NBA Draft 2019 Rumors: Memphis Grizzlies To Select Ja Morant With the No. 2 Pick
By Chris Kern
Ja Morant is a special talent and after the NBA Draft Lottery, the Memphis Grizzlies are in a position to select him. They aren’t wasting any time in making their intentions known.
Right, when the Memphis Grizzlies were awarded the second pick Tuesday night at the NBA Draft Lottery everyone had a good idea as to who they would be drafting. The team isn’t wasting any time themselves either as they reportedly have already decided on Ja Morant.
Source: Barring the unexpected, Memphis Grizzlies front office and ownership appear to have locked in on selecting Ja Morant with the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, and are informing parties in Chicago of such. That clears the way for R.J. Barrett to fall to the Knicks at #3.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) May 15, 2019
This certainly is the right pick for the Grizzlies to make, but it is a bit of a surprise that they would announce their intentions so soon. With Zion Williamson locked into being the top pick to the Pelicans and Morant coming to Memphis that likely will send former Duke star R.J. Barrett to the Knicks.
Some people think that Barrett should be the Grizzlies choice, but overall, Morant is thought of as the better prospect. He can impact the game in so many ways on the offensive end from the point guard spot and is an explosive athlete that has star potential in the NBA.
This past season at Murray State he broke out and became one of the best players in all of college basketball. Some will discredit him because he played in the Ohio Valley Conference, but when he did play against good teams he played like an absolute superstar.
He played in 33 games, averaging 24.5 points, 10 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game on 50% shooting from the field including 36% from three-point range. His shooting is considered a weakness, but if he can knock down 36% at the next level then it won’t hold him back at all.
He has his flaws just like every player, but he does so much to overcome them. His ability to make players around him better is something you want out of your franchise point guard. That’s what Mike Conley has done for years and they’re now ready to pass the torch to their next young floor general.
The Grizzlies already have a young franchise star in Jaren Jackson Jr. but now they have a chance to add another dynamic piece to the mix. With Ja Morant likely on his way to Memphis, these two have a chance to become the next great duo, in the NBA.
The NBA is so predicated on the pick-and-roll offense and these two could help take that to another level with the Grizzlies. Jackson is able to score the ball from anywhere on the floor with his ability to finish on rolls to the rim as well as being able to pop out to the three-point line and knock down a jump shot.
Morant’s playing style is a perfect fit for today’s NBA. He is going to attack the basket at will and most teams won’t be able to defend that effectively. In the playoffs, we’ve seen defenses have some success, but over an 82 game stretch, Morant will have his way with a lot of the defenders he will match up against.
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Both of these players are still 19 years old so it’s not early to overreact, but if they each can live up to their potential, the sky is the limit. The first step should be reaching the postseason again which hopefully can happen in the next couple of years.