NBA: 3 early-season Western Conference trends to keep an eye on

Golden State Warriors (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Golden State Warriors (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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Memphis Grizzlies
NBA Memphis Grizzlies Ja Morant (Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports)

Ja Morant is a superstar

If there’s one thing that we’ve learned through the first week of the 2021-22 NBA season, it’s that Ja Morant is a legit superstar. Even though it’s only been three games, Morant has been extremely impressive for the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s hard to deny that he’s knocking on the door of superstardom.

Morant is averaging 35 points, eight assists, and four rebounds per game on 58 percent shooting from the field and 44 percent shooting from 3-point range. He has the Grizzlies at 2-1 to start the season, with their only loss coming at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers.

If Morant can continue to play at this level for the Grizzlies – which might be a little to much to expect – then there’s a chance the Grizzlies could jump up a tier in the Western Conference. At the moment, the Grizzlies are a fringe playoff team. If Morant stays at this level, perhaps it’s time to rethink this team’s ceiling.