3 key reasons why Ja Morant could win MVP this season
By Luke Duffy
Key reasons why Ja Morant could win MVP this season: 3. Narrative
If there’s one thing we as fans love, it is a storyline that we can all follow and understand. When LeBron James went to the Miami Heat in 2010, it was easy to paint him as a villain, so we did.
Similarly, when Russell Westbrook stayed with the Oklahoma City Thunder after all of his star teammates left, his pursuit of an MVP and a triple-double season (or two) was easy to cheer for.
Right now, the Grizzlies are in that sweet spot of still having modest expectations, but outperforming them wildly. A less impressive recent example of this is the D’Angelo Russell-led Brooklyn Nets group from a few years back. “D’Lo” was an All-Star, the Nets made the playoffs, and we all left that group with a warm feeling in our tummies.
The Grizzlies, and Morant, occupy that space right now and have captured the imagination of us all. It also helps that Morant has shades not only of Westbrook but of former MVP winner Derrick Rose. Then with the Bulls, Rose became the youngest MVP in league history. That group ascended ahead of schedule and went on to legitimately challenge the James-led Heat.
They came up short, but Rose still won that hardware. That season, Rose averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and shot 33.1 percent from deep. So far this year, Morant is averaging 24.4 points, 6.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and is shooting 35.5 percent from three-point range. Obviously, the league has changed some since Rose won, but Morant’s numbers are right in line with that of Rose’s.
In keeping with this narrative theme, Morant is extremely likable too. His teammates appear to love him and he has captured the heart of a city in Memphis. Casual fans enjoy watching his games because he is a constant highlight reel. This block against the Los Angeles Lakers recently might be more impressive than anything prime Rose ever did around the basket.