Inside The Warriors

Ja Morant: Grizzlies 'Had' Series Against Warriors Before Injuries

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant believes injuries stopped them from beating the Golden State Warriors

Joey Linn

© Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

While many hoped that last year's Western Conference Semi-Finals matchup between the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors could finally leave the spotlight, it is somehow still a topic of discussion. When asked about it on Thursday, Grizzlies star Ja Morant reiterated his belief that Memphis "had" that series against Golden State before injuries turned it the other direction.

This series has been talked about far too much, especially when it comes to conversations like these. The Warriors understandably took some shots at Memphis after they won the title, but since then, there have been several instances of Grizzlies players circling back to that series, and even taking exception with Golden State's comments after the Finals.

The injury discourse has dominated most of these discussions, with Morant himself believing that Memphis would have won if he did not get hurt. While it's understandable for Morant to feel that way, nothing from the series indicates that Memphis would have beaten Golden State if Morant didn't go down. Steph Curry was on a mission during the playoffs, and nobody was stopping him.

Now in an entirely new season, it feels as if everyone would be better off if last year's Western Conference Semi-Finals series was left in the past. Perhaps these two teams will meet again this year, and if they do, hopefully health will remain clean for both sides.

For now, Morant still believes his team would have won last year if not for injuries.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Title: Credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation Email: joeylinn52@gmail.com Education: Communication Studies degree from Biola University Location: Los Angeles, California Expertise: NBA analysis and reporting Experience: Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA for Sports Illustrated's FanNation. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined Sports Illustrated's FanNation to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams during his time in school. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts, combined with his excellence in the classroom, earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time across multiple platforms, primarily serving as a credentialed Clippers beat writer.

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