The Memphis Grizzlies have gotten a great season out of Ja Morant as a point guard. He has improved as a scorer, passer, and rebounder, and has led this team beyond what they were expected to do without their second-best player.
On Friday night, we had the privilege of watching Morant compete against a player that many fans and experts have compared him to — Derrick Rose. These two would go at it all night, with the – coming out on top in the end.
Morant played a huge role in this win, and after a bad year of shooting, it was refreshing to see him have an efficient night from long-range. He currently sits at 26% from long range on the year and that’s a drastic improvement from what his numbers were looking like earlier on.
In fact, at the start of the season, it seemed like Morant couldn’t hit a shot if his life depended on it. There was a lid on the rim. It was looked at as an early slump, but this has continued to go on for the entirety of the season.
Ja Morant may have turned a corner with his 3-point shooting at the Knicks
Had you not watched the previous 49 games of the year, you’d probably assume that Morant’s 3-point shooting was improved from last year. He actually looked comfortable taking shots and it would show up on the stat sheet.
The young point guard drained four out of five 3-pointers taken in this game. It may not seem like much, but four 3-pointers in a game ties Morant’s career-high. His only miss? A blocked shot by Derrick Rose, the player Morant will hope to become one day.
So far, Morant’s career has mirrored Rose’s, so hopefully that trend will continue.
Unlike Rose, Morant will look to develop into a strong 3-point shooter. We know what he’s capable of from deep, so if he can get back to that level, it’ll simplify the entire game. He’ll have an easier time driving to the paint, dishing the ball off to his teammates, and getting into a rhythm.
If he can get into a groove on a longer-term basis from deep toward the end of the season, it would give the Grizzlies such a huge advantage in a tight Western Conference playoff race.