5. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
The No. 5 spot was extremely hard to pick because there are a number of players worthy of a top-five ranking, like Tyrese Haliburton, Darius Garland, and LeBron James. However, Ja Morant had a very strong playmaking season this year, so he checks in here at No. 5.
Last season, Morant averaged around 26 points, six rebounds, and eight assists per game on 55.7% true shooting. He was extremely productive as a passer, recording an assist rate of 41.1%, which ranked sixth in the league. This was the first time he had an assist rate over 40% in his entire career.
His advanced playmaking numbers were great as he ranked eighth in passer rating, 7th in box creation, and fourth in playmaking talent. This was one of the best playmaking seasons we’ve seen in recent memory, according to playmaking talent, ranking 7th since 2020 in this metric.
Ja Morant has always been a great passer going back to his time at Murray State, and that was no different this season. However, he wasn’t an elite creator until now. There’s no reason this can’t continue, as he’s become a very good scorer, and his scoring gravity is fantastic.
If he wants to enter the top tier of playmakers in the NBA, he’ll need to improve as a three-point shooter or become a more efficient scorer so he can draw even more defensive attention. He’ll also need to produce at this level more often and translate this level of productivity to the playoffs.