Top Memphis Grizzlies Storylines as NBA Season Resumes

2. Will Ja Morant Win Rookie of the Year?

One of Memphis’ broader-spectrum plotlines is the NBA’s Rookie of the Year race, and the narrative groundswell surrounding one Zion Williamson.

Zion was the presumptive preseason ROY, before a knee injury kept him in suits for the season’s first three months. During that time, Ja Morant was nothing short of transcendent, putting up historical numbers while lifting Memphis far beyond expectations. He seemed to have the award in the bag.

But then Zion had to complicate things again, also putting up an amazing individual showing, and raising his team’s collective ceiling. After starting the season in turmoil, the New Orleans Pelicans began charging towards the playoffs, with who else but Memphis defending the 8-seed.

Zion will have 8 more games to pad his case, and potentially lift New Orleans into the playoffs. Even if this does happen, he will have played only 40% as many games as Morant this year. It’s a tough margin to ignore, regardless of outcomes.

Rookies so rarely lead their team to the playoffs that using it as the determining factor for Rookie of the Year seems contrived and arbitrary. Even if Memphis falls from the 8-seed, denying Morant’s season-long output would be a hogwash of recency bias.

Fortunately, most signs point to Ja Morant’s impending victory. Vegas currently lists Zion as a +900 underdog, while 91% of NBA GMs think Morant will win.  Strong numbers, but stranger things have happened.