ESPN analyst Jay Williams thinks the NBA should have suspended Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant for the rest of the regular season.
The star guard was suspended by his team after he flashed a gun on the screen while being filmed on Instagram Live. The NBA handed eight games to his suspension, some of which he already served. He denied that the gun was his in an interview with ESPN.
That came after various reports of alleged bad behavior, including assaulting a teenager and a head of mall security. He was reportedly investigated for a second alleged assault on a teenager at his sister’s high school volleyball game.
On Thursday morning, Williams, who is a former NBA player, was on his ESPN radio show, Keyshawn, Jay Will and Max, and explained why he thinks the league went too lightly on the young guard.
“Everybody makes mistakes,” he said. “I think we’re all willing to say this is a learning opportunity for Ja, but I will say this. I do believe the NBA missed the mark on his suspension.”
“I thought he should’ve been suspended for the rest of the regular season without pay. And his return should have been subject to successful counseling from the NBA,” Williams said.
Morant entered a counseling program in Flordia on March 13th, and he left two days later on the 15th, both reports according to ESPN’s NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski.
“I think whenever you involve guns and alcohol and all this other stuff, I think there’s a high standard that needs to be setting that bar that needs to be set around the league and setting that kind of example,” Williams said. “Now, come back and play in the playoffs, but I thought the punishment was a little bit too lenient.”
Morant played in his first game since the suspension on Thursday night. He scored 17 points in 23 minutes played in the Grizzlies’ 130-125 win over the Houston Rockets in Memphis. He also received a standing ovation from the crowd at the FedExForum.
