBA (@NBA) April 16, 2022

According to ESPN Stats and Info, the former top pick in the 2020 NBA draft is now one of only four players with more than 35 points in a playoff game before turning 21-years-old. The others were Derrick Rose, Tyler Herro, and Magic Johnson. Edwards was dominant from all areas of the court, knocking down four three-pointers, finishing strong at the rim, and hitting all eight of his free throws.

Although it surprised many, Edwards’ confidence did not waver in any way in this game, as he stated after the game.

“I told [teammate Taurean Prince] I treat every game the same,” Edwards said via ESPN. “I didn’t feel any different — like a regular-season game to me.”

“I love my shots,” Edwards said. “Whatever shot I take, whether it’s a step-back trey-ball or a step-back midrange or a floater or a layup — whatever my shot is — I like it. Sometimes, [Timberwolves coach Chris Finch] may not like it, but I love my shot. I’m just trusting myself.”

The two young stars, Morant and Edward, will continue to share the spotlight for the rest of the series after a historic performance in Game 1, becoming the first opposing players in NBA history to each top the 30-point mark in a playoff game at 22 or under. Morant finished with 32 points.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch wants to see how consistent Anthony can be going forward.

“Let’s just see what he does over the long haul. He’s had two really good games,” Finch said via Twincities.com. “I know he’ll be locked in. Can’t get bored, you know? Can’t get bored.”

Tune in to see Game 2 on Tuesday night and find out.

The post Anthony Edwards Makes Playoff Debut History in Game 1 Win appeared first on SLAM.

The backcourt of Anthony Edwards and D’Angelo Russell combined for 59 points last night as Edwards finished with 30 points and Russel with 29 points.

The Timberwolves finished the fourth quarter on a 23-11 run led by big shots from second-year star Edwards including this huge dunk.

THERE IT IS pic.twitter.com/epHTOH8dwF

— x – Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) April 13, 2022

Veteran guard Patrick Beverly was proud of the young star and let reporters know how he felt about him stepping up in the big moment.

“No one can guard him, and I been telling him that all year,” Beverly said. “I don’t care who plays him. I done seen the best defensive guys, and I’m one of the best defensive guys on earth. No one can guard him. Credit to him, his hard work and patience at a young age understanding what comes with the game. This is his moment, and he deserves all of it.”

The Timberwolves will meet the second-seed Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs starting on April 16. Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant was excited to finally see who their first-round matchup would be, and made sure to show some love on Twitter by shouting out Edwards.

This season the Grizzlies and Timberwolves split their regular-season matchup at 2-2, so this matchup of up-and-coming stars should be very entertaining.

The post Patrick Beverley On Anthony Edwards’ 30-Piece: ‘No One Can Guard Him, and I Keep Preaching That to Him’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Grizzlies have gone 7-0 since Morant suffered a tweaked knee injuries, beating formidable opponents such as the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns, and the Brooklyn Nets. In that seven-game span, Memphis has scored 124.4 points per game, which would rank first in the NBA by almost ten whole points.

What makes this even more impressive is that the Grizzlies have held opponents to 106.1 points per game in that same span, which would rank sixth in the League.

Some stars of the show? Desmond Bane, who has averaged 22.5 points and shot 58.5 percent from deep, was huge for Memphis earlier in the run, though he sat out the last game due to left ankle soreness. Dillon Brooks churned out 30 points in Friday’s victory over the Phoenix Suns, who own the best record in the NBA. De’Anthony Melton has nearly doubled his season average of points per game (10.8), with 19.4 points scored in this span.

However, It’s been a total team effort, as 10 players have scored in the double-digits multiple times in this seven-game window. This young Grizzlies team has a chance to make history down the stretch with their team one win shy away from matching the franchise-best 56 wins they had during the 2012-2013 campaign.

Sitting one game back of the franchise’s 56 win-mark as the all-time high,

Memphis plays Utah tomorrow, Denver Thursday, the Pelicans Saturday, and Boston Sunday.

The post Memphis Grizzles Win Seven Straight Down the Stretch appeared first on SLAM.

In the three games Memphis has played since Morant went down, Bane has averaged around 25.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game while shooting a ridiculous 60.8 percent from downtown on 7.6 triples attempted per game. This shooting prowess is nothing new, as he’s 10th in the League in three-pointers made this season with 209.

He’s scored 20+ in eight of the last 10 games and shows no signs of slowing down. Bane’s per-game scoring average has doubled in his sophomore year, improving from 9.2 points per game in his rookie year to 18.2 points per game this season.

Fresh off of a playoff-clinching victory over the Indiana Pacers off the back of Bane’s 30 points, the Grizzlies will defend FedExForum against the Milwaukee Bucks tomorrow at 8 PM EST.

The post Desmond Bane and the Grizzlies Flourishing in the Absence of Ja Morant appeared first on SLAM.

According to The Athletics’ Shams Charania, Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant will be out for at least two weeks with a knee injury.

The injury news comes at the worst time for the Grizzlies, who only have eight games left to play this season after their 133-103 win against the Indiana Pacers tonight. Currently, Memphis is in second place in the conference with a record of 50-23, just two games ahead of the Golden State Warriors.

If Morant is out for the expected timeline, he will return three games before the start of the NBA Playoffs.

Morant is a vital piece of the Grizzlies and is having his best season in the NBA thus far. Morant was averaging an eye-popping 27.6 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game this year and earned his first NBA All-Star Game nod as a result.

Despite Morant’s outstanding season and his importance to the Grizzlies, they have gotten along just fine without him this season, going 16-2 in games without Morant this season.

On Saturday, Memphis will have a chance to improve that record without Morant when they host the Milwaukee Bucks (45-27).

The post Ja Morant Out For Next Two Weeks With Knee Injury appeared first on SLAM.

The league’s greatest attraction sparked a huge Memphis fourth-quarter comeback scoring 15 of his game-high 37 points to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 118-114 victory to beat the New York Knicks on Friday night.

With less than four minutes left in the game, Morant went on a personal 10-0 run to turn a 106-105 deficit into a comfortable 115-108 lead with a minute left in the game. Morant’s numbers stacked up well against Knicks forward Julius Randle’s 36 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists. But after the match, Morant wanted to shine the light on his teammate, Jaren Jackson Jr.

“Jaren is what everybody needs to be excited about,” Morant said about Jackson’s defensive dominance via ESPN. “His defensive presence was big for us. We’re a totally different team with him out there on the floor. He sparked us.”

5️⃣ BLOCKS FOR THE B1OCK PANTH3R@jarenjacksonjr | #GrindCity pic.twitter.com/cwfZDU7oqn

— Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) March 12, 2022

Jackson finished with 13 points, but it was his season-high five blocks for Memphis supported Morant’s scoring explosion. Jackson had three blocks during a critical stretch during the Grizzlies’ 31-18 run in the fourth quarter to finish the comeback.

JAREN JACKSON JR.
BIG-TIME DENIAL.

From down 15.. MEM down 1 on @NBATV pic.twitter.com/elmvIKjcS1

— NBA (@NBA) March 12, 2022

The New York Knicks was held to only 18 points in the quarter, shooting 27 percent, including forcing the Knicks to miss four out of their five attempts from the three-point line.

Memphis goes on the road to play the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.

The post Ja Morant Praises Jaren Jackson Jr. In Grizzlies Win Over Knicks appeared first on SLAM.

In fact, if you look at the four highest single-game scoring performances in Grizzlies franchise history, Morant holds or is tied with every mark except third place (Mike Miller with 45). Three of those games from Morant have come in the past two and a half weeks. However, when he finally broke the 50 point mark, he had nothing but praise for those around him:

“[I’m] just thankful for my teammates, my coaches… they believe in me, have all the confidence in the world that I can go and make the right play, and tonight they was looking for me. Like I said before, as I got close [to the record], they told me to go ahead and go get it. That’s why y’all see every time they got the ball; they was looking for 12, man.”

With that help, Morant scored 52 points on 73.3 percent shooting while making all four of his three-point attempts. That was the first time a Memphis Grizzly has ever scored 50+ in an NBA game. That historic game came with a win, too, as the Grizzlies beat the San Antonio Spurs 118-105 in FedExForum.

On Thursday, Morant and the Grizzlies will travel to Boston to face the Boston Celtics.

The post Ja Morant On Historic Game: ‘They Told Me to Go Ahead and Go Get It’ appeared first on SLAM.

Allen Iverson, Hall-of-Famer and one of the most adored players in League history, certainly thinks so. Following Morant’s record-setting 52 point performance Monday night, Iverson took to social media to praise the Grizzlies superstar MVP candidate.

Posting a picture of his MVP trophy from the 2001 season with Morant’s jersey on it, Iverson’s message is clear. Morant promptly responded to the former 11-time All-Star.

Iverson averaged 31.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.5 steals per game in his 2001 MVP campaign while leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 56-26 record before losing in the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers. This season, Morant is averaging 27.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game and is the spearhead of a 43-20 Memphis Grizzlies team currently holding the third seed in the Western Conference.

The post Ja Morant On Allen Iverson’s MVP Praise: ‘Pass the Torch OG’ appeared first on SLAM.

On Thursday night, Jackson announced via Instagram that he had released his first album titled “Suddenly.”

The album is a rap album released under Jackson’s pseudonym “Triple J” and features a seven-song tracklist with a total run time of 16 minutes and 46 seconds.

Players across the NBA flooded Jackson’s Instagram to show love for the release, including Denzel Valentine, Brandon Clarke, Wayne Selden Jr., and Miles Bridges, who’s another hooper turned rapper during his free time.

Jackson joins a growing club of NBA players with side hustles in music, including Bridges, Damian Lillard, Marvin Bagley III, Andre Drummond, Lonzo Ball, and Aaron Gordon, among many, many others.

Jackson’s having a strong season on the court for the Memphis Grizzlies as well. Through 59 games this season, Jackson is averaging 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game for a Grizzlies team currently sat third in the Western Conference with a record of 41-19.

As for Jackson’s debut album, you can stream it now on Spotify or Apple Music.

The post Jaren Jackson Jr. Releases Debut Rap Album Titled ‘Suddenly’ appeared first on SLAM.

IT’S GO TIME! (via @TaylorSportsGrp) pic.twitter.com/SXyaLyPUu1 https://t.co/W18bNhhRhh

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 14, 2022

The fourth overall pick out of the 2009 NBA Draft is the first player to be suspended and reinstated since Chris ‘Birdman’ Anderson was reinstated by the League in 2008.

Evans is immediately eligible to negotiate with teams and will be able to sign a contract as soon as noon Friday, per the NBA. Since he entered the Association, Evans averaged 15.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.6 assists. Evans averaged 10.2 points, 2.9 boards, and 2.4 dimes per game when he last played for the Pacers.

Tyreke Evans in HS in the Punks section of SLAM Issue #111. Been a hooper. Still a hooper.

Subscribe now to our BRAND NEW Digital Archive for the endless gems like this.

Free preview: https://t.co/SgfNhvFuMf
Subscribe now: https://t.co/bjzCbj5PuY pic.twitter.com/fmfdtqYuMH

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 14, 2022

Evans has played for the Kings, Pelicans, Grizzlies, and the Pacers. He was named the Rookie of the Year in 2010.

The post NBA Officially Reinstates Tyreke Evans After Two-Year Ban appeared first on SLAM.

The 6’5 guard out of TCU has made huge strides in his second year in his production. As of Wednesday, Bane averages 18.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while playing 30.2 minutes per game. Alongside All-Star Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., the young core of Memphis has led the Grizzlies (35-18) to the third-best record in the Western Conference.

Banes’ rise in production comes courtesy of the motivation he’s found playing against the players drafted ahead of him in the 2020 draft. As he returns from a stint in the NBA’s health and safety protocols, the Grizzlies will be playing an opponent with a player drafted ahead of the 23-year-old guard. Players such as Devin Vassell, Udoka Azubike, Deni Avdija, and Tyrese Maxey.

Against Maxey, Bane scored a career-high 34 points in a 122-119 loss to the 76ers on Monday.

“If there’s an opposing player on the court that got drafted before me, it’s a little motivation for sure,” Bane said, “And a lot of times, they’re not even on the court. They’re going through those dog days, trying to find their way into the rotation, or whatever the case may be.”

“I take it personal, for sure.”

Until Bane plays in the 2022 Rising Stars Challenge, Bane will be coming at the necks of teams and players that were picked ahead of him. Morant has advocated for Bane to win the League’s Most Improved Player award this season.

Desmond Bane https://t.co/mZGsuVDd1g

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) December 28, 2021

“Des can tell you. I always say, ‘Yeah, bro, you’re the goods,'” Morant told reporters back in December. “That’s just him. He’s a professional scorer, can shoot the ball with the best of them, can get downhill, can make plays for others. In this league, to have a guy [in his] second year do that is big time. He’s always asking questions, always watching film, always in the gym, and it’s showing.”

The Grizzlies are scheduled to play the New York Knicks in the Garden on Thursday.

The post Desmond Bane On His Motivation As A Late First-Round Draft Pick appeared first on SLAM.

One of the reasons the Grizzlies find themselves so far up the standings is the play of third-year point guard Ja Morant.

Morant has put up All-Star level numbers this year, and when speaking with Drew Hill from the Daily Memphian, he said he believes his season deserves some recognition.

“I deserve this. I earned this. I worked for this,” Morant said, “This is the way I wanted it. I didn’t want to be no alternate. I don’t want to be a spot-filler.”

Morant’s confidence in himself is well deserved when you look at his numbers. Through 36 games, Morant is putting up 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from three.

Those numbers, along with the excellent play of teammates Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, and Jaren Jackson Jr., have catapulted the Grizzlies to the top half of the western conference. Currently, the Grizzlies sit third in the west with a record of 32-17, trailing only the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors.

Morant was second in votes for Western Conference guard with just over 2.6 million votes, trailing only Stephen Curry in the most recent return of All-Star fan voting.

The All-Star Game, which is taking place in Cleveland this year, is just under a month away, taking place on Sunday, Feb. 20. The starters for the All-Star Game will be announced later this week on Thursday, Jan. 27, with the rest of the roster being announced on Feb. 3.

The post Ja Morant on Potentially Being an All-Star: ‘I Deserve This. I Earned This’ appeared first on SLAM.

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Parsons confirmed The Athletic’s Shams Charania’s report that he was retiring after settling a lawsuit from career-ending injuries caused by a January 2020 car accident, per his Instagram. 

Nine-year NBA veteran Chandler Parsons has retired from basketball and his lawsuit from career-ending injuries via car accident in January 2020 has been settled for a substantial amount.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 18, 2022

Parsons was reportedly on his way from practice mid-afternoon on Jan. 15 when he was hit by a drunk driver, causing a three-car crash that eventful day. According to his lawyers, Parsons suffered a concussion, disc herniation, and a torn labrum, permanent injuries from the car accident that forced his career to come to an abrupt end on Tuesday.

Parsons averaged 12.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in his nine-year career. He averaged a career-high 16.6 points per game in 2013-14 during his third season with the Rockets. His accolades include being named to the All-Rookie second team in 2012, being selected as the SEC Player of the Year, honorable mention All-American, and First-Team All-SEC selection in 2011 out of the University of Florida.

The post Chandler Parsons Announces Retirement From NBA appeared first on SLAM.

While Morant flexed in front of the Memphis faithful following his clutch bucket to ice the Grizzlies late victory, his joyful moment was interrupted by a young fan wearing a Stephen Curry jersey who extended his hand out for a dap. As if he were the Grinch who stole Christmas, Morant stared at the boy, talked his talk, and ultimately denied the fan a high-five.

LET EM KNOW, JA! (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/iBrgAB98TZ

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 12, 2022

During his regular postgame media appearance, Morant said that the boy showed an apparent lack of respect for the Grizzlies when he showed up to the FedEx Forum in the enemies’ colors.

“He was disrespectful with that jersey on,” Morant said per ESPN. “We Memphis. It looked like he wanted to cheer, but he had that jersey on. I apologize to him, but in that moment, bro, take that jersey off and then dap me up. Somebody find his information. I’ll send him one myself.”

“Number one, we’re one of the best teams in the league,” said Morant. “I feel like that’s number one. And number two, we’re showing how deep our roster is. No matter what’s thrown at us, we bounce back from it and come out and win games. We’ve got to keep it rolling, continue to play together, continue to battle.”

Now at 29-14 and in the middle of a 10-game win streak, the Grizzlies have undoubtedly gained the attention of the League’s elite after leapfrogging the Jazz for third place in the Western Conference standings. And that’s with Dillon Brooks in and out of the lineup due to injury and virus protocols and Morant missing 12 games after suffering a sprained knee in November.

CALL 12. pic.twitter.com/T7pnA9xzXO

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) January 12, 2022

“They’ve turned into one of the best teams in the league,” Warriors Coach Steve Kerr said, “Building this team from the ground up in the last few years.”

The Grizzlies have grabbed the minds of many due to Morant’s incredible exploits and have gained the attention of the League’s elite as they continue to build on their win streak. Curry, who had multiple entertaining moments with Morant last season, will surely keep this Memphis team on his radar as the Grizzlies grow.

“They’re obviously fueled by everything that Ja (Morant) does and how explosive he is,” Curry said. “They obviously got us last year in the play-in game and got us twice this year, and we got them once, so it’s a natural evolution of a team trying to take that next step.

The post Ja Morant on Grizzlies: ‘We’re One of the Best Teams in the League’ appeared first on SLAM.

The 26-year-old center being so overlooked has riled up Nuggets Coach Michael Malone. During his postgame press conference with media following the Nuggets’ 87-85 to the Clippers, the veteran coach didn’t hold back on the perceived Jokic slander.

“I think he is one of the more disrespected reigning MVPs that I can think of in terms of the attention,” Malone said per ESPN.

“But if you open up the dictionary, look up the word consistency, there’s going to be a picture of Nikola there. That’s going back to the bubble, that’s going back to a 72-game season last year, and this year we knew Jamal [Murray] was going to be out for an extended period. When you add a Michael Porter, when you add a P.J. Dozier to that [injured] list, it even becomes more incredible what he’s doing.”

As of Wednesday, Jokic is putting up 25.7 points, 14.1 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game. As far as analytics goes, Jokic holds a 112.4 offensive rating, 103.6 defensive rating and leads the League in player impact estimate. The Joker is also in the top 5 for usage, assist percentage, defensive rebound percentage, and rebound percentage.

Compared to last season when Jokic averaged 26.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 8.3 assists on 56.6% shooting, Jokic holds even more responsibility with Murray, Porter, and Dozier out with injuries. Like no other time during his Nuggets tenure, how Jokic goes is how the Nugget will go. The Nuggets are currently sixth in the West with a 20-19 record.

A big reason Jokic hasn’t been in the MVP conversation with Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Giannis Antetokounmpo is the Nuggets’ record. The last MVP to win without having a top-three record was 2017 MVP, Russell Westbrook. The former Thunder guard won it after averaging a triple-double, the first since Oscar Robertson did it during the 1961-1962 season but didn’t win the MVP after guiding the Cincinnati Royals to a 43-37 record.

“I mean, Nikola Jokic is not sexy,” Malone said. “He’s just not. There is nothing about Nikola — his wife might disagree. But if you are a true student of the game, a coach, someone that loves the game being played the right way, then you appreciate him at the level that he should be appreciated at.

— But if you appreciate passing, IQ, reading the game, just what he does every night from a scoring, rebounding, playmaking standpoint, and finally, I am starting to hear that he is getting a little more credit as a defender, and it is well deserved.”

The post Michael Malone on Nikola Jokic: ‘One of the More Disrespected Reigning MVPs That I Can Think Of’ appeared first on SLAM.

One factor that has helped Morant succeed as much as he has in the League is his confidence and swag. Morant is known for his aggressive playstyle, preferring to fearlessly attack the basket similarly to former MVPs and legends like Allen Iverson, Derrick Rose, and Russell Westbrook.

“I don’t fear nobody, dawg. I don’t care if you 7’7″ or whatever. I’m coming straight at you.”

For example, In the Grizzles’ 110-106 victory over the Cavaliers, Morant scored six points in the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead field goal that extended the Grizzlies’ win streak to six. Morant’s final tally for the night was a team-high 26 points, five rebounds, and dished out six assists.

On Tuesday, Morant admitted that he loves being the guy to take clutch shots, and as a point guard, knows his job is to make the right play, whether that’s him shooting or passing. Morant has posted 30.7 points and 6.2 assists during the Grizzlies’ six-game win streak. 

why should i be scared? we put on our shoes the same way . https://t.co/4f1W0sPIdt

— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) January 5, 2022

“It was definitely tough to get to the rim against their big guys, but I made some big shots to close it out,” he also said, per ESPN. “It’s a good feeling, knowing everyone has the confidence that I can do it.”

Morant averages 25.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 1.4 steals per game for the year while shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 40.4 percent from the three-point range. His points and steals per game are career-highs, as well as his shooting marks from the field and long-range. The fact Memphis is 25-14 thanks to Morant’s stellar play has led to Desmond Bane, his teammate, giving him high praise.

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“He’s special,” Bane said per ESPN’s Tim Bontemps. “People debate whether or not he should be an All-Star, but I think we should be debating whether he’s the best point guard in the League.”

“I don’t think it’s any question he’s an All-Star. The real conversation is, ‘Is he the best point guard in the league?'”

Bane is having a season worthy of praise himself, averaging 17.6 points per game on 46.7 percent shooting, 41.3 percent shooting from three, and 90.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.

Morant’s stellar season has helped lift the Grizzlies into the top of a competitive Western Conference, currently fourth in the west with a record of 25-14.

The post ‘I Don’t Fear Nobody, Dawg’: Ja Morant Helps to Seal Grizzlies’ Win Over Cavs appeared first on SLAM.

Early in the season, Memphis got off to a rough start struggling to find a notable seed in the East with a 9-10 record. Once Morant went down back in November, the Grizzlies went on a 10-2 run making their way to the fourth seed.

Morant made his return against OKC, a team the Grizzlies destroyed by a historic 73 points a few weeks ago but coincidentally fell short to last night. In turn, Grizzlies fans pinned the blame on Morant telling him to ‘sit back out.’

Despite the turn of events, Morant posted 16 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.

Following the loss, Morant did not shy away from the fact that the lack of support and blame hurt him:

“Even during the game, I was running down the court, and I heard some of my fans courtside tell me I need to sit back out,” Morant said. “So, I just don’t understand what they wanted to get out of that. I feel like that just makes it worse.

“I’m just frustrated. Normally, y’all have seen it, when anybody says something negative about me, it fuels me,” Morant continued. “But, tonight, the remarks from the fans actually hurt. I’m going to do what I normally do and bounce back, and I’m very excited for this next game.”

Later that night, Morant tweeted that he was taking a break from social media “for a while” but later deleted the tweet replacing it with a change of heart that read “appreciate da real ones.”

The post Ja Morant ‘Hurt’ After Backlash From Fans appeared first on SLAM.

Morant, who has already been out with a sprained left knee, missed the last five games for the Grizzlies. He stated to reporters during the Grizzlies’ media day on September 27th that he was vaccinated. According to ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Morant received his booster shot as well.

Ja Morant is fully vaccinated and has had his booster shot, source tells ESPN. https://t.co/p1fz4H1RKm

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 8, 2021

The Grizzlies (14-10) have maintained without their star point guard. They have won their last five matchups, including blowing out the Oklahoma City Thunder (7-16) by a record 73 points in a 152-79 win. Their next game is Wednesday, hosting the Dallas Mavericks (11-12).

The post Ja Morant Enters Leagues Health and Safety Protocols appeared first on SLAM.

On Friday night, Morant left the game following a non-contact in which he couldn’t put weight on his left leg. As Grizzlies fans held their breath, they got good news that it wasn’t a season-ending injury. 

As first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Morant suffered just a left knee sprain, which was great news. 

While there’s timeline yet on a timeline for a return from this left knee sprain, there’s optimism he won’t be out long. Morant amazed those in organization in how he attacked rehab a year ago with a fairly serious ankle injury and will return this season. 

Through 19 games this season, the rising star has averaged 24.1 points, 6.8 assists and 5.6 rebounds per contest. The Grizzlies certainly have the talent to stay afloat in the meantime, but currently have a 10-10 record. 

The post Ja Morant Avoids Major Injury, Diagnosed With Sprained Left Knee appeared first on SLAM.

After Anunoby missed Thursday’s game against the Utah Jazz with a hip pointer, the Toronto Star’s Doug Smith reported that “According to (vice president of player health and performance) Alex McKechnie, it’ll be a while.”

This loss will place more responsibility on the remaining frontcourt players Siakam, Khem Birch, and Chris Boucher, who are healthy` on the roster. Raptors’ head coach Nick Nurse talked about it this week via The Star.

“Pascal’s got to kind of fill in there for OG, a little bit more like he’s probably used to,” Nurse said. “And Khem and Chris gotta bring it, they’re going to have to bring a good 25 minutes each, 30 maybe, somewhere between 25 and 30 for those guys. And other guys got to bring it, too.”

The Raptors have now lost five of their last six games for fall to a 7-9 record going into the road trip. They fell to the Jazz (10-5),119-103, but had a chance to redeem themselves against Sacramento (6-9), Golden State (13-2), Memphis (8-7), and Indiana (6-10).

The post REPORT: Toronto Raptors Lose OG Anunoby With Hip Injury ‘For A While’ appeared first on SLAM.

Kaminsky has stepped up and produced in the last three games in the absence of the Sun’s center, Deandre Ayton, who was ruled out until further notice with a right leg contusion.

As Kaminsky heated up against Portland, fans were in full support chanting what sounded like “let’s go tank” or “let’s go frank”.

While coming off the bench and filling in admirably for the injured Ayton, it looks like Kaminsky has no problem understanding the assignment :

“I want to be who I think I am,” Kaminsky says in a postgame interview following the dub according to Yahoo! Sports.

All five starters reached double figures with Chris Paul being the second-leading scorer in last night’s contest dropping 21 points, seven dimes, and four boards.

The Suns look to extend their win-streak against the Memphis Grizzles (6-5) Thursday

The post Frank Kaminsky Posts Career-High 31 Points In Suns Win appeared first on SLAM.

Brooks broke his left hand during the NBA offseason and has yet to make his season debut.

Jenkins was able to go more in-depth and update Brooks’s status thus far after the Grizzlies 125-118 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“He had a great check-in with the doctors,” Jenkins said Per NBA.com. “The doctor is really proud with his progress, thinks he’s in a great place. Obviously, you know he was assigned and had a simulated game today. [He] looked great in that. He’s checking all the boxes that we have. It’s just a matter of just us and the performance team continuing to figure out when’s the best time for him to come back. Everything’s good; just making sure we’re doing everything. Medically, getting clearance there. Basketball-wise, making sure he’s getting his conditioning right.”

When asked about a specific timetable for Brooks for return, Jenkins stated, “I can’t put a timeline on it. Obviously, we have hopes of when it could be, but we’re just kind of managing day-to-day. I hope he responds well Tuesday, and that will give us more indication on when we could potentially see him back on the floor.”

The longest-tenured player on the Grizzlies roster, Brooks enters his fifth season after averaging 17.2 points last season to go with 2.9 boards, 2.3 dimes, and 1.2 steals over 67 games.

The Grizzlies return to the court Wednesday against the Hornets (5-7).

The post Grizzlies Coach Taylor Jenkins Provides Update On Dillon Brooks’ Return appeared first on SLAM.

After the Lakers’ 121-118 win over Memphis, James mentioned what it was like to play against Williams:

“I looked at Ziaire a couple times and was just shaking my head inside,” James says, per CBS Sports. “Just remembering a year and a half ago, two years, not even a full two years, he was hitting a game-winner to send them to the state championship alongside my son, and going to the game and supporting Sierra Canyon, and one year at Stanford and now he’s here, so it’s a weird dynamic for myself to see something like that but happy for the kid, obviously. But I had a moment for sure.”

Williams, who was drafted in the first-round of the 2021 NBA Draft, is currently averaging 4.0 points and 1.7 in 17 minutes so far this season. At Stanford, Williams averaged 10.7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists.

With the new wave of talent coming into the League, James is set to face another one of his son’s former teammates, Brandon Boston Jr., when the Lakers play the Clippers on Dec. 3.

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“Me, I’m not a big fan on the leaving,” Morant said. “As long as I’m here, I’m here; that’s my focus. Regardless, I’m going to make the best of any situation, continue to just go out with my teammates, win games, play in front of our fans and do whatever I can to continue to bring love.”

When Morant was asked if he believed the Grizzlies “will be able to win,” he responded, “one hundred percent, no question.”

Morant has been one of the most exciting young players in the NBA for the past two seasons. He’s averaged 18.6 points, 7.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds per game and won the 2020 Rookie of the Year award.

This season, Morant has gotten off to a hot start, dropping 37 points in the Grizzlies’ 132-121 season-opening win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The post Ja Morant on the Grizzlies: ‘I’m Not a Big Fan of Leaving’ appeared first on SLAM.

I’m going to retire from professional basketball,” Gasol said during a retirement announcement in Barcelona. “It’s a difficult decision after so many years, but it’s a decision that I thought over.”

Gasol was drafted with third overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, winning Rookie of the Year and making himself a household name as one of the Grizzlies’ first building blocks after their move to Memphis (and leading them to their first playoff series in 2004).

Pau is also noted for his time on the Los Angeles Lakers, where he played alongside NBA icon Kobe Bryant, helping the Lakers win back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.

In his NBA career, Gasol averaged 17.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game while amassing six All-Star selections.

He also has a decorated career overseas, playing for FC Barcelona prior to and following his days in the NBA, and winning multiple medals with Spain’s Olympic team.

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Throughout his storied NBA career, Gasol has played on five different teams, averaging 17.0 points per game 9.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game. Ultimately, Gasol would finish in the top-30 players all-time in career rebounds and blocks and the top-50 all time in career points.

Most notably, Gasol was a crucial part of the Los Angeles Lakers’ back-to-back NBA championships (2009, 2010).

He has also had a hand in helping lead the Memphis Grizzlies to the playoffs for the first time in franchise history in 2004. Rookie of the Year in 2002, Gasol with the third pick in the 2001 NBA Draft out of FC Barcelona.

Gasol, who spent the last two seasons in Spain, playing for FC Barcelona and the Spain national team, is also known for his international achievements where he has won 11 different medals in FIBA competition.

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Morant recently told HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto that he is a top-five point guard in the NBA today. He put himself on that list alongside Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook.

“The point guard position is so loaded. Some guys have to get left out,” said Morant.

The former rookie of the year averaged 19.1 points and 7.4 assists per game last season. While he does need to improve on his 3-point shooting, he certainly is on his way to becoming one of the top point guards in the NBA.

As Morant enters his third NBA season, he has extremely high expectations for himself.

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The deal can’t be finalized until September 15, when Dunn can be eligible to move after recently being traded to Boston in a separate deal last month.

The story was first reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Memphis has agreed to trade forward Juancho Hernangomez to Boston for guards Kris Dunn, Carsen Edwards and a 2026 second-round pick swap, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 3, 2021

Hernangomez was acquired by the Grizzlies a week ago from the Minnesota Timberwolves with guard Jarrett Culver in a separate deal for Patrick Beverley. After signing a three-year, $21 million contract last offseason with the T-Wolves, he averaged 7.2 points and 3.9 rebounds. He injured his left shoulder with the Spanish national team while preparing for the Tokyo Olympics and Minnesota forced him off the team.

Dunn missed most of last season because of injuries after signing a two-year deal with the Hawks last offseason. Boston acquired him last month as part of a three-team deal with the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramento Kings by sending center Tristan Thompson to the Kings. The Celtics also received center Bruno Fernando from Atlanta in the transaction.

Edwards has averaged only 4.0 points in 31 games last season since getting drafted in 2019.

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Tony Allen heard the news on The Chris Vernon Show.

“It’s a dream come true… it’s like a complete honor. I’m thankful.” – @aa000G9 @ChrisVernonShow announced today that both Tony Allen and @MacBo50 will have their jerseys retired this year.

Details: https://t.co/GFSEwFEU7N pic.twitter.com/0QXXaydBgi

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) September 1, 2021

These two players were part of the “Grit and Grind” era which was Memphis’ most celebrated run. The team had seven straight playoff appearances from 2011-17, with a trip to the Western Conference Finals in 2013. 

Randolph was a two time All-Star who averaged 16.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game during his NBA career. While suiting up for Memphis, he led team in scoring three times.

Allen averaged 8.9 points per game during his seven year run in Memphis, but he was the team’s most versatile defender and help create the defensive identity with a hard-nosed, defensive reputation.

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The @memgrizz today announced the team waived Rajon Rondo. pic.twitter.com/AUJSopaKvb

— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) August 28, 2021

The two-time NBA champion has now reportedly signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Rondo “plans” on signing a one-year, $2.6 million deal with the team. Sources claim that he will sign the contract on Tuesday.

Rondo has played two seasons in LA previously and was a member of the 2020 NBA championship team. He averaged 8.9 points per game and shot 40 percent from distance in the bubble during the title run.

This news come shortly after a report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, who tweeted over the weekend that after Rondo cleared waivers on Monday, he was expected to sign with the Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers are the frontrunners to sign Rajon Rondo after he clears waivers on Monday, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Rondo was a key part of the Lakers‘ 2020 championship team. https://t.co/lT4jCtoCXw

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 28, 2021

In his 15th NBA season, Rondo played 45 games between the Hawks and the Clippers, where he averaged only 5.4 points per game. Despite his struggles, Rajon shot a career high 40.4 percent from three-point range.

Rondo will likely be deep on the team’s depth chart at point guard, playing behind LeBron James, Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn.

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Just two days later, the Grizzlies made a secondary move, re-routing Beverley to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Jarrett Culver and Juancho Hernangomez, as first reported by Wojnarowski. 

This gives Minnesota a tough-nosed veteran guard as they attempt to make a playoff push in the 2021-22 season. 

The Grizzlies in return were able to acquire Culver, who was the No. 6 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. While he’s had problems staying healthy and has a questionable jumper, perhaps a new situation will get his career back on track. 

Memphis is putting together one of the most impressive young rosters in the NBA. Last season, Culver averaged 5.3 points and 3.1 points in 14.7 minutes per game. 

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According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the NBA Board of Governors has voted to bring back the play-in tournament for the upcoming 2021-22 NBA season.

The play-in tournament was introduced last season. In the tournament, the 7-10 seeds in both conferences at the end of the regular season play for the final two spots in the NBA playoffs. The structure, per NBA.com, is as follows:

At the conclusion of the regular season but before the first round of the playoffs, the team with the 7th-highest winning percentage in each conference will host the team with the 8th-highest winning percentage in a Play-In Game (the “Seven-Eight Game”). The winner of the Seven-Eight Game in each conference will earn the No. 7 seed.

The team with the 9th-highest winning percentage in each conference will host the team with the 10th-highest winning percentage in the “Nine-Ten Game”. The loser of the Seven-Eight Game will host the winner of the Nine-Ten Game in a Play-In Game, and the winner of that game in each conference will earn the No. 8 seed.

In last year’s tournament, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Lakers both defeated the Golden State Warriors to claim a spot in the first round of the playoffs (Memphis went on to compete against Utah, while the Lakers faced off against Phoenix). As for the Eastern Conference, the Washington Wizards defeated the Indiana Pacers to move on to the playoffs, taking on Philadelphia, while the Boston Celtics defeated Washington to advance, taking on Brooklyn.

The play-in tournament was a controversial addition, with players such as LeBron James coming out in vocal opposition to the tournament.

While some players weren’t fans, NBA fans were more positive about the changes as the play-in game between the Lakers and Golden State Warriors brought in over 5.6 million viewers. Now with the play-in tournament officially back for next year, it appears League officials agree.

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ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Memphis Grizzlies are finalizing a trade that will send center Jonas Valanciunas and both the No. 17 and No. 51 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft to the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe, the No. 10 and No. 40 pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, as well as a top-10 protected 2022 first-round pick (via the Los Angeles Lakers).

BREAKING: Memphis is finalizing a trade to send Jonas Valanciunas and 2021 Nos. 17 and 51 picks to New Orleans for Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe, 2021 picks Nos. 10 and 40 and a protected 2022 first-round pick via the Lakers, sources tell ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 26, 2021

The Pelicans are now free of the $17 million remaining on Bledsoe’s contract.

According to Wojnarowski the deal allows New Orleans to free up salary cap space for August in which they have two options: match an offer sheet on point guard Lonzo Ball or keep the cap space to pursue a productive point guard in a free agency stacked full of them.

Woj also states the Pelicans are intrigued by Valanciunias’ ability to space the floor at center over Adams, a more traditional pivot who averaged 7.6 points and 8.9 boards per game in his lone season with New Orleans.

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Heading into the 2020 NBA Draft, Desmond Bane stuck out like a sore thumb.

In an era where highly-touted high school recruits are unlikely to spend more than a year in college, if they even opt to go the collegiate route, Bane was an unranked recruit out of Seton Catholic High School in Richmond, IN. What’s more, while he would help turn the basketball program into a formidable Big 12 power, Bane played four seasons at Texas Christian University (TCU).

Projected to be a 22-year-old rookie, Bane would have no choice but to fight against the typical refrains.

Questions about his potential and his value when he would be three or four years older than many prospects.

However, seen as one of the most NBA-ready prospects entering the draft due to his intangibles and ability to shoot from distance, Bane fit a valuable 3-and-D wing archetype and was ultimately selected in the first round.

As he was surrounded by family and friends, the Memphis Grizzlies unearthed the hidden gem with the 30th overall pick, and Bane’s journey would take an unforgettable turn.

[Editor’s note: This interview has been condensed for clarity]

Q: What was your experience like jumping from college to the pros? What did you think heading into the draft and how was that situation for you? Especially with it being draft season, what do you think the prospects are doing with their families and trainers?

Bane: It was a stressful time. The draft kept getting pushed back and back. They kept saying we might have a Combine, we may not have a Combine. So it really was just, you know, no certainty throughout the whole process—us as prospects were kind of left in the dark on what was going on.

So I’m just trying to lock in. Stay focused. Keep controlling the stuff that I can control and working on the things that I can do to put myself in the best position whenever that time comes.

But it was crazy. It was crazy.

I lost a loved one through that time as well, so it was a really tough time for me going through that draft process. But, you know, for the guys this year, I’m happy that they’re able to get a true process. They get trainers, they get to do all those things at the Combine, get in front of teams at workouts and things like that. I’m glad they get a true draft process.

Q: When you were leaving TCU that you thought or that your coaches pointed out to you specifically—whether it was intangibles or on-the-court stuff—that would would be best as far as translating to the NBA, besides the shooting?

Bane: I mean, shooting was the main thing and my build, you know, my size. They thought that I was an NBA-ready guard given my size and my strength. But my shooting, yeah, they definitely thought that was something that would carry over to the next level.

Q: So did you expect to have so much success early? There was a time when rookies weren’t getting to much playing time—and you got drafted into a good situation where you’re on a young team—but did you expect to become such a fixture in the rotation and for it to come together so quickly?

Bane: I mean, I didn’t know!

I didn’t know what the draft was going to look like—it was about two weeks before training camp, so I knew I wasn’t going to get a real training camp and opportunity to really showcase what we could do, necessarily. So I didn’t know what to expect.

We had a few injuries early on so I ended up getting an opportunity pretty quickly, right out the gate and I just sort of ran with it.

Q: Did you have a welcome to the NBA moment? Like your first moment when you were like, “OK, this is a little bit different than college.”

Bane: Right! Bron! For sure! Bron!

I mean the first time that we played the Lakers. We played the Lakers about, I would say, five games, six games into the season, so it was still early on, I’m getting a feel for things. And we had played I think maybe one playoff team—one or two playoff teams—and, you know, they were coming off a championship and being hungry for another one.

I think that that was my real “Welcome to the NBA” moment.

There was stretches when I guarding LeBron and I was like man, “this dude is so damn big. Shit crazy.”

But yeah, you know, it was cool. It was cool.

Q: Speaking of LeBron, plenty of guys in your generation look up to Bron but who were the guys you were looking up to when you were growing up watching—whether they’re growing up or retired? Who were your idols as far as basketball—or even other sports?

Bane: Nah, I was a big D-Wade fan. I was an Indiana kid so Reggie Miller. Kobe [Bryant], of course. Like I said, Bron. But those were all the guys.

You know, Reggie was when I just a real little kid, real little kid. I remember all the good Pacers teams with him, Jamaal Tinsley, all and them dudes. Those are probably the dudes I looked up to the most.

Q: Is you being a shooter something about being Reggie Miller fan?

Bane: You know what I’m saying? It makes sense [laughs].

That was my young idol, you know what I’m saying? I’ll go out in the driveway and I’m either saying “Kobe!” or “Reggie!”

One of the two, you know what I’m saying? So it probably did have a little correlation.

Q: What’s it like playing in Memphis, as far as the city? I’ve been up to Tennessee a few times—Memphis a few times but what do you like about the area?

Bane: Bro! So the season was so crazy, I mean I haven’t even really got a chance to get out and about too much. You know, with us playing in the second half of the season, the longest break that we had in between games was one day.

So we’re either playing every other day or it’s a back-to-back. So you know when I was home, I was really at home. You know, just chillin’ and relaxin’ and trying to recover my body.

So now that the summer’s come along and it’s the offseason, I’m excited to get out there and out and about.

Memphis got some good food spots, now I can tell you that. They got some good food spots, they’re big into music out here and stuff like that but I’m a fan. I’m a fan.

You know, I come from a small town—not saying Memphis is a small town but where I live it’s kind of got that slow feel to it. So I’m kind of—I’m chillin’ in my backyard for real.

Just sitting in the backyard relaxing, enjoying the nice weather, watching my dogs run around. That’s my vibe.

Q: Have you been able to have that bonding experience with your teammates with you having so little time between games?

Bane: Of course, and I almost think that it helped, you know? The fact that we was together so much made us even closer ’cause that’s pretty much all we had from December ’til the beginning of June. So I think that made us really close and, I mean, they were already a close group before the rooks had got there but I think we gelled in real nicely.

Q: What’s the dynamic in the locker room like? Who was your vet in your rookie season?

Bane: Man, we had a few!

It was kind of weird because we don’t really have no just old, old dude that’s been around for a long time, you know what I’m saying? So it’s been a little bit of everybody I would say.

You know, Dillon Brooks is a guy that I look up to and talk to the most probably, but there was a few guys.

Ja, of course. Tim Frazier came along at the end, You know, a few guys.

Q: What is it about Dillon Brooks that made you click with him so much?

Bane: I mean, he’s a hard worker. He work hard. That’s what he do.

He was a second round pick and he made a name for himself and I think that means a lot to me coming from a place there was only 20 kids in my high school class and being underrecruited.

I think that’s where it comes from. That bond. Just being overlooked and proving the doubters wrong.

Q: What’s your relationship like with Ja then, ’cause I know he’s another guy with an underdog mentality coming from a mid-major?

Bane: That’s my dawg. That’s my dawg.

Me and him are real close being backcourt partners and it’s obviously extremely important for our camaraderie but having a guy like that, being able to grow with, who’s around the same age as me is huge for us on and off the court.

Fast-forward seven months from the 2020 NBA Draft and Bane has been named to the All-Rookie Second team, ranking first in 3-point percentage (among rookies to average at least 10.0 minutes per game); fifth in made threes (117); eighth in minutes played (1,519); ninth in draft class in total points (625), and in the top-15 of total rebounds (210) and assists (118), and steals (41).

For a small town kids with big dreams—for the underdog who feels overlooked—Bane’s story is an inspiration.

And there’s no person better suited to be a role model than a young man as dauntless as he is compassionate. As humble as he is driven,

“I want people to just understand who I am. Understand who I am not only as a player but, you know, as a person. I really want to be able to do events and things to give to people in the community. I also want to do things for people that are less fortunate.

As far as Nike deals and all that stuff, that stuff comes. It’s what you do on the basketball court. But the stuff that’s important to me is the stuff that I can reach out and do personally—and do hands-on—throughout the community and throughout different places around the country.”

While a deal with Playmaker, sports media and management company, helps Bane to amplify his voice but it’s his message that’s what’s most important.

“I was raised by my great-grandparents (Fabbie and Bob),” says Bane.

“So I want to say that I’m, you know, an old soul in that regard. And all the time, that’s all they really talked about—they preached to me early as a kid that it doesn’t matter if you’re the CEO or you’re the janitor, treat everybody with the same respect. And I think that’s huge to me.

Sometimes people are looked down upon because they don’t have such things in this messed up society, so, I want them to know that I notice them and they’re just as good as everybody else walking this earth.”

[Bane’s great-grandfather, Bob, passed away last July after contracting COVID-19.]

As his aunt, Nsisong Bimpeh, controls his marketing opportunities, setting up community efforts and organizing his day-to-day schedule, Bane has continued finding balance between being a family-oriented man of faith, a pillar of his communities and a professional athlete.

Preparing to suit up for the Nigerian national team this summer as they prepare for Olympic and FIBA play, Bane is busy. Nonetheless, that hasn’t deterred him from hosting basketball camps and community days this summer for underprivileged youth in Memphis and Richmond.

“It was a big emphasis of mine to be able to get in touch with the community this summer just because of COVID and everything throughout the year really hindered us from doing those things. Now that people are getting vaccinated and are able to get out and do some things now, I really want Memphis to know me and I want to get to know Memphis.”

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Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies’ electric second-year point guard, has dazzled fans with his superb playmaking, delicate floaters, and furious, seemingly earth-shattering dunks thus far in the playoffs.

Ja Morant first career playoffs:

30.2 PPG
8.2 APG
48.7 FG%

That’s the highest ever PPG by a Grizzly in a single playoffs. pic.twitter.com/ctVPOOPO3Q

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 3, 2021

Morant impressed in the play-in tournament, leading the Grizzlies to wins against the Spurs and the Warriors. However, in the Grizzlies’ first-round series against the top-seeded Jazz, Morant took his game to a whole new level.

Despite the Grizzlies losing in five games, Ja Morant averaged a staggering 30.2 points (on 48.7 percent shooting) and 8.2 assists per game—the 30.2 points being the highest ever averaged by a Memphis player since the franchise was created.

In total, Morant scored 151 points and accounted for 51 assists— the first player in NBA history to accumulate 150+ points and 40+ assists throughout their first five playoff appearances, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Even though the Grizzlies weren’t able to overcome the combination of Donovan Mitchell’s explosive offense and Rudy Gobert’s stifling defense, Morant remained confident after the deciding Game 5 loss and noted that the Grizzlies are far from finished.

Per Grizzlies broadcast host KJ Wright, Grizzlies head coach Taylor Jenkins noted that after the game, Morant’s first words to the team in the locker room were that of unity and conviction.

“We will be back,” he said.

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In what have been two of the most discussed first-round matchups, Dallas Mavericks floor general Luka Doncic stole the spotlight in the final game of the evening thanks to his 42-point, 14-assist outing.

But was it enough to get past a Los Angeles Clippers team that had won two straight to even the series?

No. 1 Philadelphia 76ers 129, No. 8 Washington Wizards 112

PHI wins series 4-1

The first of three teams to be bounced from the playoffs tonight, the Washington Wizards couldn’t hang with the Philadelphia 76ers even without Joel Embiid playing.

Sharpshooter Seth Curry exploded for a team-high 30 points and Defensive Player of the Year finalist Ben Simmons silenced his critics with 19 points, 11 assists, 10 rebounds, one steal and two blocks. Meanwhile, veteran forward Tobias Harris rounded off a nice first-round series with 28 points and six assists of his own.

Washington showed some promise at points over the five-game series but, ultimately, Philly had too much talent for the D.C.-based squad.

The Wizards got another good game from youngster Rui Hachimura, who had 21 points on 8-for-13 from the field. All-Star Bradley Beal capped off another spectacular season with a game-high 32 points, while Russell Westbrook chipped in 24 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds.

Nonetheless, Washington’s lack of depth proved to be costly down the stretch. The Wizards trailed by just two at halftime, but as the game got deeper, Washington’s starters began to lose steam, and Philadelphia pulled away.

No. 4 New York Knicks 89, No. 5 Atlanta Hawks 103

ATL wins series 4-1

The New York Knicks disappointed a packed Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night when they were the second team pf the day to be eliminated from the playoffs.

In what was a tough series for the big man, Knicks star forward Julius Randle had another disappointing outing for New York, putting up 21 points on 8-for-21 shooting, while also turning the ball over eight times.

Randle finished the playoffs averaging 18 points, 4.0 assists and 4.6 turnovers per game while shooting 29.8 percent from the field—a stark contrast from the 45.6 percent he shot from the floor in the regular season.

Reggie Bullock, who averaged 8.0 points on 37.9 percent shooting from the field and 28.6 percent from 3-point range, started the game off well. Bullock went for 12 points in the first quarter after nailing four shots from beyond the arc; but he was held scoreless for the rest of the game.

The star of the show, 22-year-old point guard Trae Young, put together another masterpiece with a game-high 36 points. Wednesday was the third time in the series where Young scored at least 30 points in the series, as the Knicks defense continued to be confounded by his craftiness.

Atlanta also received double-digit contributions from De’Andre Hunter (15), Clint Capela (14) and John Collins (13) in the points column, while holding the Knicks to 37.8 percent shooting from the field.

The Hawks will be moving to the second round of the NBA Playoffs, where they’ll take on the 76ers.

No. 1 Utah Jazz 126, No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies 110

UTA wins series 4-1

The third and final team to get booted from the playoffs was the Memphis Grizzlies.

Still, just as young guns Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks shined for the Grizzlies throughout the series, the duo was excellent yet again on Wednesday, with both scoring 27 points.

Brooks’ scoring output through the series was impressive, putting up 25.8 points per game on 51.5 percent shooting, and Morant paired that with his 30.5 points per game on 48.7 percent shooting. While Memphis’ season may be over, their young core is only just getting started.

Despite feeling ill coming into the game, Utah Jazz centerpiece Donovan Mitchell handled the Grizzlies with ease, dropping 30 points and dishing out 10 assists.

Defensive weapon Rudy Gobert may have had even more impact than Mitchell though, as the Steiffel Tower notched a 23-point, 15-rebound double-double while blocking three shots.

Despite moving on to the second round, the Jazz didn’t leave the court entirely happy, as starting guard Mike Conley left the game early due to injury. The All-Star’s status moving forward is unclear, but Utah will need him when they take on one of the Dallas Mavericks or Los Angeles Clippers in the Western Conference semifinals.

No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers 100, No. 5 Dallas Mavericks 105

DAL leads series 3-1

Playmaking extraordinaire Luka Doncic rewrote history books at the end of Wednesday night’s slate of games.

Doncic put up a blistering 42 points and 14 assists, scoring or assisting on 31 of the Mavericks 37 made field goals. The only other player to finish with double-digit scoring for Dallas was Tim Hardaway Jr., who had 20 points.

Fifth-year pro Dorian Finney-Smith was hugely impactful for Dallas on the defensive end, helping keep Kawhi Leonard (who shot 7-19 from the field) contained, while snatching the opponent five times and recording a block.

The Los Angeles Clippers, who had even the series at 2-2 following Game 4, kept the game within reach all night. They even cut the Mavs’ lead to one point with under one minute left.

But, in the end, they couldn’t stop Doncic enough to come out on top. Clippers forward Paul George finished with a team-high 23 points, while Leonard and Reggie Jackson (6-12 from 3-point range) each had 20 points.

LA just couldn’t get the buckets to fall on Wednesday night, shooting just 41.3 percent from the field as a team.

Game 6, which will be in Dallas, takes place on Friday, June 4.

The post Post Up: Three Teams Sent Packing appeared first on SLAM.

The Washington Wizards, just one loss away from elimination, were set to fight the 76ers to stay in the playoffs. Following that matchup, the Memphis Grizzlies looked to even the series with the Utah Jazz.

(#1) Philadelphia 76ers 114, (#8) Washington Wizards 122

76ers lead 3-1

The Washington Wizards needed a win Monday night to avoid being the second team sent home from the 2021 NBA Playoffs. Thanks to breakout games from frontcourt studs Daniel Gafford and Rui Hachimura, the Wizards were able to best the 76ers.

Gafford, who made his first start for the Wizards, managed to put up 12 points and block five shots while Hachimura had a 20-point, 13-rebound double-double. Bradley Beal led the Wizards in scoring, dropping 27 points on 9-23 shooting from the field.

On the other side, Philadelphia losing their first postseason game wasn’t optimal, of course. However, the real cause for concern lies with All-NBA center Joel Embiid.

In the first quarter, the four-time All-Star fell awkwardly on his knee, causing him to miss the rest of the game. While the 76ers may not need Embiid to close out the Wizards, Philadelphia may only go as far as Embiid can take them on the rest of their postseason journey.

The positives on the court for the 76ers took the form of Tobias Harris, who had a 21-point outing, and rookie Tyrese Maxey, who finished with 15 points off the bench.

(#1) Utah Jazz 120, (#8) Memphis Grizzlies 113

Jazz lead 3-1

The Memphis Grizzlies couldn’t replicate the underdog success of their fellow eight-seed Wizards on Monday, but they did keep the Utah Jazz within reach all night.

Jazz superstar Donovan Mitchell looked healthy and dangerous, racking up a game-high 30 points and dishing out eight assists. Freshly minted Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson chipped in 24 points, and Defensive Player of the Year finalist Rudy Gobert had 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

The Grizzlies managed to have three players finish with at least 20 points in Ja Morant (23), Jaren Jackson Jr. (21) and Dillon Brooks (21). Memphis had a late surge in the fourth quarter, cutting the Jazz lead to just two with five minutes left to play, thanks largely to a 15-point fourth quarter from De’Anthony Melton.

The post Post Up: Eight Seed Excitement appeared first on SLAM.

SHOWTIME JA. (via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/geI6einfoE

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

At one point in the 2nd quarter, Morant attempted to defy gravity single-handedly but was no match for Rudy Gobert’s timely block. Do you think that stopped the former ROY? Nah. It was clear that Ja was on his Grizzly.

“I’m not afraid,” Morant says, per ESPN. “I mean, that’s his job: to protect the rim. My job when I’m attacking the rim is to go finish. Obviously, he got a good block, but as you seen, I was right back inside the paint.”

LOOK AT THIS pic.twitter.com/c4TkVEDShz

— utahjazz (@utahjazz) May 27, 2021

According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Morant managed to drop double-digit points in every quarter of Game 2, bringing the Grizzlies back from a 20-point deficit in the third to a 2-point Jazz lead. Morant was 15-of-26 from the floor and 15-of 20 from the free-throw line.

His spectacular 47-point performance is the most in NBA playoff history by a player 21-years of age or younger, as well as a franchise record for the playoffs. The only other players to drop 40 in the postseason include previous LeBron James (45), Magic Johnson, Tracy McGrady, and Luka Doncic.

Morant has also placed himself on the list of greats who scored the most points in their first two career playoff games.

Ja is making history pic.twitter.com/y35OJH5BDF

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 27, 2021

“Honestly, it’s not that surprising,” Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell says, per ESPN. “He’s a gamer. He goes out there and competes…Tonight, he was aggressive from the jump. At a young age, for him to be able to have that is definitely special. That’s something that I respect about him and about his game. He doesn’t quit.”

Although Morant finished with 47 pts, 7 dimes, and 4 rebounds, he still wasn’t satisfied with how the night ended. The Grizzlies were outscored by the Jazz in a 141-129 Game 2 loss tying the match-up 1-1.

“We lost,” Morant says, per ESPN. “Obviously it wasn’t enough.”

The Game 3 faceoff will take place on Saturday, with the Grizzlies having a home advantage.

The post Ja Morant Makes Franchise History in 47-Point Game 2 Performance appeared first on SLAM.

The evening started with the Washington Wizards looking to even the series against the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks attempting to do the same against the Atalanta Hawks. The evening game was another one vs. eight seed game, with the Utah Jazz taking on the Memphis Grizzlies.

No 1. Philadelphia 76ers 120, No. 8 Washington Wizards 95

The Wizards looked out of their depth Wednesday night, with the D.C. squad trailing by double-digits almost the entire game. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons each finished with 22 points, and Tobias Harris added another 19 points.

Embiid getting wild after the and-one (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/j6Dgb8cBEa

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

No Wizards player finished with more than 11 points except Bradley Beal, who had a game-high 33 points.

Smooth. (via @WashWizards) pic.twitter.com/zdxamYksgL

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

While the Wizards being down 2-0 in the series is bad enough, the injury to Russell Westbrook could be cause for more concern. Westbrook left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury, and if he’s unavailable for the next two games, that might be a wrap for the WIzards. An altercation between Westbrook and a fan stole headlines when Westbrook confronted a fan who dumped popcorn on him.

Lakers’ LeBron James weighed in as well:

By the way WE AS THE PLAYERS wanna see who threw that popcorn on Russ while he was leaving the game tonight with a injury!! There’s cameras all over arenas so there’s no excuse! Cause if the was on the other . #ProtectOurPlayers

— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 27, 2021

No 4. New York Knicks 101, No. 5 Atlanta Hawks 92

The most exciting game of the evening belonged to the Eastern Conference’s four vs. five seed matchup. The Knicks struggled in the first half containing Trae Young and entered halftime down trailing 57-44. But the Knicks’ offense came alive in the second half, and the defense held the Hawks to under 20 points in both quarters, which eventually gave them the late third quarter.

It was a big night for Derrick Rose off the bench, scoring a team-high 26 points to go along with four rebounds and four assists. Four other Knicks also went double-digit in the scoring column, including Julius Randle, R.J. Barrett, Reggie Bullock and Alec Burks.

I love playoff basketball. (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/P6kJpNtGfh

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

Still, Trae Young had another big night for Atlanta, dropping 30 points and seven assists.

That's NASTY, Trae. (via @ATLHawks) pic.twitter.com/Mo9qBFcXru

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

No. 1 Utah Jazz 141, No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies 129

Offense was easy to come by in the final game of Wednesday night, with a reinvigorated Jazz team dropping 141 points to defeat Memphis. Three players put up more than 20 points for Utah, including Donovan Mitchell (25), Mike Conley (20) and Rudy Gobert (21). Bojan Bogdanovic chipped in an additional 18 points, and Mr. Sixth Man of the Year, Jordan Clarkson, added 16.

Sensation Ja Morant kept the Grizzlies in the game nearly single-handily at points, finishing with 47 points, seven assists, and four rebounds. Dillon Brooks and Jonas Valanciunas both had solid scoring nights, finishing with 23 and 18 points, respectively. Bench scoring was an issue for the Grizzlies, as only 14 points came from their bench all night, and seven of them came from De’Anthony Melton alone.

SHOWTIME JA. (via @memgrizz) pic.twitter.com/geI6einfoE

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) May 27, 2021

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On Wednesday night in the first round of the play-in tournament, he exploded for 23 points and 23 rebounds in an absolutely dominant performance. On the biggest stage of the season, Valanciunas was one of the main reasons Memphis was able to pull off the four-point win. 

This notched his sixth game in a Grizzlies uniform with 20+ points and 20+ rebounds. This puts him second all-time in franchise history behind Zach Randolph (12).

On the Toronto Raptors for the first seven years of his career, Valanciunas was solid, but was just a traditional big man. As the NBA adjusted to a more heavy 3-point game, it wasn’t until his final season on Toronto that he tweaked his game and started stepping beyond the arc more regularly. 

Since then, he’s taken his game to a whole new level. The Lithuanian center is a career .358 3-point shooter. This season in Memphis, he’s converting on .368 of his 0.9 attempts from three per game. While that isn’t a high volume of attempts, it’s enough to keep defenses honest and allows him to space the floor. 

The 29-year-old finished the regular season averaging 17.1 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. Valanciunas is under contract for one more season at $14 million, which is a great value for the Grizzlies for how much he produces. 

Valanciunas and his superstar teammate Ja Morant will take on the Warriors next in a win or go home scenario on Friday night.

The post Jonas Valanciunas Shows Dominance on the Big Stage appeared first on SLAM.

Despite the Grizzles losing to the Clippers, it was still a victorious moment for the third-year player. In 18 minutes of action, Jackson finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

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Jackson, who missing the first 56 games of the season, says it was a win for him to just be back out there on the court.

“As soon as I checked into the game, I couldn’t help but laugh a little bit,” Jackson says. “Just being out there in general was a win for me. Thank God that joint [the first shot] rolled in.”

The 2018 No. 4 pick out of Michigan St. has shined for the Grizzlies throughout his career. Prior to his injury, Jackson was tearing it up in the bubble last season, averaging 17.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.6 blocks per game.

The Grizzlies (29-28) are currently holding onto the 8th spot in the Western Conference, with the Warriors and Spurs only a game behind. Now that Jackson is back and healthy, his return will be a huge addition for Memphis.

The post Jaren Jackson Jr. On Season Debut: ‘Being Out There in General Was a Win’ appeared first on SLAM.

After Monday night’s win over the Chicago Bulls, Ja Morant was asked about Valanciunas’ 26 point, 14 rebounds performance. 

“Jonas is Jonas man…Walking double-double. We’re thankful to having him.”

Valanciunas is quietly averaging nearly 17 points and 13 rebounds per game this season. He’s having the best season of his career on the offensive glass, averaging 4.2 per game. Additionally, he’s added a bit of a 3-point shot to his arsenal, converting on 15 of his 44 attempts this season, good for a .341 conversion rate. 

For a point guard like Morant, playing alongside a big like Valanciunas makes life much easier. Whether he is setting screens for the young superstar or cleaning the glass to push in transition, Valanciunas is a huge key to the success of the Grizzlies.

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The U.S. Team will be headlined by LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets), Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans), Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies) and Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves) — four potential superstars with flair to match their talent. The quartet will be joined by James Wiseman (Golden State Warriors), Michael Porter Jr. (Denver Nuggets), Tyler Herro (Miami Heat), Tyrese Haliburton (Sacramento Kings), De’Andre Hunter (Atlanta Hawks) and Keldon Johnson (San Antonio Spurs).

The World Team will be comprised of R.J. Barrett (New York Knicks), Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards), Facundo Campazzo (Denver Nuggets), Luguentz Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder), Brandon Clarke (Memphis Grizzlies), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (New Orleans Pelicans), Deni Avdija (Washington Wizards), Theo Maledon (Oklahoma City Thunder), Precious Achiuwa (Miami Heat) and Mychal Mulder (Golden State Warriors).

As with the 2020-21 NBA All-Star rosters, there has been rapid response and passionate debates about whether any players were left off that should have been in. Darius Garland of the Cleveland Cavaliers, whose game is easy on the eyes and has been productive for an improved Cavs team, is one such player.

However, while those players may not have received the recognition they (or their fans) desired, those that were awarded the honor of being on the Rising Star were undoubtedly deserving of their spots.

Traditionally, the Rising Stars Game would be played during All-Star Weekend but this year, there won’t be a physical game. The 2020-21 All-Star Game, Skills Challenge, Slam Dunk Contest and 3-Point Contest will all take place on Mar. 7 and aired on TNT.

The post 2020-21 Rising Stars Roster Unveiled by NBA Top Shot appeared first on SLAM.

There’s still no publicly available timetable for his return but the 21-year-old is making progress.

“I have a timetable. It’s not that far, believe me,” Jackson Jr. told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated. “It will probably sneak up on you, but it’s something that remains to be seen.”

The Grizzlies, a fan favorite fringe playoff contender last season, have the personnel to battle for a playoff spot in 2021 but the absence of Jackson Jr., coupled with the loss of Ja Morant to a knee injury of his own, hasn’t helped.

In 56 games in 2019-20, Jackson Jr. averaged 17.4 points and 4.6 rebounds. He did so while hitting .394 from beyond the arc on 6.5 three-point attempts per game.

In addition to the injury update and a thoughtful discussion about the upcoming Martin Luther King Day, Spears confirmed with Jackson Jr. that he did in fact grow over the course of the offseason. He now stands seven feet.

“I just got to be a seven-footer now, man, do seven-foot stuff,” Jackson Jr. joked, “Duck under doors and try to touch the rim without jumping. There’s a bunch of seven-foot bucket list of things I got to check off, like being in Walmart and getting paper towels for ladies.“

The post Jaren Jackson Jr. on Return: ‘It’s Not That Far, Believe Me’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Morant injury came just as he started to show that he was in line for a drastic step forward in 2020-21. Kyle Anderson has filled the stat sheet out of the gates but other returning players, like Brandon Clarke and De’Anthony Melton, have been quiet.

For more information about the numbers behind our Heat Check series, hop over to our main Heat Check 2020-21 post.

Kyle Anderson	16.0p, 8.8r, 3.8a
Dillon Brooks	18.8p, 4.5r, 3.5a
Ja Morant	26.3p, 2.3r, 6.3a
John Konchar	6.0p, 3.0r, 1.7a
Jonas Valanciunas	15.5p, 12.5r, 2.3a
Grayson Allen	4.8p, 2.8r, 2.5a	–
Gorgui Dieng	8.5p, 3.5r, 1.0a
Tyus Jones	5.5p, 2.3r, 2.5a
Brandon Clarke	10.0p, 5.0r, 1.0a
De’Anthony Melton	3.0p, 2.0r, 1.0a

Team-by-Team Breakdown

The post Heat Check 2020-21: Memphis Grizzlies appeared first on SLAM.

Late in the second quarter, Ja Morant landed on his ankle and quickly limped off the floor. Shortly after, he left the court on a wheelchair.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN later reported that Morant’s ankle did not reveal a fracture but the team will await results of an MRI as soon as Tuesday. At that point, we should know more about Morant’s status and how long he might remain off the floor.

Regardless, this will be a huge blow for the Grizzlies. While he came back to join his teammates on the bench wearing a boot on his foot, it’s uncertain what will come of this injury. For a team like the Grizzlies who are looking to make the playoffs after just falling short last season, they will need Morant to come back as soon as possible.

Morant had averaged 36.0 points and 8.0 assists through his first two games of the 2020-21 season, while shooting .583 from the floor.

The post Ja Morant Exits Game On Wheelchair After Ankle Injury appeared first on SLAM.

We broke down the Grizzlies’ depth chart for the 2020-21 season below. We’ve also previously published a summary of the Grizzlies’ offseason.

Biggest Questions

• When will Jaren Jackson Jr. return from injury? He will certainly miss the first part of the season and will be severely missed. In a shortened 72-game season, every game counts.
• How much of a jump will Ja Morant make? It’s expected that guys make a sizable leap in production from year one to year two but especially for guys like Morant. The team will be as good as he is this season.

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

The post Memphis Grizzlies: Projected 2020-21 Depth Chart appeared first on SLAM.

By signing and waiving Smith, they’ll retain his G League rights.

While Smith has seen just 13 games of NBA action over the course of his first two years in the league, he’s a sharpshooting guard with untapped potential. Smith shot .376 for Philly’s G League affiliate last season.

Smith will join a Grizzlies franchise with no shortage of young talent, a team that’s not afraid to utilize their G League squad for developmental reasons.

While the 2020-21 G League campaign is up in the air, the Memphis Hustle are among those that have expressed a desire to play in a G League bubble.

The club waived Marko Guduric in order to facilitate the signings of Smith and fellow free agent signee Bennie Boatwright.

The post Grizzlies Sign, Waive Zhaire Smith appeared first on SLAM.

While Jackson Jr. won’t be ready for the start of the season, Memphis should still be competitive without him. Even with how tough the Western Conference is, the Grizzlies will look to take a step forward and earn their spot in the playoffs.

Grizzlies Roster Additions

Biggest Acquisitions

• Desmond Bane: The Grizzlies were able to acquire Bane, who was the very last pick in theh 2020 NBA Draft. A four-year college player at TCU, he improved his numbers every single season. He will look to continue that trend in the NBA as he develops into a key piece of this young Memphis team.
• Mario Hezonja: As the former No. 5 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Hezonja has never turned into the player we thought he could be. However, as an experienced player who can play both of the forward spots while also being a solid three-point shooter, he was a great pickup for the Grizzlies.

Grizzlies Roster Subtractions

Biggest Losses

• Josh Jackson: After being taken No. 4 overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, Jackson could never get his career on the right track. Trying to jumpstart his career in Memphis, he showed some flashes last season, but won’t be spending a second season with the Grizzlies.
• Anthony Tolliver: As a veteran leader for the Grizzlies during the latter portion of the 2019-20 season, Tolliver showed why he still is earning contracts in the NBA. He converted on .415 of his three-pointers with Memphis, who really valued his ability to stretch the floor.

All NBA Team Offseason Summaries

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According to the official release, the uniforms will feature gold detailing, with asymmetrical style and serving as a tribute to the sounds and artists that defined the deep-rooted heart and soul of Memphis music.

The black background and vertical stripes represent the grooves in the vinyl that Stax Records produced. The gold and turquoise accents on the uniform are pulled from Memphis singer/songwriter Isaac Hayes’ 1972 Cadillac El Dorado.

The “MG” pattern seen throughout the uniform is inspired by African Kente cloth, representing Hayes’ flair for fashion and voice for social activism, while his name is also emblemized just above the jersey tag to represent the mark he left on the design, in Memphis and on the music industry.

For additional insight into the meaning behind the uniforms as well as a more detailed look, check out the uniform landing page.

The post Grizzlies Drop New City Edition Uniforms For Upcoming Season appeared first on SLAM.

The 6’5 guard averaged 12.2 points and 8.3 rebounds per game for the team’s G League affiliate last season and was extended a qualifying offer by the team ahead of free agency.

The move locks in a versatile player out of Purdue Fort Wayne to a team-friendly contract, giving Memphis a depth piece as they look to turn a successful rebuilding project into a contender in the Western Conference.

The post John Konchar to Sign Four-Year Deal with Grizzlies appeared first on SLAM.

Melton averaged 7.6 points per game in his first campaign with the Grizzlies but was similarly productive during his rookie campaign with the Phoenix Suns.

The 22-year-old former No. 46 pick, Charania adds, will now net more money in 2020-21 than anybody in the 2018 class, regardless of draft position.

Melton joined the Grizzlies in the Josh Jackson trade and splits time between the point and shooting guard.

The post Grizzlies to Re-Sign De’Anthony Melton appeared first on SLAM.

Jackson was the No. 4 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft but the Phoenix Suns who drafted him didn’t pick up his fourth-year option. A 2019 trade sent him to the Memphis Grizzlies last offseason and he spent the majority of the campaign paying his dues in the G League.

Jackson showed flashes of his impressive potential while playing spot minutes for the Grizzlies’ big league team before the shutdown. He averaged 16.6 points per game in March.

Jackson is still just 23 years old but off-court incidents have limited his impact in the NBA. By all accounts, Jackson seemed to stay out of trouble in 2019-20 and could mature further in the right situation.

The post Pistons to Sign Josh Jackson to Two-Year Deal appeared first on SLAM.

Kanter will head to Portland while Mario Hezonja and Desmond Bane (the 30th pick in the 2020 NBA Draft) head to Memphis. The Celtics will receive a future draft asset from the Grizzlies.

The move will knock over $5 million off of Boston’s payroll, additional financial flexibility that should come in handy in light of the revelation that Gordon Hayward will not exercise his 2020-21 player option with the team.

Kanter’s last stint in Portland was a productive one. After arriving in Oregon as a buyout season addition, the now-28-year-old averaged 13.1 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.

Kanter’s role in Boston was never as significant as it was in Portland or with the New York Knicks prior to his arrival and he found himself part of a platoon at the position. Now Kanter will backup Jusuf Nurkic on the Trail Blazers.

The post Blazers Acquire Enes Kanter in Three-Team Trade appeared first on SLAM.

Tillie will split time between Memphis’ big league club and their G League affiliate, the Hustle, also located in Memphis.

Tillie has long been an intriguing international prospect but injuries throughout his career at Gonzaga have lessened that to an extent.

The six-foot-ten forward shot .444 from beyond the arc during his NCAA career and will look to produce similarly at the next level.

The post Memphis to Sign Killian Tillie to Two-Way Deal appeared first on SLAM.

For their efforts, the Celtics will receive a pair of second-round picks, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe reports.

More to come.

The post Grizzlies Acquire No. 30 Pick From Boston Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

This year, they’ll have to improve in a different, as they only have the 40th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. Yet, because there’s such a thing as a team having too much youth, Memphis shouldn’t be disappointed by not having a higher draft pick (or more draft picks).

The team’s biggest offseason decision this year will be how to handle Josh Jackson’s free agency.

Jackson, the fourth overall pick in 2017, had the worst season of his young career in 2019-20 but is still just 23-years-old and brimming with potential. After averaging 16.6 points per game in March, Jackson showed that he could be a major piece of Memphis’ core.

Related: Full Memphis Grizzlies 2020 Salary Cap Preview

2020 NBA Draft Picks

Grizzlies Draft Needs

Memphis is a middling team on both sides of the ball but where they really need help is on the perimeter.

The Grizzlies finished the 2019-20 season ranked 23rd in 3-point percentage (.347) and 24th in 3-point attempts per game (31.5) on offense. On defense, Memphis was ranked 24th in 3-point percentage (.365) and 25th in 3-point attempts per game (35.3).

With only three rotation players that were above-average shooters from deep last season (Grayson Allen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Tyus Jones), the most simple way for the Grizzlies to use their second-round pick is on a 3-and-D prospect. If none that Memphis likes are available when they’re on the clock, then a strong perimeter defender would be more useful than a strong shooter.

2020 NBA Draft Prospect Watchlist

What The Mocks Are Saying

Projected Roster

Team-by-Team NBA Draft Guides

More: SLAM’s 2020 NBA Draft Preview

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In addition to a summary for each of the 30 teams (accessible in the link grid below), we’ve also tiered the top NBA free agents league-wide and published a general comparison of all teams’ cap space. Follow @SLAMnewswire on Twitter for constant offseason updates as we head into free agency.

Projected Roster Players

Projected Free Agents

Dead Money

2020 NBA Draft Picks

Exceptions Available

• Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception – $9,258,000

Key Offseason Decisions

• Will Memphis have to match an offer sheet for De’Anthony Melton? He’s a player the handful of teams with cap space could use. Memphis will make him a restricted free agent, but may be forced to match an offer sheet if they can’t quickly agree to a deal themselves.
• What happens with Jontay Porter? Porter was signed mid-season and the Grizzlies have a team option for him for 2021. They could exercise that and continue to develop the talented, but oft-injured big man. Memphis other option would be to decline the option and make Porter a restricted free agent and look to reach a long-term deal.

Projected Team Salary

$130,843,006

It’s all about De’Anthony Melton for the Grizzlies this summer. He’s proven to be a valuable backup combo-guard for Memphis. They’re going to have to pay him, or risk having to match an offer sheet from another team. Look for Memphis to use their MLE to add at least one or two good players for depth, as they make another playoff push. (@KeithSmithNBA)

Cap Space Forecast

-$21,703,006 (7^th out of 30). $23,219,758 under the Luxury Tax.

Team Salary Cap Outlooks

The post Memphis Grizzlies: Salary Cap Space 2020 appeared first on SLAM.

Morant’s victory was nearly unanimous as he received 99 of a possible 100 first place votes. The only other player to receive a top vote was Zion Williamson, who only played 24 regular season games this year.

Even if Williamson had played a full slate of games, Morant’s debut campaign was certainly worthy of the award anyway. He averaged 17.8 points and 7.3 assists per game while leading a young Grizz team within a play-in tournament of the playoffs.

Kendrick Nunn, who was rookie eligible despite technically inking a deal with the Miami Heat in 2018-19, finished second. Nunn established himself as a valuable rotation piece for the Heat early in the campaign and didn’t look back.

Williamson finished third after arriving on the scene with the New Orleans Pelicans in the new year. Had Williamson played a full slate there would have surely been slightly more drama for the top honors. There is currently no set cut off for required games played to be considered for the award.

The fourth player with a significant vote total was Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke who didn’t fail to impress after his junior season at Gonzaga in 2018-19. The springy big man averaged 12.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in a limited workload.

Related: 2019-20 NBA Award Result Tracker

The post Ja Morant Wins 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year appeared first on SLAM.

We’ve broken down how the two teams line up against one another now and how they’ve fared previously this season.

How the NBA’s New Play-In Tournament Works

The Blazers will have the upperhand in the unprecedented battle given that they’ve now settled into the eighth-seed that had alluded them prior to the shutdown thanks to a sluggish start.

The Grizzlies, in contrast, have emerged from a cutthroat battle for the No. 9 seed and will need to steal not just one but two victories in order to advance.

The first game of the play-in tournament will take place on Saturday at 2:30 pm EST. If the Blazers win the tilt, they secure their spot in the bracket. If the Grizzlies win the first matchup, the clubs will play again on Sunday with the victor of that game earning the chance to move on.

Feb. 12, 2020: Grizzlies 111, Blazers 104

Despite the teams both hailing from the West, they only lined up once in the 60-plus games before the shutdown. Memphis won their lone battle, a February 12th affair immediately before the All-Star break.

Rookie Brandon Clarke paced the Grizz in the victory but the Jusuf Nurkic-less Blazers weren’t as healthy then as they are now. It was actually in this pre-Valentine’s Day matchup that Damian Lillard suffered the groin injury that took him out of the forthcoming All-Star Game.

July 31, 2020: Blazers 140, Grizzlies 135 (OT)

The Blazers and Grizzlies connected again in their first taste of bubble action after the four-month hiatus. Here Portland, now at close to full strength, outpaced Memphis in overtime thanks to big games from not only their star backcourt but veritable X-Factors like Carmelo Anthony and Gary Trent Jr.

Leading the way for Memphis in the loss was Jaren Jackson Jr. The unicorn chipped in 33 points, connecting on 6-of-15 threes but it wasn’t quite enough. Jackson Jr. played two more games before he was shelved for the remainder of the season with a torn meniscus.

Status Check

The Grizzlies will be without Jackson Jr. in the play-in tournament and won’t get the opportunity to debut trade deadline acquisition Justise Winslow on account of a hip injury either. It’s unlikely that reserve guard Tyus Jones sees action as well, given that knee issues have kept him out of all the bubble games thus far.

The Blazers will continue to play without swingman Rodney Hood, who suffered a torn Achilles in the regular season and is nowhere close to returning to game action.

Heating Up (Memphis)

• Ja Morant appears to have made the incremental improvements one would expect from a standout rookie between his first and sophomore seasons. Scary. Morant, still very much a rookie, is scoring more in Orlando, flirting with double digit assists on a nightly basis and has generally put a Western Conference playoff contender on his 21-year-old shoulders.
• Dillon Brooks, who has never been one to float passively through an offensive possession, has stepped up admirably in the absence of Jaren Jackson Jr. The 24-year-old is averaging 20.1 points per game in the bubble and can lead the team in that column any night out.
• Grayson Allen has thrived in the bubble, especially considering that it wasn’t even a sure thing that he’d even suit up given the hip injury he suffered in late January. Allen’s 13.6 points per game, including a .480 mark from beyond the arc, has fortified a rotation that will welcome all the help it can get in its first real taste of meaningful basketball.

Heating Up (Portland)

• Damian Lillard is averaging a herculean 37.6 and 9.6 in the bubble and he’s not just padding his stats either. Lillard has been unstoppable in must-win game after must-win game. He’s scored 41, 61 and 51 points in his last three games.
• Jusuf Nurkic was ready to return to action in the spring so the fact that he gained an additional four months of recovery time made his comeback that much more impressive. The big man has been better than ever at Disney World, averaging 17.6, 10.3 and 4.0.
• Gary Trent Jr. has evolved from a fringe rotation piece to an outright scary second-tier scoring option. Don’t expect Trent Jr. to lead the way on offense every time out but he’s averaged 16.9 points per game in the bubble and can hurt an opponent that focuses too much on shutting down his teammates.

Why Root For The Grizzlies?

The Grizzlies have transitioned from their beloved Grit-n-Grind squad to one of the league’s most enviable young rosters in the blink of an eye and they’ve done so without fluke luck or any abnormally bold home run swings. Taylor Jenkins has built a winner out of a well-drafted, thoughtfully constructed roster in his first big league head coaching gig.

While the Grizzlies represent a responsibly executed rebuild, Morant deserves no shortage of attention for his role in dragging the Grizzlies into the playoff conversation. When future hoops fans look back on perennial All-Star Morant’s legacy, this campaign will be a major part of his origin story.

Why Root For The Blazers?

The beautiful thing about sports is that everything is earned and nothing given. Still, the mere concept of the Blazers not making into the playoffs just feels wrong. It’s hard to make a case that Portland isn’t a top-eight team in the West given that they made it to the conference finals last year. (Seriously, try it). It gets even harder when you consider the return of Nurkic to the lineup.

Portland’s arguably higher ceiling, then, could make for a more compelling first-round matchup with the Lakers. Throw in the side narrative of Anthony squaring off against long-time friend LeBron James in his bounce back campaign after years in hoops purgatory and it’s hard to resist.

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In the official release, the Grizz say that Jackson Jr. made an unstable landing after making contact with another player. He’s respected to make a full recovery.

The season-ending injury is the sophomore’s second such setback. The 21-year-old’s rookie campaign was cut short due to a bruising issue with his right thigh.

Jackson Jr. made progress in his second year in the NBA, more clearly establishing himself as a unicorn-type perimeter threat. He averaged 17.4 points per game this season, on 6.5 three-point attempts.

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Winslow fell during an intra-squad scrimmage and won’t get the opportunity to strut his stuff for his new team. Winslow arrived in Miami in the Andre Iguodala trade but didn’t play prior to the shutdown on account of a back injury.

Winslow was close to making his return from the back injury in March prior to the suspension of the season.

In just 11 games for the Heat prior to the trade deadline, Winslow averaged 11.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. His addition fortified Memphis’ already intriguing young core.

Winslow has a team option on the final year of his contract next season worth $13M.

With Winslow now out of the fold for Memphis, Josh Jackson could step into a larger role during the extended campaign. The No. 4 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft averaged 10.4 points per game in 18 contests for the Grizzlies before the hiatus.

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In five contests for the team, Tolliver averaged 5.4 points and 19.2 minutes. The veteran also logged time with the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings earlier in the season.

The Grizz will look to harness Tolliver’s value as a respected defender and potent deep-ball threat as they stave off challenger’s hungry to sneak into the Western Conference playoff picture.

Memphis currently holds the No. 8 spot with a 3.5-game lead over several teams but will need to increase that lead to greater than four games if they hope to avoid a play-in tournament with the No. 9 team.

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Porter played college basketball at Missouri like his older sibling but after a 2017-18 campaign in which he was named to the SEC All-Freshmen team, a knee injury derailed his NCAA career.

Porter didn’t play at all in 2018-19 and went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Porter’s deal is guaranteed for this season and comes with a team option next year, The Athletic’s Omari Sankofa reports, which gives the 20-year-old plenty of time to rehab with the organization with a goal of being healthy enough to participate in training camp next fall.

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The deal, Shams Charania of The Athletic adds, is a 10-day pact.

The 35-year-old has long been a subject of speculation as a potentially valuable depth piece for a contender looking to add a defensive presence at the end of their bench.

Noah worked out with the Los Angeles Lakers before they signed Dwight Howard and he was in touch with the Dallas Mavericks when they were shorthanded earlier this season.

Noah fills a large hole for the Clippers as their current roster lacks a premier defensive stopper in the low post. While Noah’s days as an All-Star are in the rearview mirror, he showed his value as a verbal, defensive quarterback as recently as his brief run with Memphis last year.

The Clippers were one of the NBA teams with available roster spots and thus won’t have to make a subsequent move to accommodate Noah.

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The presumptive favorite for the award says he is only concerned about leading Memphis into the playoffs.

Morant, 20, finished with 13 points Monday night in the Grizzlies’ 127-88 road blowout of the Atlanta Hawks.

Per The AP:

“We’ve got to come out from the jump, even if we aren’t making shots,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said. “They got out of the slump there. And then we just kind of found a groove.”

Trae Young led Atlanta with 19 points on 5-of-17 shooting.

Morant said he enjoyed facing Young for the first time in a matchup of young stars at point guard.

“I study his game,” Morant said. “After every game I text him. I just signed a jersey for him. Said, ‘Next generation.’”

Related Ja Morant: ‘Doubters Said I Couldn’t Shoot. I’m Proving Them Wrong’

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Tolliver will sign a 10 Day contract with Memphis. The 6-foot-8 Tolliver was recently waived by the Sacramento Kings. The Kings had previously acquired Tolliver from the Portland Trail Blazers in a trade in late-January.

In reduced role with Portland and Sacramento, Tolliver has averaged just 3.3 points per game this season. He’ll have a chance to have an impact in Memphis however, as Kyle Anderson and 10 Day signee Jarrod Uthoff are the only healthy power forwards on the Grizzlies roster.

Charania also reports that Memphis will waive Jordan Bell. This is how the Grizzlies will free up the roster spot to sign Tolliver. Bell has appeared in just two games for Memphis after being acquired at the trade deadline in a swap that send Bruno Caboclo to the Houston Rockets.

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Uthoff has previously played in the NBA, as he was with the Dallas Mavericks during the 2016-17 season. Uthoff signed a pair of 10-day deals with Dallas, before signing for the remainder of the season in late-March 2017. Over the course of nine appearances, Uthoff averaged 4.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in just under 13 minutes per game.

Uthoff will be the second call-up, joining Hannahs, from the Memphis Hustle, the Grizzlies G League affiliate. Memphis has made good use of the Hustle, since founding the team in time for the 207-18 season, with development of their younger players and call-ups. This season, the Hustle are atop the Western Conference with a record of 26-11.

The 6-foot-9 Uthoff has been a big part of the Hustle’s success. He’s averaged 18.9 points and 10.7 rebounds in 34 games, all starts. Uthoff has extended his range since his original NBA call-up and is hitting 36.7% from downtown on 5.5 attempts per game.

The Grizzlies are adding additional depth to their frontcourt, as they’re currently without Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke and Justise Winslow. In addition, Memphis is without guard Grayson Allen.

If the Grizzlies stay down four players for a minimum of three games, they can petition the NBA for an additional roster spot via the hardship exception. Memphis is no stranger to the hardship exception, as they’ve had up to three additional roster spots in recent seasons due to injuries.

The post Grizzlies To Sign Jarrod Uthoff To 10-Day Contract appeared first on SLAM.

While Hannahs has been a mainstay with the nearby Hustle, averaging 21.3 points per game, he’s seen big league action previously. The Grizz inked Hannahs to 10-day pact last season and he saw action in two NBA games.

Hannahs caught on with the team again in training camp and was among the team’s final cuts.

The 26-year-old was undrafted in 2017 after playing college ball at Arkansas and Texas Tech.

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