Jay Williams Says NBA 'Missed The Mark,' Believes Ja Morant Should Have Been Suspended For Season

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Jay Williams believes Ja Morant got off easy with his brief suspension after the Memphis Grizzlies' star flashed a gun during an Instagram Live stream.

The Grizzlies handled the situation with Morant internally before the NBA eventually stepped in handing the point guard an eight-game suspension. Morant made his return to the floor earlier this week coming off the bench for the first time in his career during Memphis' win over the Houston Rockets.

Jay Williams explains why he thinks Ja Morant should have been suspended for the season. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

During Thursday's edition of 'Keyshawn, Jay Will and Max,' Williams explained why he thinks the league was too soft on Morant. He believes he should have been suspended without pay for the remainder of the regular season.

“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.

“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.”

READ: JA MORANT’S FATHER BLAMES HIMSELF FOR SON’S RECENT OFF-COURT ISSUES

Jay Williams very clearly doesn't have an issue with Morant returning. His comments are strictly aimed at the NBA as he believes the league didn't handle the situation properly.

Morant entered a counseling program in Florida for a reported two days before making his return to the floor on March 22.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and all other happenings in the world of golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.