NBA: Power ranking the 10 best superstars in the Western Conference

9. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

After missing essentially the entire 2023-24 NBA season, Ja Morant is heading into this season with plenty of pressure on his shoulders. Not only will he be expected to bring the Memphis Grizzlies back to prominence in the Western Conference but he'll also be seeking to reestablish himself as one of the best players in the league. If Morant can remain healthy, he should be able to pull off such a feat. For as much of a forgettable year last season was for Morant, he's still incredibly young (25 years old) and hasn't even hit his ceiling for how good of a player he can be at his peak.

Morant is going to enter this season with a big chip on his shoulder and it would be surprising if that was evident right away. I'm not sure if the Grizzlies are going to make a big jump in the West standings this season, but I do have high expectations for Morant.

People quickly forget that Morant was one of the best players in the NBA just a couple of seasons ago. I'd imagine he's going to go a long way in getting back to that level of performance pretty quickly this year.