Last night in a 121-110 victory over the Houston Rockets on a nationally televised stage, the Memphis Grizzlies got their chance to prove to the world that they were a legitimate team this season and not just some try hard, flash in the pan good story.
And it was their rookie sensation, Ja Morant, who stood up to the challenge of facing the league's top scorer - James Harden - and delivered. In the game, Morant made one thing clear for all to see.
He is the next great player in the NBA.
We haven't seen Zion Williamson yet, who, it was reported today, is likely to make his debut January 22 against the San Antonio Spurs, so it has been Morant who has so far stood way out in his first NBA season. On the year, he is averaging 18.0 points, 6.9 assists, and 3.5 rebounds, on 49.4 / 40.7 / 80.4. He has six games of 10+ assists, including a season high 14 just five days ago against the Spurs. Last night, the entire toolbox was on display for everyone to witness.
Playing 37 minutes, Morant was nearly flawless, with 26 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 1 block and 1 steal on 10/11 from the field and 3/4 from downtown. He also made all three of his free throw attempts. His first three scores of the game - slashes into the paint and layups at the rim - showed his speed and finishing ability. There were other times - like a pretty behind the back feed to Jaren Jackson in the lane for a layup, and a fast break fancy behind the back, through the legs dribble pass to Jackson for a thunderous dunk that sent FedEx Forum into a frenzy - where he showed his top tier ball handling skills and vision. At a point early in the game when he hit a three, he screamed with jubilation, telling Harden, who left him open on the play, that he needed to know about him and his shot making ability, something that had been a question mark for Morant going into the draft. Morant and Jackson are among the most talented young duos in the league, along with the likes of Boston's Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, Atlanta's Trae Young and John Collins, Sacramento's De'Aaron Fox and Marvin Bagley, and Phoenix's Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton. You could also sneak Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson amongst that group if you wanted, too. For the city of Memphis, Morant and Jackson represent a bright future, the likes of which they have never had with players as young as the two of them.
Morant, though, is the engine that makes the team go. Former NBA Center Kendrick Perkins sent out a tweet last night that Morant is a potential All-Star this year. With the way that he is playing and for the Grizzlies being currently 8th in a Western Conference that people thought they had no chance of breaking for the playoffs, Morant certainly has an argument.
That Is debatable, and, if he were to be an All-Star in his rookie campaign, it would be well deserved. What isn't debatable, though, is one thing.
Morant represents the next.
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