Ja Morant is just scratching the surface of what is limitless potential.
At 22 years old, Ja Morant is making a name for himself in the short NBA career he’s had thus far. The second overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft has the accolades to back up his dominance on the court.
He won Rookie of the Year in 2019, was a 2019-20 All-Rookie, an All-Star starter in 2022, and is almost certainly going to win the 2022 NBA’s Most Improved Player of the Year award.
The Memphis Grizzlies have a superstar on their hands in Morant. He is a franchise player and leader on the court. His play does the talking for him, but Ja is not afraid to speak his mind. What is next for Morant’s NBA career? Future MVP? NBA Champion? Only time will tell.
After dropping a career-high 52 points last night, the Grizzlies young sensation has Most Improved Player of the Year locked up, but it has been for some time now. Morant could certainly be a top-five player in the league consistently for years to come. He has everything you want in an elite NBA player. A comparison I’ve said to people is that he reminds me of Dwyane Wade.
Morant is having a career-high year in multiple categories. They include:
- 27.6 points per game (19.1 in 2020-2021)
- 5.9 rebounds per game (4.0 in 2020-2021)
- 1.2 steals per game (0.9 in 2020-2021)
- 34% for 3-pointers (30% in 2020-2021)
- 50% field goal percentage (45% in 2020-2021)
- 75% free throw percentage (73% in 2020-2021)
- 10.3 field goals per game (6.8 in 2020-2021)
- 8.7 2-point field goals per game (5.7 in 2020-2021)
What makes him a superstar is that his play translates to team success and that is why the Grizzlies are third in the Western Conference. Memphis is only one game behind the second-place Golden State Warriors team who they have a 2-1 season series lead against. The two teams meet up again for the fourth and final meeting on Monday, March 28, 2022. Mark that down in your calendar.
The Grizzlies are 43-20 this season and that is their first 40 win season since the 2016-17 season. Morant has a chance to lead the team to its first Southwest Division title since the franchise was founded in 1995. Memphis is currently six games ahead of the Dallas Mavericks in their respective division. With only 19 games left in the regular season, you almost have to assume that the Grizzlies will be able to hang on to that six-game lead.
I’m sure that Morant is not satisfied with the short success he has had. Dominant players like him want to sustain the level of play they are at and get better every year. Ja seems to be on that kind of path and he still has a lot to prove.
https://twitter.com/JaMorant/status/1498567927662096385
Above is a little interaction that Ja Morant and Hall of Famer Allen Iverson had on twitter. The Grizzlies All-Star referred to Iverson as the “OG” and it’s not doubt that he’s got a ton of respect for AI. He asked him to “pass the torch” and Iverson responded by taking a picture of Morant’s jersey hanging on his MVP trophy he won in the 2000-01 season.
If Iverson is implying that he thinks Ja is going to win a MVP sometime in his career, it’s hard to not agree with him. He certainly has the potential to be one of the greatest if he keeps up the hard work and continues to have a stellar career.
If you ever doubted if Morant will make it, just sit back and watch. His story is just being told.