Ja Morant to Charles Barkley: Nobody can tell me what I do or don’t besides my teammates

Drew Hill: Ja Morant on Charles Barkley: “Nobody can tell me what I do and don’t besides my teammates. Those guys said it. An outsider who never been in our locker room or played a game with us said I don’t make my teammates better. But our guys say …

Drew Hill: Ja Morant on Charles Barkley: “Nobody can tell me what I do and don’t besides my teammates. Those guys said it. An outsider who never been in our locker room or played a game with us said I don’t make my teammates better. But our guys say it all the time. There ya go. Kneepads.”

Source: Twitter @DrewHill_DM

What’s the buzz on Twitter?

Mark Giannotto @mgiannotto
Thank you Charles Barkley. Doing God’s work giving Ja Morant extra motivation.
commercialappeal.com/story/sports/n…12:54 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
I asked Ja Morant about Charles Barkley’s comments from Tuesday.
“An outsider who never been in our locker room, never played in a game with us said I don’t make my teammates better, but my teammates say it all the time. There you go. Knee pads.” 
Story: commercialappeal.com/story/sports/n…12:52 PM
Drew Hill @DrewHill_DM
Ja Morant on Charles Barkley: “Nobody can tell me what I do and don’t besides my teammates. Those guys said it. An outsider who never been in our locker room or played a game with us said I don’t make my teammates better. But our guys say it all the time. There ya go. Kneepads.” – 12:13 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Kyrie Irving became one of the most admirable stars on and off the floor after his signature shoe. Ja Morant is positioned to take a similar jump.
How Ja Morant is positioned to take the baton as one of Nike basketball’s leading faces.
For subscribers: commercialappeal.com/story/sports/n…10:12 AM
Ja Morant @JaMorant
🐎🐎🐎 – 6:22 PM
Sirius XM NBA @SiriusXMNBA
What can’t Ja Morant do?
@TermineRadio & @Eddie Johnson breakdown Ja’s skillsets.
Now you can listen and watch Justin Termine and Eddie Johnson – Watch them live now til 7p ET on the @NBA App. https://t.co/QRw8too2y0 pic.twitter.com/0AvXvUcnAH4:07 PM

Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Grizzlies teammates and Taylor Jenkins came to the defense of Ja Morant after Charles Barkley made claims that Morant doesn’t make his teammates better.
“I’m one of the dudes who feel like I’m directly a much better player playing with Ja.”
Story: commercialappeal.com/story/sports/n…3:55 PM
Jake Madison @NOLAJake
Locked On Pelicans is live!
🏀 Pelicans figure out how to unlock CJ McCollum as he scores 30
🏀 Dyson gets minutes and shows you why he needs to play
🏀 The defensive strategy that limited Ja Morant
🎧 https://t.co/BETlDzBFEv
Watch on YouTube!
📺 https://t.co/4DBES9YyFq pic.twitter.com/cwcW8QCtJU3:30 PM

Henry Abbott @TrueHoop
Guarding Ja Morant is no picnic, as @David Thorpe describes to @jshector.
For more of this kind of geeky hoops talk, from a man who actually teaches this to NBA players for a living, sign up for the TrueHoop podcast: https://t.co/zMYcYg5zt6 pic.twitter.com/CD46lIT6ml2:19 PM

Duane Rankin @DuaneRankin
From last night:
Ja Morant. Damn. pic.twitter.com/t6KYT1iN6K12:59 PM

Jake Madison @NOLAJake
Locked On Pelicans is live!
🏀 Pelicans figure out how to unlock CJ McCollum as he scores 30
🏀 Dyson gets minutes and shows you why he needs to play
🏀 The defensive strategy that limited Ja Morant
🎧 linktr.ee/NolaJake
Watch on YouTube!
📺 bit.ly/LOPYouTube12:59 PM
Jake Madison @NOLAJake
Locked On Pelicans is live!
🏀 Pelicans figure out how to unlock CJ McCollum as he scores 30
🏀 Dyson gets minutes and shows you why he needs to play
🏀 The defensive strategy that limited Ja Morant
🎧 https://t.co/BETlDzBFEv
Watch on YouTube!
📺 https://t.co/4DBES9YyFq pic.twitter.com/NEmaAsSc3W11:07 AM

Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Without Desmond Bane, the Grizzlies need someone other than Ja Morant to step up offensively. Dillon Brooks? Jaren Jackson Jr.? By committee?
“You can’t fill what Des does, but I’ve been challenging the guys every single day.”
Story: commercialappeal.com/story/sports/n…10:32 AM
Get Up @GetUpESPN
Do you think Ja Morant will win MVP and the Grizzlies will win the West?
@Adrian Wojnarowski thinks both could be possible 👀 pic.twitter.com/qKgvxMriXl10:27 AM

Will Guillory @WillGuillory
“I’ve been playing like shit lately. I’ve been feeling like shit”
CJ McCollum finally broke out of his slump last night with a 30-point outburst against Ja Morant and the Grizz.
Here’s how the Pels helped him get back on track on a night they needed him
theathletic.com/3902574/2022/1…10:19 AM
BasketNews @BasketNews_com
Jose Alvarado hit Ja Morant with the ‘too small’ and received instant feedback 😳
🎥 @NBATV pic.twitter.com/GgGXwO4rjj1:29 AM

Kurt Helin @basketballtalk
Watch Ja Morant switch hands mid-air then throw down dunk nba.nbcsports.com/2022/11/15/wat…11:15 PM
Jim Eichenhofer @Jim_Eichenhofer
Herb knocks the ball away and off Ja Morant’s leg on a Morant drive to the hoop to wrap this one up in appropriate fashion. #Pelicans outstanding performance all the way around, beat Grizzlies by 11 – 9:46 PM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
Ja Morant in the 4th quarter:
5 points on 2-9 shooting – 9:46 PM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
We need a Ja Morant vs Jose Alvarado 1-on-1 game at All-Star this year – 9:37 PM
Matt Williams @StatsWilliams
Ja Morant has 25 games with 20+ paint points over the last 2 seasons.
That is 3rd-most in the NBA during that span, trailing…
Giannis Antetokounmpo (27)
Nikola Jokic (26) – 9:37 PM
Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
Jose Alvarado strips Ja Morant on a spin move!! – 9:37 PM
Jim Eichenhofer @Jim_Eichenhofer
Jose Alvarado seems to love that spot from the left wing lately, hitting big 3s there in fourth quarters. He’s up to 12 pts and Memphis calls timeout at least partly to get Ja Morant back in the game. NOP 100-91 at 8:18 – 9:29 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
The Grizzlies are down 100-91. Ja Morant is set to check in with 8:18 left in the fourth quarter. The defense is struggling to get stops right now. Lots of open 3s. – 9:28 PM
Paul Pierce @paulpierce34
Ja Morant Most Exciting Player to watch n NBA and it’s not even close – 9:28 PM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
End of 3rd: Pelicans 89, Grizzlies 87
McCollum 22 pts, 6 assts
Ingram 19 pts
Nance 13 pts, 4 rebs
Morant 31 pts (11-17 FG)
Once again, this game is extremely fun. You can make a top-10 highlight package just from this game. (Really just from Ja Morant’s buckets) – 9:17 PM
Drew Hill @DrewHill_DM
Some energy in the building after that Larry Nance poster and Ja Morant turnover. – 9:08 PM
Evan Dunlap @BQRMagic
the Ja Morant hand-switch dunk is a 50 in the Dunk Contest and he did it doing full speed against defense lmao – 9:07 PM
Eric Nehm @eric_nehm
Ja Morant is preposterously athletic.
This man just switched hands on a dunk in the middle of a game. – 9:06 PM
Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
Trey Murphy just swatted a short shot back in Ja Morant’s face?! 👀 – 8:55 PM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
End of 1st half: Grizzlies 60, Pelicans 59
Ingram 13 pts (4-6 FG)
Murphy 10 pts
McCollum 8 pts, 5 assts
Really fun half of basketball, but Pels have to do something to contain Ja Morant (24 pts). He’s slicing them up in halfcourt and in transition. Maybe more Dyson Daniels? – 8:31 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
A lot of points being scored in NOLA.
Halftime: Grizzlies 60 Pelicans 59
Ja Morant has 24 points. Brandon Clarke has 13 points and eight rebounds.
Jaren Jackson Jr. has three blocks. – 8:30 PM
Drew Hill @DrewHill_DM
Ja Morant doing his best Jalen Ramsey impression there. – 8:27 PM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
Ja Morant is ridiculous – 8:27 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
The Memphis Grizzlies have 51 points. Ja Morant has 22 of them. – 8:20 PM
Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
Ja Morant just too small’d Jose Alvarado. Hey, good basket. But Morant couldn’t get around him. Had to go over.
But you better believe Alvarado got his 30 or so words in before walking away. – 8:18 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Ja Morant just got to the basket and pulled out the “too small” gesture on Jose Alvarado. – 8:18 PM
Drew Hill @DrewHill_DM
Jose Alvarado defends Ja Morant.
Morant puts him in a blender and gives him the “too small” treatment.
Alvarado did not like that. – 8:18 PM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
It took about 0.2 seconds for Jose and Ja Morant to get into it. Just as we expected. – 8:17 PM
Drew Hill @DrewHill_DM
Casual 44-foot make for Ja Morant. – 8:03 PM
Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
Ja Morant cans a shot from half court at first-quarter buzzer. Unbelievable. Pelicans had rallied to tie things up at 32 apiece, but the Grizzlies are keeping their lead as we moved to the 2nd.
Brandon Ingram & Trey Murphy combined for 17 points. Naji Marshall grabbed 5 boards. – 8:03 PM
Scott Kushner @ScottDKushner
Ja Morant is magic. – 8:02 PM
Drew Hill @DrewHill_DM
Ja Morant from half court! Bottoms!
He finishes the first quarter with 16 points. – 8:02 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Ja Morant, ladies and gentleman. – 8:01 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Tyus Jones subs in for John Konchar. Ja Morant stays in. Expect to see this pairing a lot more with Desmond Bane out. – 7:50 PM
Will Guillory @WillGuillory
Herb Jones picks up two quick fouls and he’s headed to the bench. Naji Marshall will come in and take on the Ja Morant assignment. – 7:39 PM
Oleh Kosel @OlehKosel
Pelicans have hit three 3-pointers in the first three minutes. Also, Steven Adams just sat down with his second personal foul.
Not a bad start, but Ja Morant is already cooking and there’s no obvious way of slowing him down if he keeps getting the ball in open space. – 7:39 PM
Damichael Cole @DamichaelC
Jaren Jackson Jr. is not only active, but he’s starting.
Starting 5:
Ja Morant
John Konchar
Dillon Brooks
Jaren Jackson Jr.
Steven Adams – 7:06 PM
Christian Clark @cclark_13
Since Zion Williamson and Ja Morant were drafted 1 and 2 in 2019, they’ve played against each other 4 times. The Pelicans and Grizzlies will have played each other 11 times after tonight’s game. – 6:00 PM
Michael C. Wright @mikecwright
Hate to see him down w/the injury.
Desmond Bane’s leap gives Ja Morant, Grizzlies co-star they need | NBA.com nba.com/news/desmond-b…5:13 PM

More on this storyline

“The next evolution for Ja is he’s got to make players around him better,” Charles Barkley said. “I don’t think he’s added that to his game yet.” Barkley’s comments were noticed by Morant’s teammates, who defended their point guard after practice on Thursday. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins called Barkley’s comments “nonsense.” “I’m one of the dudes who feel like I’m directly a much better player playing with Ja,” Brandon Clarke said. “I can for sure vouch it’s a lot easier playing with him.” Morant responded Tuesday night to Barkley’s comments by tweeting, “kneepads.” -via Memphis Commercial Appeal / November 17, 2022
NBA Central: Charles Barkley says Ja Morant doesn’t make players around him better “I don’t think he added that to his game yet” pic.twitter.com/35UGkdK7S1 -via Twitter @TheNBACentral / November 15, 2022
Opposing coaches have spoken highly of Morant’s contributions. Teams emphasized limited Morant’s scoring in the paint last season, but he still managed to lead the NBA in paint points per game. Morant is shooting a career high 40% on 3-pointers while making 2.1 attempts per game through 13 games played. “He just attracts a lot of attention,” Jaren Jackson Jr. said. “You got to worry about him in a lot of areas.” -via Memphis Commercial Appeal / November 17, 2022