Ja Morant, the Memphis Grizzlies’ star point guard, missed out on a chance to earn a supermax contract after not making an All-NBA team for the 2022-23 season. Morant’s five-year, $194.3 million extension could have been upgraded to a supermax deal had he made the All-NBA team.
However, ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted that Morant wasn’t the only player to miss out on the supermax opportunity as Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors, and Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets were also eligible but were not All-NBA honorees.
Ja Morant failed to make an All-NBA team this season and will be ineligible for a super-max contract. pic.twitter.com/B9vTPqaMTo
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 10, 2023
Siakam was one of the notable omissions in the forward category despite averaging 24.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game while leading the league in minutes played per game for the second consecutive year. The Raptors’ record of 41-41 may have affected his and VanVleet’s chances. VanVleet and Murray had to compete with other talented guards for a spot in the All-NBA team, and unfortunately, missed out as well.
Morant, who is a two-time All-Star, averaged 26.2 points, 8.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds per game and helped the Grizzlies secure the second-best record in the Western Conference (51-31). However, he was unable to secure one of the six guard spots on the All-NBA team.
Morant’s eight-game suspension for “conduct detrimental to the league,” which occurred after he shared a video of himself holding a handgun at a Denver-area nightclub, may have influenced some voters.
Under the new collective bargaining agreement, players must meet specific criteria, such as a minimum number of games and minutes played, to be eligible for individual awards and All-NBA teams. This means that some notable players, like Stephen Curry or Giannis Antetokounmpo, could miss out on the All-NBA team due to not meeting the necessary criteria in future seasons.
Despite the new criteria, many will have advanced knowledge of players’ eligibility through observation, and it is still likely to be shocking to see top performers excluded from the All-NBA team due to game time limitations. The NBA’s new rules ensure that players must consistently meet specific criteria to be considered for individual awards and All-NBA teams, ultimately impacting their salaries and future prospects.
The All-NBA Snub: Ja Morant’s Response and Motivation for the Future
The NBA’s announcement of the All-NBA teams for the 2022-23 season was met with disappointment for Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant. Despite his impressive statistics and leading the Grizzlies to a 40-21 record in the games he played, Ja Morant was not selected for any of the three teams.
In response to the snub, Ja Morant tweeted “bet” followed by a single emoji of a person shrugging their shoulders. He also retweeted two other tweets that suggested he was overlooked for the honor.
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) May 10, 2023
Ja Morant’s exclusion from the All-NBA teams could have significant financial consequences for him. Before the teams were announced, ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted that Morant’s five-year, $194.3 million extension could have become a supermax deal had he been selected for one of the teams.
No All-NBA selection for @JaMorant despite finishing the season 11th in points per game and 5th in assists per game.
Ja Morant is right back to where he plays at his best – underrated and under-appreciated. A monster bounce-back season for 12 is incoming. pic.twitter.com/rPZU06YZ4c
— Brandon Nwokeji (@brandon_nwokeji) May 10, 2023
Despite missing out on the All-NBA honors, Morant received votes from the panel of media members who voted for the teams. He received 10 second-team votes and 14 third-team votes, totaling the most points among the guards who were left off the three teams. This recognition shows that Morant’s talent is highly respected in the league.
While the news is undoubtedly disappointing for Ja Morant, it is also likely to motivate him to perform even better in the next season. As he and his team gear up for the 2023-24 campaign, Ja Morant will have this snub and the Grizzlies’ early elimination from the playoffs as fuel to potentially propel him to even greater heights.
