Even though Ja Morant only participated in nine games during the current season, he still managed to place in the top ten of the NBA All-Star fan poll.
Morant was ranked ninth among guards in the Western Conference when the final vote statistics were disclosed on Thursday night, at the same time that the starters were announced. Because he did not receive any votes from the media and finished in fifteenth place in the player poll, he was ranked ninth most popular overall. The starting lineup is decided by the votes of the fans, the players, and the media, with the votes of the fans being counted twice as much.
There were eleven votes cast for Morant by the players. Desmond Bane’s score was twenty-two. The individuals who were awarded one were Marcus Smart, Vince Williams Jr., and John Konchar.
Both Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have been selected as starting for the Western Conference in the position of guard.
However, Jaren Jackson Jr. received 22 player votes, although no Grizzlies player even came close to making it in the frontcourt. Xavier Tillman Sr. received six points, Bismack Biyombo received three, and Santi Aldama received eleven points. Steven Adams, who has not played at all this season, received seven points.
Each of Ziaire Williams, David Roddy, and Brandon Clarke, who has also been out of action for the entirety of the season, received one.
The reserves are decided by the coaches.
Despite the fact that Morant was unable to participate in the All-Star game due to a shoulder injury on January 8, he received consistent support throughout the voting process throughout the entire season. Because of his behavior that was damaging to the league, he was suspended for the first 25 games of the season. However, the Grizzlies had improved their performance when he returned in December, and they went 6-3 when he was in the lineup.
See were. Ja Morant and other Memphis Grizzlies finished in the NBA All-Star voting.
Veteran center Steven Adams was ruled out for the season before the first game due to a knee injury, Brandon Clarke has yet to play this season due to ongoing recovery from an Achilles injury, Marcus Smart is out indefinitely due to a finger injury, and Desmond Bane was recently ruled out for a few weeks due to an ankle sprain. Nothing has gone right for the Grizzlies this season, which has resulted in their collapse.
However, the Grizzlies received a relatively encouraging report on Wednesday morning, indicating that Morant is gone for the season. Memphis requested for a Disabled Player Exception due to Morant’s injury, and the league granted them a $12.4 million exception that can be used by March 11 of this season.
In terms of what this means for the Grizzlies, the Disabled Player Exception resulting from Morant’s injury permits the franchise to pursue a player earning up to $12.4 million this season. Essentially, given that Morant is not returning, the Grizzlies can aim to enhance their roster for the time being. However, the Grizzlies can only use this exception to sign a player for the rest of the season. It is still possible to trade for a player.