Ja Morant is currently projected to be a top-five pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and has a lot of abilities that could translate over very well to the next level
There’s been a lot of people doubting Ja Morant this year, saying that since he plays in a weaker conference with Murray State, he’s not facing top-notch competition such as players like Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett of Duke.
Well, his numbers clearly speak for themselves. The 6-foot-3 sophomore guard is seventh in the nation averaging 24.4 points per game while leading all of college basketball with 10.3 assists per contest. As for not playing against the best teams in division one, he has played both Alabama and Auburn this season, who are both pretty decent programs.
He dropped 25 against Auburn and scored 38 against the Crimson Tide. His consistency to score on a nightly basis is extremely impressive along with his superior ability to distribute the ball as well.
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If Morant can continue to score and pass the ball at this high rate, he would be the first division 1 player to average 20 points per game and 10 assists per game since the assist became an official statistic in college basketball in 1983-84.
There is no doubt that Zion Williamson will be the No. 1 overall pick. Between his freakish athleticism and strength and presence at the rim, it’s a no-brainer.
But Ja Morant is a very exciting player who can do a lot of things well on the court. Let’s take a look at what exactly he brings and how those talents will translate over to the NBA next year.
What he brings to the table
Morant is one of the most explosive athletes in this entire draft class. He’s got blistering speed as he brings the ball down the court and can really jump well for a guard that’s only 6-foot-3. Morant has been putting guys on a poster all year long for Murray State, soaring over opponents with highlight-reel dunks, putting his athleticism on full display every single game.
Though he doesn’t shoot a lot, he has a pretty smooth jumper but tends to do most of his scoring inside the paint. He has a 51 percent field goal percentage this season while shooting just 31 percent from 3-point range. However, he’s only attempting 2.8 3’s per game. If he can improve his long-range shooting at the next level, he’s going to add another component to his game that will make him that much better.
One of his most special talents is his ability to pass the ball. He has a very high basketball IQ and is also blessed with fantastic court vision. If he doesn’t see a lane to the hoop, Morant does a great job of drawing defenders towards him so he can dish it off to a teammate who’s in a better spot to score. His assist numbers are mind-boggling this year and the next closest to him in the nation in this category is averaging three assists less than Morant a game.
Defensively, his quickness helps him play hard, gritty defense. There aren’t a lot of players right now who can beat him with speed, but at the next level, he could get overpowered by stronger players. Morant will have to pack on some muscle as he develops more as he is quite light right now at just 175 pounds.
Will get better with growth
Morant is just 19 years old and has definitely not hit his full growth quite yet. In the next coming years, he could even grow taller, aside from packing on some much-needed muscle. He’s quite slender right now, but with that, comes his explosiveness. In the NBA though he will need to be thicker or he will struggle to succeed like he has this year at the college level.
That will all come with time. His abilities speak for themselves. He’s a freak athlete just like Zion, except not as thick. Instead, he is even more explosive than Williamson and is a better passer than him as well.
Morant is a very similar player to De’Aaron Fox and Russell Westbrook. Not the biggest players, but fearless at the rim and very quick on their feet.
Only time will tell if Morant will get picked in the top five, but his performance this year definitely proves that he is ready for the next level.
He has all the abilities to excel in the association, so it will be very exciting to see if he can turn into a star in the next coming years in the NBA.