Who would have thought that Morant, the "gun king" who was banned for 25 games, had just returned from the ban and gave his opponent a "fatal shot". On Dec. 20, the Grizzlies defeated the Pelicans 115-113, and Morant completed the final kill. In the whole game, Morant scored 34 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals, and his condition was visible to the naked eye.
Previously, Morant was banned from the league for 8 and 25 games respectively for holding a gun during the live broadcast twice. So it wasn't until Game 26 of the Grizzlies season this season that he finally returned. Morant is really stupid off the court, but Morant in the game is really strong. He doesn't need to use the game to adjust his form at all, and he goes straight back to the top.
Before this game, the Pelicans were ranked seventh in the West with 16 wins and 11 losses, and according to the pattern of this season, they are definitely strong contenders for the playoffs, and the Grizzlies, who are finally fully playing, also let people see the strength of competing for the playoffs. With Morant's absence, the Grizzlies have had a poor start to the season, finishing last in the league with 6 wins and 19 losses in their first 25 games. But with Morant's return, the Grizzlies can really look forward to making the playoffs.
First, Morant is already the league's top guard. In the 2021-22 season, Morant, who is in the third year, has been selected for the second team of the season, and his explosive dunk will always be the first choice for the top ten balls of the day. Last season, he also averaged 262 points 59 rebounds and 81 assist, the Grizzlies have maintained their playoff qualification for the past three seasons.
In the past 2 seasons, Morant's winning contribution has been above 6, which means that Morant has directly contributed 6 wins to the team. Based on the remaining 57 games, this season, his victory contribution value should also be above 6, and the Grizzlies will have at least 6 more wins in the next games.
Second, the pattern in the west this year is chaotic. The gap between the teams is very small, and the difference between the Nuggets in third place and the Suns in tenth place is only about 5 wins. So, that's a very easy situation to take advantage of. If the Grizzlies can beat their direct competitors more and make it to the playoffs, the outcome will be hard to say. At present, the difference between the Grizzlies and the 10th Suns is about 7 games. With more than 50 regular season games remaining, this gap is not unusual.
Yes, the bears are already infested, and the teams need to be more refreshed. For example, the Lakers, after two consecutive defeats, fell to 8th in the rankings, and the Rockets also suffered two consecutive defeats, and the ranking fell to 9th.
It's always not a big deal to watch the excitement. Morant's strong return has made the West a messier and more interesting. Of course, he himself can't make any more mistakes in the Hundred Schools Help Plan, if he violates the rules again and is banned again, it will really be difficult for the gods to save.