Ja Morant Says Grizzlies Were Favorites vs. Warriors In 2022 NBA Playoffs: “It Was Pretty Much Our Year But That Injury Cause Me To Be Out"

Ja Morant boldly claimed the Memphis Grizzlies were favorites over the Golden State Warriors in their 2022 NBA playoff matchup.

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Ja Morant is constantly making bold claims, and he's never afraid to back them up, no matter who gets offended by them. However, this time, it will take some time before he can confirm that the Memphis Grizzlies are serious championship candidates, as he recently claimed. 

Following a magical regular season, the Grizzlies were ready to confirm they were a solid unit, good enough to challenge the Phoenix Suns for supremacy in the West and whoever came out victorious from the East. It seemed like they would make a deep playoff run, but then the Golden State Warriors showed up and destroyed their plans. 

Ja was inactive for a big chunk of that series due to an injury, which made things easier for the Warriors. They beat the Grizzlies in six games before taking care of Luka Doncic in the Western Conference Finals and the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals to secure another title. 

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Ja Morant Believes The Grizzlies Were Favorites Against The Warriors Last Season 

Morant knows the Grizzlies missed a big opportunity to make a statement and send Stephen Curry and co. home with their hands empty. Well, during a recent interview, the former Rookie of the Year claimed that his team was the favorite to win that series, but his injury changed everything for both teams. Talking on The Pivot Podcast, the All-Star point guard had this to say (15:20):

“In my three years, I had an injury that took me away for a while, and obviously, late in the playoffs, that injury took me out of the series, and I felt like me personally and my teammates, we were the favorites in that series. It was pretty much our year but that injury cause me to be out,” he said. “And now you have to change lineups and you know guys playing without me. I feel like that’s the most frustrating part for me. You know, being out there and not being able to compete.”

It would have been interesting to see how different things would have been if Ja didn't get hurt. The Grizzlies were the team that pushed the Warriors the most, even more than the Boston Celtics. Perhaps, if Ja didn't go down, they would have shocked the world and sent the Dubs back to the Bay. 

Well, this upcoming season, they'll have the chance to prove that they are one of the best teams for the future and compete with the Warriors again while trying to take down other contenders like the Suns, Nuggets, Clippers, Mavericks and more.