NBA: Would you rather build around Trae Young or Ja Morant?

Ja Morant

Just in case this hasn’t been made clear enough already, the fact a rookie like Morant is even in a debate like this is amazing. There is no wrong answer here. But Morant has started his professional career like a bull, and the way he attacks the basket despite his wiry frame is as impressive as it is scary to watch.

If he doesn’t calm down on these insane drives against subpar opponents in November, his career might not go on as long as we’d like it to. While Morant’s stats don’t jump off the page like Young’s, and he hasn’t had the opportunity to win any awards yet because of the stoppage to the season, he is without question the better two-way point guard right now.

His 17.6 points and 6.9 assists as a rookie are hugely impressive as it is, but it is the fact he can make more of a difference on the defensive end than Young (which wouldn’t be hard) that gives him an even stronger case here. Young’s game is video game-like, while Morant more closely resembles a Russell Westbrook type in its makeup.

If you fast forward 10 years from now, you would take Young as having more individual awards and better statistics. But who do you think could carry a team further in the playoffs? Neither has played in the postseason yet, but you have to think Young’s game could be nullified some by elite defensive outfits. With Morant, it’s trickier because of his ability to get to the basket and make more of a difference defensively.

A year younger than Young at 20, you could make the case that Morant has been in bigger games than Young already simply by playing in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies were in a hunt for the final playoff spot in the West this season, and the play of Morant was central to that. The Hawks meanwhile were not going to make the postseason.

Even playing against the likes of LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard more frequently, and already beating them too, gives Morant the kind of exposure that you just know is going to come in handy in the future. You can say what you want about the demeanor of Young, but you already know Morant is going to be going at whoever in the playoffs when he gets there.