Memphis Grizzlies: Grading Ja Morant’s 2020-21 season thus far

Ja Morant’s passing continues to improve as the season progresses

Ja Morant is playing the same amount of minutes and improving as a scorer. He can’t shoot the 3-ball well, so it wouldn’t be unsafe to assume that he has taken a step back as a passer.

That’s not the case though. Without Jaren Jackson Jr., a key offensive piece for the Grizzlies, Morant has improved his passing. He has done this in both quality and quantity.

It’s not the most intense jump, but he has improved from 7.3 assists per outing to 7.5 dimes per contest. On an injury-riddled team, in a brutal Western Conference, this type of improvement is huge.

But the numbers don’t show you what he’s actually doing out on the court. Here’s a video from the Grizzlies’ first matchup against the Utah Jazz:

As you can see, Morant is making plays and having fun with it. He’s a flashy passer who rarely makes stupid turnovers. It has been a sight to see so far.

One might assume that due to a beat-up roster and moving parts, his turnover total would shoot up as his assists numbers do, but that hasn’t been the case. Morant has cut down on giveaways by over half of a turnover per game.

Overall offensive grade: B+