Grizzlies among NBA’S elite thanks to Ja Morant

A quick look at the NBA standings tells you something special is going on in Memphis, where the Grizzlies are distinguishing themselves as one of the West’s elite and Ja Morant has established himself as a premier point guard.

Indeed, in their four-year floor general out of Murray State, the Grizz have a legitimate MVP candidate who is among the league leaders in several key categories on a team that is leading the Southwest Division and grappling with the Denver Nuggets for the best record in the Western Conference.

As of mid-january, the second overall pick in the 2019 draft had some pretty robust numbers: 27.5 points (10th in the league) on 46.9 percent shooting, 5.7 rebounds, 7.9 assists (fifth), 1.0 steals, and 1.7 three-pointers made per game.

He’s also led the way during the Grizzlies’ January winning streak that saw them register convincing victories over teams such as the Phoenix Suns, Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans.

His continued excellence has caught the attention of none other than Hall-of-fame big man and “Inside the NBA” analyst Shaquille O’neal, who feels Morant should be mentioned in the same breath with Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic, among others, in the 2022-23 MVP conversation.

“(Experts) don’t say Ja Morant’s name enough ...,” he said. “This kid is an exciting player, he can do it all.” Morant and the Grizzles can be seen in action Sunday, Feb. 12, when they pay a visit to the East-leading Boston Celtics in a game airing on ABC.