Grizzlies 'hopeful' Ja Morant will return to play Wednesday

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Grizzlies anticipate that All-Star point guard Ja Morant, who rejoined the team Monday after serving an eight-game suspension, will play in Wednesday night's home game against the Houston Rockets.

«We're hopeful for Wednesday, so long as everything medically clears out,» coach Taylor Jenkins said before Monday's game against the Dallas Mavericks.

Memphis opted to hold Morant out of Monday's game to allow him time to ramp up his conditioning after he was away from the team for two weeks. He was not able to work out during the week and a half that he spent at a Florida counseling facility after live-streaming video of himself holding a firearm while appearing to be in an intoxicated state at a Denver-area nightclub in the early-morning hours of March 4. He was suspended eight games for conduct detrimental to the league.

Jenkins said Morant addressed his Grizzlies teammates and the coaching staff on Monday but declined to go into details about the discussion.

«The reception was great,» said Jenkins, whose team went 5-3 during Morant's suspension. «Everyone welcomed him with open arms. Excited to have him back.»

Morant, who leads Memphis with 27.1 points and 8.2 assists per game, also did some individual work Monday and scrimmaged with Grizzlies reserves and staffers. He will participate in practice Tuesday.

«You can't simulate an NBA game, but you try to do the best you can,» Jenkins said. «So trying to get as much full-court action as possible — that was the main goal.»