Ja Morant Throws Bold Shade at Western Conference

Not even the Golden State Warriors have Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant concerned
Ja Morant Throws Bold Shade at Western Conference
Ja Morant Throws Bold Shade at Western Conference /

Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is one of the most openly confident players in the NBA, and that was on display in a recent interview with ESPN's Malika Andrews. When asked which teams this season look like difficult opponents he and the Grizzlies will have to go through, Morant answered with just one team, the Boston Celtics. When asked about the Western Conference, Morant said, "Nah. I'm fine in the West."

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The Grizzlies are currently 19-11, which is tied for first-place in the Western Conference. While they are off to a great start, and haven't even been very healthy, this still feels like a wild statement from Morant. Memphis possessed a similar level of confidence last season when they were the second seed, but Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors sent them home in round two. Now just 30 games removed from that early exit, Morant is no longer worried about the Warriors or anyone else in the West.

While some still point to Morant's injury as a turning point in last year's Western Conference Semi-Finals series, the Grizzlies were getting blown out at the time he went down, and showed no real signs of being on the level of the eventual champs. While Morant's confidence is understandable, it feels like the Grizzlies should have an appropriate level of fear for at least a few teams in the Western Conference.

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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.