Ja Morant: Pros and Cons of the COVID Layoff
By AJ Salah
Pro: Pumping the Brakes For a Minute
The flipside to the previous slide is that Morant will be able to rest, and hopefully help his career’s long-term outlook.
See, Morant’s physical profile – while tantalizing athletically – doesn’t come without its share of apprehension. Ja is an absolute freak athlete; a speed demon who jumps out of the gym. This means that not only is he exerting himself more on a play-by-play basis, but also that his value is more predicated on said athleticism than someone like, say, Luka Doncic.
The other factor to consider is that Morant plays with caution akin to Donald Trump on Twitter. He is borderline reckless in attacking every opportunity to go viral, which while awesome to watch also leaves him exposed for potential injury.
One needs only to watch the landing of Morant’s immortal failed posterization of Kevin Love to understand the trepidation.
Mileage is becoming an important stat in today’s NBA of load management and career conservation. Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies seem primed for plenty of future playoff runs, so perhaps a little rest early in the game isn’t the worst thing.
John Wall was a popular player comp for Morant both before and during this season. It would be an eventual nightmare for Grizzlies fans if that career arc held form.