Ja Morant made a bold statement when discussing his view on the Memphis Grizzlies and their path to reaching the NBA Finals.
Without even considering the Western Conference competition, Morant made his stance loud and clear. He isn't remotely worried about any fellow conference opponents. Instead, the All-Star point guard has his eye on the defending Eastern Conference champs.
"The Celtics," Morant said on ESPN's "NBA Today" program. "... I'm fine in the West."
That's bold, to say the least.
Considering the Grizzlies -- with Morant -- haven't surpassed the conference semi-finals round of the NBA playoffs. With just one playoff series victory -- in five games -- against the Minnesota Timberwolves to show for, calling out the Celtics is a wild move. Yet, Morant's confidence is understandable.
Several star-studded organizations such as the Golden State Warriors (15-17), Minnesota Timberwolves (16-15) and Los Angeles Lakers (13-17) have been underwhelming. Whether it's fair or not to discredit the Grizzlies, as a result, is for a whole other conversation. However, until the expected contenders dig themselves out of their early standings deficits, Morant's feelings will continue to be warranted.
This season, Morant is on track for a career-best campaign. He's averaged 27 points, 6.4 rebounds and 7.8 assists -- all career highs -- through the first 25 games. The Grizzlies, who next play Friday against the Phoenix Suns, have stepped up. Memphis (19-11) sat second in the West as of Wednesday, only trailing the Denver Nuggets (19-11) with identical records.
The Celtics defeated the Grizzlies in their first regular season matchup on Nov. 7. They'll both meet for a second and final time on Feb. 12 in 2023 at TD Garden.
