Ja Morant may only be 22-years-old, but he is already on the path to stardom in the NBA and has been having an unbelievable third season in the league.
Not only was Morant named a first-time All-Star this season, even getting the honor of being voted a starter for the All-Star Game, but he has improved all of his numbers dramatically and as a result, Ja Morant will be this year’s recipient of the Most Improved Player award.
Right now, the Memphis Grizzlies are 49-23 on the season, which is their best record since the 2014-15 season when they won 55 games. Currently having the second-best record in the NBA, the Grizzlies have a chance to be a very special, young team that can potentially go on a run to the NBA Finals.
As a team, the Grizzlies are one of the most balanced groups in the league, as they are one of three teams in the entire league to rank inside the Top-10 in both offensive and defensive rating.
LATEST NBA NEWS: NBA Executive Gets Brutally Honest About Grizzlies Star Ja Morant
Their depth has definitely helped them get to where they are today and most importantly, Ja Morant has turned himself into one of the best point guards in the entire league, just like he said he was at the beginning of the season in an interview with HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto.
Winners of eight of their last eleven games, the Grizzlies are rolling right into the playoffs and Morant has been the catalyst for their offense.
Since the All-Star break, Ja Morant has averaged 31.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.9 assists and he has shot 48.5% from the floor, 38.6% from three-point range in 10 total games. He has scored at least 25 points in six of his last ten games, including back-to-back performances of 46 points and 52 points at the end of February.
From making SportCenter’s Top-10 Plays with his acrobatic finishes to having superstars around the league shake their heads mid-game because of something he just did, Ja Morant is a “box-office” talent right now that people want to go and see just as much as they want to see Steph Curry, LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant play.
LATEST NBA NEWS: NBA Executive Gets Brutally Honest About Grizzlies Star Ja Morant
Speaking of Kevin Durant, the twelve-time All-Star and future Hall-of-Famer spoke very highly of Ja Morant and the season he has been having in response to a question leading up to Wednesday night’s game between the Nets and Grizzlies.
“When you got a future Hall of Famer at the head of the snake, it just makes everybody better,” Durant said in regards to the Grizzlies and Morant. “He’s a combination of players, I feel. I think the greatest players in our game can transform into anybody at any given point. And I think Ja’s on the way to that. When he’s playing, I see like two or three, four different Hall of Famers in his game. From [Allen] Iverson, to he might make a [Michael] Jordan-like layup, or he might run down the court like a [Russell] Westbrook or a [Derrick Rose].
“And his float game is up there with some of the best that’s ever played. I don’t want to gas him up too much since we’re playing against him, but I think the sky’s the limit for him. His future is obviously bright. He makes everybody better … even opponents, so it’s about the level you approach that game with and I’m looking forward to it.”
Ja Morant’s athletic abilities obviously factor into him being a special talent in this league, but his understanding of those around him and spacing on the floor is what makes Morant so lethal attacking the basket.
LATEST NBA NEWS: NBA Executive Gets Brutally Honest About Grizzlies Star Ja Morant
His patience and ability to read the defense sliding towards him allows Ja Morant to explode down the lane and to the rim, much like he did against the Atlanta Hawks recently in the clips below.
Ja Morant makes things look so effortless because of how explosive of a player he is and being able to finish a left-handed layup off of one foot going up against one of the better rim-protectors in the league in Clint Capela is not an easy thing to do!
Kevin Durant has gone up against some of the greatest athletes and players in NBA history throughout his career and he knows greatness when he sees it. His praise of Morant is not a ploy to get in the young guard’s head, he just simply thinks this highly of him.
“When you look at the collection of guys they have — all hard-nosed guys with chips on their shoulder,” Durant said when talking about how he is not surprise about the Grizzlies’ sudden rise in the Western Conference. “And they’re well-coached … so you got the addition of Steven Adams, you got Kyle Anderson, you got Tyus Jones, solid veteran players that can help some of the younger guys in the league. So I think they got a good mixture of players on their team.”
LATEST NBA NEWS: NBA Executive Gets Brutally Honest About Grizzlies Star Ja Morant
The Nets taking on the Grizzlies on Wednesday night will be must-see-TV not only because of Ja Morant and Kevin Durant, but because these two teams both have high championship aspirations this season.
The sky’s the limit for Ja Morant and the Grizzlies, much like Durant stated, and with them showing no weaknesses this season, they could be on the path to the NBA Finals well before anybody anticipated them doing so.
