Portland Trail Blazers star Ja Morant is widely regarded as one of the most athletic players in the NBA. Despite his relatively lighter frame, Morant generates tremendous power, allowing him to pull off highlight-worthy plays with ease. While this quality certainly makes him unique, some believe it demands more praise.
Barring his athletic gifts, Ja Morant is also an extremely capable offensive player. From elite ball-handling skills to playmaking, the two-time All-Star possesses all the tools befitting a traditional point guard. So how exactly does this translate to greatness?
During a recent episode of “The Pat Bev Show,” former NBA player Patrick Beverley boldly claimed he would pick Ja Morant ahead of NBA legend and arguably the greatest pure point guard of all time, John Stockton. Although such a statement could be deemed blasphemous, Beverley justified it by stating:
“Some people go John Stockton. I’m going Ja Morant. Some people go John Stockton because he’s an actual point guard. He’s going to get the ball where it needs to be. He’s going to be heavy on the pocket pass. He’s going to be a great leader. That’s cool. Ja Morant is running circles around John Stockton’s a–. Straight up. He’s going to be jumping over John Stockton’s a–.”
“I’m talking about the Stockton with the little shorts that was playing against Michael Jordan and them. I’m a huge Stockton fan. He played against the greatest ever. He did compete. I’m not taking that away from him. As a better player, a lot of people would take John Stockton. I’m taking Ja Morant.”
As Beverley mentioned, John Stockton was the blueprint for the quintessential point guard. As an orthodox playmaker, Stockton ran the offense to perfection, forming one of the greatest one-two combos with Karl Malone. To that end, Stockton was so effective (and durable) that he still reigns as the NBA’s all-time leader in assists.
Although Beverley made a good point in noting the sheer difference in athleticism and how it would impact that matchup, it is still an outrageous statement. Despite this, the former NBA player took things a step further by stating that Morant would give Michael Jordan‘s Bulls more trouble than Stockton did if he were on the Utah Jazz.
“If you put Ja Morant on the Utah Jazz, it’s a different series,” Beverley commented. “Ja can pass the ball. He can hit the pockets. Karl Malone can get his. But what Ja is going to do to Steve Kerr and Ron Harper… Steve Kerr, I love you, brother. But what Ja is going to do to Steve Kerr- Kerr ain’t gonna be able to get on the court. If he can’t be on the court, limited threes from the Bulls. You’ve got to think about the game… They can’t guard Ja.”
On paper, Beverley’s rationale isn’t outrageous. Ja Morant certainly serves as a more direct scoring threat than Stockton, and in a matchup against Steve Kerr, Morant would certainly dominate. However, there are some factors that Beverley seems to be overlooking.
Firstly, the defensive spacing during the ’90s was very different. Since most teams focused on shutting down the paint and the mid-range, Morant would struggle to get to his preferred spots on the floor. Thus, even if he did get past Kerr, given the era’s trademark physicality, the 27-year-old would be clobbered every time he went to the rim.
Secondly, Beverley touched on Malone “getting his” during this matchup. Without a playmaker like Stockton to get Malone and the other Jazz players going, Utah’s offense would stagnate around Ja Morant unless he establishes himself as a viable scoring threat each trip down the court. Hence, with one of the era’s best scorers taking a backseat, the Jazz would find themselves on the defensive again.
There is certainly merit to the matchups and how Morant could take advantage of them, but ultimately, basketball is a team game. Thus, considering what John Stockton brought to the table as a floor general and as a point-of-attack defender, Morant would be a bad fit in the same system.
In all fairness, this shouldn’t undermine Ja Morant’s abilities. Given how electric he can be when healthy, Morant is more than capable of holding his own against some of the league’s best point guards. But in this specific context, comparing Morant to Stockton seems unfair.
