1. Ja Morant, PG. Memphis Grizzlies
It’s hard not to put Ja Morant at the top of this list. He was outstanding for the Grizzlies in his first year in the association, leading rookies in scoring and assists. The 20-year-old dropped 17.6 points and dished out 6.9 dimes per night, both team highs. He’s easily going to win the Rookie of the Year and for good reason. He led a Memphis team to a possible eight seed in the Western Conference as an NBA freshman.
We’re looking at one of the quickest and athletic point guards in the game who can get up and down the court in a hurry. His ability to change direction on a dime and baffle opponents with his impressive handles are second to none.
Although most of his scoring output was from mid-range and in the paint, Morant can also shoot it from downtown, draining 3’s at a 37 percent clip this season. When it comes to getting inside, he uses his freakish hops to rise above bigs and throw down vicious dunks.
The complete point guard is a player who can control the tempo of the game, score at a high rate, and facilitate the ball. Morant does all of these at an exceptional level. It’s going to be exciting to see what heights he reaches with the Grizzlies in the coming years.