Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins has explained why a two-time All-Star reminds him of Russell Westbrook.
Westbrook currently plays for the Denver Nuggets, having left the Los Angeles Clippers in the summer, but he is best known for his time in Oklahoma City.
The point guard was drafted by the Thunder in 2008 and spent the next 11 seasons with them. His highlight was winning the 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player Award.
Comparing any player to Westbrook is evidently a huge compliment, so who was Perkins talking about?
Kendrick Perkins names All-Star similar to Russell Westbrook
Perkins was mightily impressed by Ja Morant’s performance in the Memphis Grizzlies’ 121-116 preseason win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Morant only played nine games last season but now he appears ready to lead the Grizzlies to the playoffs once again.
“If you take Ja Morant and put him in a cage with five lions, you’re going to get six lions. He’s just a lion,” Perkins told NBA Today.
“There are only a handful of players I’ve seen in my lifetime whose energy and confidence are contagious. When Ja Morant steps foot on the floor, he gives life to every other player on his team. That’s what I saw last night. We saw Zach Edey go up and catch a lob.
“His energy reminds me of Russell Westbrook. When I was playing with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Scott Brooks used to say ‘Russ gives us swag, he’s the heart and soul of our team’.
“Obviously, Ja Morant is the best player [on the Grizzlies] but when you bring that level of confidence every single game, it’s going to rub off, especially on rookies like Zach Edey.”
Ja Morant a dark horse for Most Valuable Player Award
Morant averaged 26.2 points, 8.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds per game in the 2022-23 regular season and the Grizzlies finished second in the Western Conference with 51 wins.
If he can produce to the same level in the upcoming campaign, and the Grizzlies are one of the top six seeds in the West, then he will undoubtedly be in MVP discussions.
Winning the award, however, will be extremely difficult, especially with the likes of former MVPs Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo still in their respective primes.
