The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Morant has Grizzlies thinking big
A rested and rehabbed Ja Morant will back in the Memphis lineup for the NBA playoffs, and the AllStar guard has the young, talented Grizzlies believing they’re ready to make a deep postseason run.
Morant sat out the regular season finale on Sunday, but returned the night before after missing nine games with a sore right knee.
“I felt like I needed a game or two to get my legs back under me, to get the game-type feel,” Morant said.
It appears he has his legs back under him.
Morant scored 21 points in a win over the New Orleans Pelicans that tied Memphis’ franchise record for victories in a season at 56. Then along with the other Grizzlies’ starters, he sat out the regular season finale.
It has been a steady ascension for Morant, who uplifts the Grizzlies with each step he takes.
The overall No. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA draft and 2020 rookie of the year, Morant helped end Memphis’ playoff drought in 2021 as the Grizzlies played their
way to the No. 8 seed.
Now with resume worthy of MVP consideration, he has led Memphis to its highest seed ever at No. 2 in the West with the NBA’s second-best record of 56-26. The Grizzlies believe they are ready to take the next step, reaching the playoffs is no longer good enough for this team.
Memphis starts its quest Saturday hosting either Minnesota or the Los Angeles Clippers, not that the opponent matters to Morant.
“I’m focused on us,” the third-year guard out of Murray State said.
“Getting better during that week stretch and just being ready to go out there and play the first two games here at home. No matter
who it is, we go into the game’s the same way. It’s going to be different coverages, depending on the team, but our play style never changes.”
This franchise was swept in the 2013 Western Conference finals, which was the only time it got past the second round.
Morant’s value to the Grizzlies goes beyond mere stats.
Head cheerleader when on the bench, he brings everyone to their feet by dunking over 7-footers, throwing down lobs or dishing the ball off to a teammate for an easy basket.
Even his high-flying blocks on defense are mustsee TV.
His own coach wants to see what Morant does next to attack with his “elite level” ball-handling skills.
“That’s what you need at this level,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “I’m trying to follow him at times to see what’s coming next but when he does something I’m like, ‘Here we go!’ This is what he does. I know he has more in store moving forward that’s going to definitely surprise me.”
And likely opponents as well.
Morant boosted his scoring average by 8.3 points a game and improved in every statistical category this season. He averaged 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 6.7 assists in 57 games.
Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said people get so enamored watching Morant’s nightly highlightreel plays that they forget his high basketball IQ.
“His ability to understand where the reads are on the floor, teams are still going under him and he’s still able to get to the paint at such a high clip,” Mosley said.
“He’s just playing at a tremendous pace, and he has the ability to get to the paint continuously without teams being able to stop him.”