1 Eye-Popping stat to keep an eye on with Ja Morant in season openers

The season opener is always a fun time for the fans, players, and media as it officially begins the NBA season after a long offseason of roster moves, rumors, and boredom. Some players thrive when the lights are the brightest and the first game of the season presents that as it represents the first look for their team.

Ja Morant is one of the NBA's most exciting players and he is bound to make flashy plays whenever he steps on the court. The season-opening game has been Ja Morant's staple of consistency in this area over his career.

Ja Morant's Season Opening Points

Ja Morant's debut NBA game in his rookie season was slow developing as he was getting a feel for the NBA game. He played a little timid and wasn't as aggressive as he has become known to be and that was expected from a 20-year-old playing his first career game on the road in Miami against the always tough Miami Heat.

Ja Morant finished that game with a career-low in season-openers with 14 points. The season-opening game has been a Ja Morant masterclass since that moment as he scored 44 points in 2020 against the San Antonio Spurs, 37 points against the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2021, and 34 points against the New York Knicks in 2022 (all home games).

With that tally, Ja Morant has averaged 32.3 points in his four career season-opening games. Although he missed the team's season opener last season, his personal season-opener after missing the team's first 25 games due to suspension, Ja Morant scored 34 points in New Orleans against the rivals the New Orleans Pelicans.

If you take away his season-opener low of 14 points, he has averaged 38.3 points in his other three season-opening games. If you add in his first game last season, he has averaged 32.6 points in his personal season-openers. If you take away his rookie season-opener but add in last season's first game for him, he has averaged 37.25 points in his personal season-openers which includes him not scoring less than 34 points in any game.

The first game of the season is one in which Ja Morant displays his best stuff. Considering he missed the team's season opener last season and has a chip on his shoulder for his upcoming redemption tour, expect another Ja Morant masterpiece in Utah against the Utah Jazz to get the Grizzlies off to a fast start.