Memphis Grizzlies: 3 ways Ja Morant can become an All-Star in 2021-22

Memphis Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant has been improving each season in the NBA. Will 2021-2022 be the season he becomes an NBA All-Star?

It’s a really big deal to be both an All-Star and a current member of the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s a big deal because there have only been three players in franchise history to represent the Memphis Grizzlies during the NBA All-Star game: Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph, and Pau Gasol.

Only the Charlotte Hornets and the Sacramento Kings can empathize with Grizzlies fans when it comes to the All-Star game. The Hornets have only seen seven players represent their team in an All-Star game— the second-fewest in NBA history, trailing only the Memphis Grizzlies (three players).

The Kings have not had a player represent their team since the 2016-2017 season (DeMarcus Cousins)— tied for the longest active streak in the NBA with the Grizzlies (Marc Gasol).

Ja Morant is trying to become the first Memphis Grizzlies player in an NBA All-Star game since Marc Gasol in the 2016-17 season.

To break the streak and become an All-Star, Ja Morant is likely going to have to make a jump into the next tier of NBA stars. In a recent analysis from The Athletic, the publication sorted NBA stars into tiers that grouped players together with players of similar value.

Currently, Ja Morant is listed in a tier with players like Jamal Murray and Shia Gilgeous-Alexander— players who have yet to make an All-Star game appearance. The next tier of players includes the likes of Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, and Trae Young— all recent All-Stars.

Here are three paths Morant can take to make the leap and become the first player to represent the Memphis Grizzlies in the NBA All-Star Game in a half-decade.