A few days ago, Tony Allen made an appearance on Showtime Basketball’s Certified Smoke podcast. At one point in the episode, the panel asked Allen, the former defensive specialist of the NBA, to reveal his picks for the 2024 NBA Finals. The Memphis Grizzlies legend displayed his loyalty to the Grizzlies, selecting the Tennessee side. In fact, Tony seemed rather confident in Taylor Jenkins’ boys, despite the fact that Ja Morant will be serving a 25-game suspension to begin the 2023-2024 season.
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Ja Morant was under severe scrutiny when he flashed a firearm during his visit to a nightclub in Denver. As a result, the commissioner decided to slap the youngster with a hefty penalty – suspension for the final eight games of the season. However, Morant learned nothing during that period of what was supposed to be for self-reflection. Later, the 2020 Rookie of the Year was seen waving a gun during an Instagram Live session. Adam Silver decided to punish the 6ft 3” guard with a costlier punishment – a 25-game suspension. This alone will cost him $7,600,000.
Allen picking the Grizzlies to reach the NBA Finals despite Morant’s suspension seems rather absurd. Even Kevin Garnett and the remaining members of the panel were taken aback after hearing the 41-year-old reveal his pick.
Tony Allen picks the Memphis Grizzlies to reach the NBA Finals, despite Ja Morant’s suspension
During his appearance on the Certified Smoke podcast, Tony Allen left everyone surprised after displaying faith in the Memphis Grizzlies. Even before Allen would reveal his pick, he was sure that the panel would “hate his answer”. However, despite the hysterical reaction he received from everyone, ‘The Grindfather’ went ahead with his explanation.
“I know you probably gon’ hate my answer too. (Memphis) Yes. But I mean you look at the adversity that’s in their way, I think they overcome that. Ja Morant, must-see TV. And then listen, you got my boy D-Rose [Derrick Rose] over there…”
The panel couldn’t stop laughing when they heard Allen’s answer. Stephen Jackson even felt it necessary to remind the 2008 NBA Champ that he didn’t have any more obligations toward the Grizzlies franchise.
With the likes of talented youngsters such as Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane leading the squad, the Grizzlies are certainly an exciting team. Additionally, the acquisition of Derrick Rose and Marcus Smart will also likely prove to be crucial.
However, with Morant missing out on almost a third of the season, it will be very difficult for Memphis to finish the regular season with a high seed in the West. And given how stacked the West seems to be, the implications of such a situation could be more detrimental than even Allen realizes.
That said, Morant himself doesn’t seem to have been deterred from the ultimate goal in the NBA.
Ja Morant revealed his desire to win the Championship
Every player in the NBA wants to lift the coveted Championship trophy. A few years ago, after witnessing Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy, Ja Morant expressed his desire to win the Championship on X [formerly Twitter], simply posting three words to relay his intentions.
It isn’t all that unreasonable to back the Memphis Grizzlies to win it all. After all, the team has the perfect blend of experienced vets and energetic youngsters. Admittedly, while Morant will miss out on a significant number of games, this Grizzlies roster has the potential to upset some of the biggest powerhouses in the league. Still, how they will fare over 82 games remains to be seen.
