NBA Draft: Zion Williamson still first in 2019 Redraft

The Memphis Grizzlies jumped up in the lottery to land at the second pick, and it ended up being an even larger boon for the franchise than with many drafts. Despite the checkered history of the second overall pick, even in recent years, the Grizzlies nailed their pick in taking Murray State point guard Ja Morant.

Morant came out of nowhere, from lightly recruited high school player to deserving second overall pick. Morant is not a knockdown shooter but he is absolutely a scorer, his 18.4 points per game thus far in his career second-most in the class. He also excels on setting up teammates, averaging 7.3 assists per game, by far the most in the class (Darius Garland is second with 4.9).

Only a handful of players in the league play with Morant’s intensity, able to explode to the hoop and destroy the rim. He has the sort of intangibles one looks to in a “best player” to lead a team towards contention. He is a negative of sorts on defense and needs to improve his outside shot to be an All-NBA player, but two seasons in he has been as good as advertised.

If the Grizzlies already had a lead ball creator, it’s at least conceivable that they could consider a wing player here. Both RJ Barrett and De’Andre Hunter are good defenders already who could be elite as they mature into their primes. Yet without that player on the Grizzlies’ roster, Morant is the obvious pick in addition to being the one they made two years ago.