All is not well in Memphis. Grizzlies star Ja Morant openly criticized the team’s coaching staff during a postgame media scrum following a tough 117-112 loss to the Lakers on Friday night.

When asked what went wrong for the team, Morant responded, “Go ask the coaching staff.” He didn’t stop there. When pressed on what he could have done differently during the game, Morant said, “Go ask him.”

The star guard went further, commenting on his role in the loss. “According to them, probably don’t play me, honestly,” Morant said when asked if he had other thoughts about the defeat. “That’s basically what the message was after.”

The awkward postgame remarks come after a disappointing performance by Morant, who scored just eight points on 3-of-14 shooting. The two-time All-Star has also seen a reduction in playing time early in the 2025-26 NBA season, currently averaging a career-low 28.5 minutes per game.

Morant’s struggles and comments drew criticism from ex-NBA star Blake Griffin, who was on Amazon Prime’s postgame set. “For a guy that’s making $40 million and needs to be the leader of the team, I just don’t love it,” Griffin said, referencing Morant’s lack of defensive effort before his comments.

“I don’t know if he was not feeling well, if he’s hurt. But that, to me, is a very bad sign and is something that has to change,” Griffin added.

Morant may still be adjusting to a new coaching regime. Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo is in the midst of his first full season after the franchise fired Taylor Jenkins late last season. Jenkins had served as Memphis’s head coach for six seasons.

Friday’s loss dropped the Grizzlies to a 3-3 record on the season, leaving plenty of questions about the team’s direction moving forward.
https://nypost.com/2025/11/01/sports/ja-morant-lashes-out-at-new-grizzlies-coaching-staff/