It's always something with Ja Morant

The drama has returned to Memphis. Good morning. Let's basketball.

On Friday, the Grizzlies hosted the Lakers in their NBA Cup opener. Luka Doncic returned from his various injuries. He was incredible again, dropping 44-12-6 in an L.A. win. The other team's star, Ja Morant, was ... less good. He finished with 8-1-7, shooting 3/14 from the floor. He also clearly lacked urgency on the floor to the point Blake Griffin and Udonis Haslem called him out during Prime Video's reaction show immediately following the game, before any other information about drama in the Memphis locker room came out.

While that conversation was happening, Ja was talking to reporters. Well, "talking" is a bit of an exaggeration.

Reporters are asking Ja why he didn't have much production; Ja tells them to ask the coaches and indicates that the coach, Tuomas Iilsalo, was critical of Morant in the locker room before the media entered. As it turns out, according to reporters on site, Iisalo was doing his press availability in the media room while the media was talking to Morant. So reporters didn't have the opportunity to ask Iisalo about Morant's comments.

On Saturday, the team suspended Morant one game for conduct detrimental to the team.

The suspension comes as a result of first-year Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo challenging Morant's leadership and effort in a postgame exchange after Friday night's 117-112 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers – to which Morant responded in a tone deemed inappropriate and dismissive, sources told ESPN's Shams Charania. The confrontation happened in front of the team, sources said.

Welp.