Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies has been playing in the NBA for three seasons but he has now officially arrived.
He’s had terrific seasons before but it’s undeniable that this is his breakout year as he helps lead the Grizz to a 28-14 record with 24.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists a game.
Morant isn’t just the biggest star in Memphis, he’s one of the biggest stars in the entire league.
With his skills, personality, and style, Morant is definitely one of the most exciting players alive today.
The Block Heard ‘Round The World
If you want a good example of the sort of season Morant is having, all you have to do is watch this truly ridiculous block he had the other night against the Los Angeles Lakers.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME JA MORANT?! 🤯@JaMorant | #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/naMJocd3Pj
— Bally Sports: Grizzlies (@GrizzOnBally) January 10, 2022
That was a downright incredible play that wasn’t just worthy of SportsCenter but should have been breaking news on CNN.
Not only was it fun to watch, but it was also physically impressive, relentless, and smart – all words you could use to describe Morant’s season so far.
Morant has been playing with playoff urgency all season, going into every game like it was a Game 7.
As proven, he’s a defensive threat (his 5.7 rebounds a game are a regular-season career-high) but he’s also an absolute menace offensively too and is quickly becoming one of the greatest, most thrilling shooters in the entire NBA.
Taking His Shots
Morant has a field goal percentage of 49 percent and a three-point percentage of 38.3 percent, which are both big steps up from last season.
His average of 24.7 points a game is definitely a major improvement on his 19.1 points from last year.
In just about every one of his offensive categories, Morant has stepped it up.
The way he is playing now is most comparable to the stats he created during the NBA play-in tournament (30 points, 6.7 assists, 5.3 rebounds).
That just goes to show he really is playing like every single game is do-or-die.
Morant is doing so well that he’s making history: he’s the first player in Grizzlies history and the only NBA player this season to win consecutive Player of the Week Awards.
Morant is on a whole other level this year and everyone around the league is noticing.
The @NBA today announced @JaMorant was named Western Conference Player of the Week after helping guide @memgrizz to a 5-0 week.
Morant is the first player in franchise history and only NBA player this season to win consecutive Player of the Week Awards.#JaMorant | #NBAAllStar pic.twitter.com/4N8mKgQau0
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) January 10, 2022
How Far Can He Go?
The biggest question is this: what is the ceiling for the Grizzlies?
They’re having their best season in years, mostly due to Morant, but is it enough to carry them far into the postseason?
It can’t be ignored that the Western Conference is almost unbearably competitive this year.
The Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors and Utah Jazz (spots number one through three) sometimes feel impossible to beat.
If Morant and his Grizz hope to continue this Cinderella story of a season, they will have to push through all of those teams.
While that is a huge task, it’s not impossible – especially with Morant.
Morant and his squad are one of the few that move like the Suns and Warriors and can create defensive problems for their opponents like Rudy Gobert and the Jazz.
It’s not unreasonable to imagine the Grizzlies actually taking the crown and winning the Western Conference Finals.
To make this happen, Morant will have to keep wowing the crowds and delivering incredible plays.
But there’s no reason to think he won’t.
Simply put, you just shouldn’t doubt Morant right now.
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