22-year-old Ja Morant is in the middle of a breakout season for the Memphis Grizzlies. In just his third season, the South Carolina native is cementing himself as one of the league’s best point guards as he leads his team to prosperity in the West.
Fortunately, his play has not gone unnoticed.
According to the latest return of votes, Morant ranks second among Western Conference guards, in front of Russell Westbrook, Devin Booker, Klay Thompson, and Donovan Mitchell.
So with Morant looking like a sure-fire All-Star this season, he was asked to respond to the milestone that is likely a sign of things to come:
“I deserve this. I earned this. I worked for this,” Morant told Drew Hill of the Daily Memphian. “This is the way I wanted it. I didn’t want to be no alternate. I don’t want to be a spot-filler.”
I spoke with Ja Morant, soon to be a no-doubt NBA All-Star. He’s thrilled to get his wish.
“I deserve this. I earned this. I worked for this,” he’s said. “This is the way I wanted it. I didn’t want to be no alternate. I don’t want to be a spot-filler.” https://t.co/6atWtvtPeK
— Drew Hill (@DrewHill_DM) January 24, 2022
With averages of 25.3 points, 6.9 assists, and 6 rebounds per game on 48% shooting, there is no doubt that Morant belongs as a starter in February’s game.
But perhaps even more impressive than his stats is how well he has been leading the Grizzlies this season. Despite falling short on overall talent (compared to other teams like the Warriors, Lakers, and even the Suns), Memphis is currently the third-best team in the West and boasts an impressive 32-17 record so far.
To some, Morant is even worthy of being in the MVP conversation.
“When I say ‘hell no’ about the MIP conversation— Ja, in my opinion, Ja has already passed that. Let’s talk about the MVP conversation,” said Draymond Green. “That’s the category that I personally feel like Ja Morant needs to be mentioned more in. He’s playing at an MVP-level, All-Star starter, all of those things he is at that level. … Ja Morant is an incredible, incredible athlete. But even more so than being an incredible athlete, he’s an incredible basketball player and an extremely smart basketball player.”
Since being drafted, Morant has been largely overlooked by the NBA crowd. As an inexperienced player in a small market, he was facing an uphill battle from the start.
Now, Morant has made sure everyone knows who he is. He’s a beast, a Rookie of the Year winner, and a soon-to-be All-Star starter.
There is no doubt he’ll add more to his resume before it’s all said and done.
