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With Jaren Jackson Jr. out for weeks with a left ankle sprain, Ja Morant made his return after missing a couple of games with a shoulder injury to face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. How did that go?

“Terrible,” Morant said,

via the Associated Press

“Because it was. I should have been out," Morant said when pressed to expand on his thoughts, saying he came back early despite his shoulder not being right. "But I was out there. Regardless. Out, in, it’s going to be something said.”

Ja Morant makes it abundantly clear his shoulder isn't fully healthy:

"I should've been out, but I was out there."

"I've played like this all season honestly, but is what it is."

"I don't know (if he's gonna have to deal with it all season)."

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— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) March 6, 2025

Morant led the Grizzlies with 24 points in a loss to the top-seeded Thunder, but he shot 8-of-22 on the night (2-of-9 from 3). That outing fits a pattern for him this season: Not only are his counting stats down some, but also his efficiency has fallen off — his 54.3 true shooting percentage is below the league average.

Playing through injuries has been a big part of that, dating back to opening night, when he played through a thigh contusion. Morant has missed 24 games due to injuries this season and has not looked like himself in other stretches. At points this season, he has complained about critics on social media and elsewhere saying he is not playing enough—Morant hears it.

When fully healthy through much of January, Memphis rattled off 11 wins in 13 games, but the team has struggled since and the 38-24 Grizzlies find themselves as the No. 4 seed in the West and only a game ahead of Houston in fifth. More than hanging on in the short term, if Memphis is going to make a playoff run this year it needs to have Morant, Jackson Jr. and the rest of the core fully healthy and ready to play their aggressive style. If not, there will be some hard questions the front office has to face this summer.