Ja Morant

By: Lucas Kochevar

      With the second pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Memphis Grizzlies select Ja Morant from Murray State. The Memphis Grizzlies are no longer in the Grit N Grind era  as they have shipped off the last true member in Mike Conley Jr. The Grizzlies are set to usher in a new era of Memphis basketball as they drafted star college PG Ja Morant and they hope to build around young budding star Jaren Jackson Jr. 

      Morant hopes to provide Memphis with a slashing style and exceptional passing. He should translate well to the NBA as he was far and away the best PG in this draft. What stands out to me is his passing skills. He comes in as a pro level passer and I am interested to see what he can do with NBA level talent. He posted 10 assists per game on a mid major school in Murray State. Imagine what he cna do with a professional team. I am looking forward to seeing him and Jaren Jackson in the pick n roll game.

        Morant possesses the ideal court vision for an NBA guard as he is the best passer in this class. He has made a number of advanced passes in his college career. I believe his explosiveness will help him out a number of times for when he is slashing the paint. He has an elite first step that should catch defenders off guard. He has the ability to blow by anyone with elite athleticism. This should help out his perimeter defense too as speed can't be taught. 

          Morant does have a three point shot, however it is not up to NBA standard just yet. He shot 36% from three last year. He most likely will go through that struggle at the beginning of the year that most rookie PGs go through. Trae Young showed last year that when you go into a rough stretch just push the adversity aside and keep playing your style of basketball. Morant has to make sure that he stick to his strengths when adjusting.

       I have faith in him and I believe he should fit in well as the face of the Memphis Grizzlies. He has the tools that any PG should have and he just has to clean up some rough areas in his game. Size will be a struggle but as Isiah Thomas has shown, size is just a number. 

Projected Stats: 14.8 PTS 5.9 ASTS 0.9 STLS