The Memphis Grizzlies haven’t had a player on an All-NBA team since Marc Gasol cracked the First Team in 2015. Ja Morant appears poised to end the seven-year itch as soon as this season.
Morant won Rookie of the Year in 2019-20 but has yet to make an All-Star team in his first two seasons. He did show out during the playoffs last season, though. Is it realistic to think he can suddenly jump from the fringe of superstardom to the game’s elite?
His play in the early going says it all. The point guard didn’t average crack 20 points per game in either of his first two seasons. This year, he was averaging more than 30 points per game in his first five contests, and now sits at 28.7 points per game.
Improved shooting is propping up Morant’s scoring numbers. His 52.1 field goal percentage is his best ever, as is his is 38.9 percent three-point shooting percentage. Good thing too, as he’s chucking up the latter at a career-high clip of 6.0 attempts per game.
Morant is also making a strong effort to get to the free-throw line more often. He’s already averaging 6.3 free throw attempts per game and knocking them down at a career-high rate of 84.2 percent.
Ja Morant is leading the Memphis Grizzlies with an All-NBA campaign
While Morant is scoring in bunches, he hasn’t stopped contributing in other facets of the game. He’s averaging 7.7 assists per game (career-high) and 5.2 rebounds per game (also a career-high).
It’s not all roses and sunshine for Morant in Grind City, though. As he assumes a larger role in the offense, he is also turning the ball over much more than before. He’s averaging a ludicrous 5.0 turnovers per game so far.
Additionally, his defense still leaves much to be desired. He hasn’t contributed a fraction of a defensive win share yet this season. His defensive box plus/minus is -2.0; he’s yet to have a positive one in his brief career.
But you don’t need to be a strong defender to make the All-NBA team or be an MVP candidate. There have been plenty of All-NBA players in recent years that play less than stellar defense. What matters most is Morant’s offensive production and his ability to guide the Grizzlies to wins.
Memphis was off to a decent 3-2 start this season prior to its 26-point loss to the Miami Heat. One other loss at Portland was a complete blowout. Meanwhile, the wins include road victories against the LA Clippers and the Golden State Warriors, two bonafide title contenders.
It’s also important to recognize how much of the load Morant is carrying. Desmond Bane has impressively averaged more than 18 points per game, but no one else on the team is scoring even 14 points per game.
Morant is also playing much more than his teammates and his 32.5 percent usage rate is easily the highest among players on the team that have actually played real minutes.
It’s been some time since the Memphis Grizzlies have had an MVP candidate or an All-NBA player. That looks like it’s going to change by the end of this season.