Ja Morant’s season has been clouded by uncertainty. A calf injury has sidelined him since November 15th with no clear return date, while tension with the coaching staff, especially head coach Tuomas Iisalo, has added another layer of doubt. Yet despite the injuries and friction, Morant somehow remains the center of the Memphis Grizzlies’ plans, illustrating just how vital he is to the franchise.

“He’s a coach right now,” his teammate Jaren Jackson Jr. said about Morant , who has been dealing with a Grade 1 calf strain. “He’s coaching, just like he does with ‘Twelve-Time’ in AAU (Morant’s Memphis-based program). He’s doing his thing, knows the game. He’s a point guard. So they kind of see the floor very well. And he just says what he’s seeing, talking us through things.”

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