After a disappointing year due to injuries, the Grizzlies are gearing up for a major bounce-back ahead of the 2024-25 NBA season. ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith believes in the Grizzlies, or more specifically Ja Morant. However, he doesn’t believe in the team enough to elevate them above the Lakers.
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On ‘First Take’, Smith, along with co-hosts Shannon Sharpe and Cam Newton, took questions from Tennessee State students. One student asked the trio whether the Grizzlies would be better than the Lakers, to which they responded emphatically. Smith said,
“Ja Morant is going to wreak havoc… He’s going to hurt a lot of people in the league reminding everybody just who the hell he is. But I don’t think Memphis has enough.”
Although Smith didn’t believe the Grizzlies would be better, he displayed great faith in Morant. The guard only played in nine games last season due to a suspension and then a season-ending shoulder injury.
Both teams haven’t made drastic roster changes but rely on continuity. However, the Lakers’ change in coaching gives them the benefit of the doubt in Smith’s mind.
Smith iterated that he believes JJ Redick will “surprise a lot of people” with his ability to thrive in his rookie season as coach. He has already implemented major improvements to the Lakers’ offense by incorporating plays from the playbook of legendary UConn coach Dan Hurley (who was, funnily enough, in contention for the Lakers job at one point).
JJ's first preseason play for the Lakers – stealing Dan Hurley's "Skip" concept out of Horns. pic.twitter.com/uYNiUuM19m
— Coach Gibson Pyper (@HalfCourtHoops) October 5, 2024
Sharpe remained firm in his belief that the Lakers would be better than the Grizzlies. He highlighted Anthony Davis’ ability to perform against the best bigs as the deciding factor in his eyes. On the other hand, Newton didn’t make a prediction. He displayed his intrigue in the Grizzlies due to Morant’s preparation for the upcoming season. He said,
“This is really the first time, Ja Morant has had a quiet offseason. What does that look like?”
Morant’s change in perspective alludes to a different approach ahead of the upcoming season. As a result, could be a cause of danger for competing teams.
Morant is ready to win a championship
The down-year from Morant gave the electric guard plenty of time to reflect on himself and the current state of the Grizzles. Now fully healthy, Morant has developed into the leader he wasn’t ready to become in the past.
Before the start of training camp, Morant made a declaration of what the expectations are for Memphis in the 2024-25 season. Without hesitation, he declared that the Grizzlies need to be prepared like they are a “championship team.”
Morans and Co. are the biggest wild card in the NBA. They have the potential to shake up the race for Western Conference champions. The SportsRush even made three bold predictions for Morant’s Grizzles for the upcoming season.
Yes, First Take hosts may not believe in Memphis, but all it does is add more fuel to the fire for the Grizzlies to prove the doubters wrong.
