Typically when you see a player from a one-bid conference drafted in the top 10, there is something about them that jumps off the page. Their games in college do not get much run on national TV, until the NCAA Tournament usually comes around. Then they get one game to showcase their skill before an undecided future.
In his freshman year at Murray State, Ja Morant got the Racers into the NCAA tournament, losing in the first round to West Virginia. In 2019 Morant jumped out of the gym in getting the Racers past Marquette in a massive upset in the first round. Murray State would be dominated by Florida State in the Round of 32, but Morant was on his way to the NBA.
When the Memphis Grizzlies picked Morant second overall in that 2019 draft, they found their franchise again.
Morant took home Rookie Of The Year honors in 2020, then got the Grizzlies into the playoffs in year two. Despite falling to top-seeded Utah in the first round, Morant poured in 26 points in Game One of that series, which Memphis stole before losing the next four.
By the way, Morant tallied 47 points in Game Two.
With the All Star break just over a week away, Morant has the Grizzlies sitting in third place in the Western Conference, just four games back of a revitalized Golden State Warrior club looking to regain their stranglehold on the NBA. Memphis is 3.5 games clear of the Jazz for fourth, posting a 38-18 record. What world do we live in where the Grizzlies are 20 games over .500 and the Cleveland Cavaliers are 13 over .500, just one game out of the top spot in the Eastern Conference?
Cleveland is the best defensive team in the NBA, holding teams to 101.9 points per game. Memphis is third best offensively at 113.1, trailing only the Charlotte Hornets (113.3) and Utah (113.6). The concern for Memphis however is that while their lead is 5.5 over the Dallas Mavericks in the Southwest Division, the Mavericks are 2-0 against the Grizzlies, with an average margin of 20 points in those wins.
Morant put his skills on full display Tuesday night, going for 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists in Memphis’ 135-109 rout of the Los Angeles Clippers at the FedExForum.
The story was more about Marcus Morris getting tossed after smacking Morant in the face on a breakaway attempt than the route itself. Memphis led 90-68 with 4:22 left in the third quarter when Morant went through four Clipper defenders on his way to the basket. Morant went up with both hands seemingly to dunk, but Morris made no effort to play defense, instead causing Morant to fall straight backwards in the air.
Morant landed flat on his back and lay prone on the court for several moments before being helped up by teammates and the Grizzly training staff. Morris was originally assessed a Flagrant 1, which was shortly upgraded to a Flagrant 2 by referee Ben Taylor.
No scrums ensued and Morant remained in the game after the foul, even telling reporters he was “cool” with Morris when asked about the play after the game. You have to give kudos to several players on the Memphis bench who held their teammates back from walking over to escalate the situation, which would have drawn automatic suspensions under NBA rules.
This is why Morant is part of the new group of NBA superstars under 25 that could breathe life back into a league that many fans shut off in recent years. Morant, Evan Mobley and Darius Garland in Cleveland, Luka Doncic in Dallas and Trae Young in Atlanta are all under 25 and have helped turn their teams around much faster than anyone anticipated. All are high-character gentlemen in the press and are quickly becoming leaders in the locker room.
-JC24