Memphis Grizzlies: Is Ja Morant an All-Star this season?

The last time the Memphis Grizzlies had an All-Star was when Marc Gasol selected as a reserve in the 2016-2017 season. Since then, the team has transitioned from the Grit and Grind era into the “Grizz Next Gen”, (we need to brainstorm a better name) and the head of that snake is Ja Morant.

The Memphis Grizzlies as a whole have had a difficult start to the season. They have been without both Jaren Jackson Jr. or Justise Winslow all season, while also having had six games (tied for most with the Wizards) postponed due to health and safety protocols. Additionally, the Grizzlies have had the sixth toughest schedule according to NBA.com’s John Schuhmann.  

Despite the turmoil, which included Morant missing eight games with an ankle injury (the Grizzlies went 4-4 in that stretch). The Grizzlies sit ninth in the West and are only three games behind the eighth-seeded Warriors.

With the context provided to the start of the Grizzlies so far wacky season. Should Ja Morant be considered an All-Star this season?

Is Ja Morant an All-Star this season for the Memphis Grizzlies?

Let’s ask ourselves a question, what makes an All-Star?

Big box score numbers are one of the key components in what an All-Star typically looks like, and Morant has that covered.

Morant is currently averaging 18.4 points per game and 8 assists per game (tied eighth-highest per game average) — that is comparable to other point guards in the All-Star conversation such as Chris Paul and Mike Conley.

Morant also has the “wow” factor, Morant is on nearly every top 10 plays videos and does things that almost no other players can do.

https://twitter.com/memgrizz/status/1358951648069103617?s=20

Morant’s flashy displays of athleticism and passing IQ have been a joy to watch during his early NBA career, not many rookies come out of the gate playing this well, and being this much fun to watch — most young players do one or the other, not both.

That leads into the last factor, winning. All-Stars typically needs to be on a winning team, but if the player is putting up crazy numbers on a bad team like Bradley Beal typically, they’ll make it.

Unfortunately for Morant, he hasn’t put up those kinds of numbers and as mentioned, the Grizzlies have had a lot of setbacks preventing the team, and Morant from being at their best this season.

That’s not to say Morant hasn’t played like an All-Star, he dropped 44 points in the season opener against the Spurs and has had four double-doubles this season in only 14 games.

Ja Morant only having played 14 games is the biggest flaw in his All-Star case this season. The numbers between the rest of the All-Star candidates in the Western Conference are very close, as Zach Lowe put it in a recent podcast: 

"“Look, we get into all these candidates where, if you look at their numbers any way you want (Donovan) Mitchell, (Devin) Booker, (Chris) Paul, (Demar) DeRozan, Morant, (De’Aaron) Fox, (Shai) Gilgeous-Alexander, Christain Wood… There’s not a lot differentiating them, right? they are all in the same ballpark”"

With that being the case the first thing you have to look at is the team records, which only gets rid of Gilgeous-Alexender and possibly Fox (depending on who you ask) so the next factor is the games played – and all of these players besides Wood have played 20 games or more.

The coaches are only required to vote for two guards for each conference, which means that the coaches will select whichever of the three locks wasn’t a starter so there is only one spot remaining for the Western Conference guards.

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That last selection by the coaches will most likely go to a guard from the Jazz; either Mike Conley or Donovan Mitchell. Or a guard from the Suns; either of Chris Paul or Devin Booker.

Coaches reward winning and availability above all, and the Jazz has arguably been the best team in the NBA while the Suns have consistently been a top-five team in the Western standings. The availability factor is the biggest reason why Morant will not be in the All-Star game this season.

Coaches have to nitpick for reasons why someone is or isn’t an All-Star. Morant’s injury and the Grizzlies postponed games have made Morant an easy scapegoat in this close All-Star race.

Morant is putting up All-Star numbers and is on a competitive team in the Western Conference, that hasn’t had their second-best player in Jaren Jackson Jr. all season. As it is every year, the Western Conference All-Star ballot is extremely difficult to crack – just ask Mike Conley.

If Morant was past 20 games played I think he’d be a prevalent name in the 2021 All-Star game discussion and consensus All-Star snub this season.

All-Star games may be fun and a nice reward but we still get to see Ja Morant lead the scrappy Memphis Grizzlies into the play-in game race for the rest of this season, and that will be more fun than one exhibition game.