Memphis Grizzlies: 3 ways Ja Morant can become an All-Star in 2021-22
To make next season’s NBA All-Star Game, Memphis Grizzlies stud Ja Morant needs to increase his scoring by at least 7ppg.
If you look at last year’s Western Conference Guards that made it to the All-Star Game, you’ll notice something in common with each selection— they each scored more than 25 points per game.
The lone exception to this was future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul, who happens to be in a category of his own.
Last season, Morant averaged 19.1ppg for the Memphis Grizzlies, which was 16th most among guards in the Western Conference, according to NBA Stats. If Morant can find a way to knock down a few more free throws and hit an extra three-pointer each game, he’ll elevate his per-game average significantly.
If Ja Morant can get an extra 7 points each game, he’ll be looking at an average of 26ppg, which would vault him into the top-5 among all Western Conference guards.
Why is it so important to increase his scoring average? Well, besides directly benefitting the Memphis Grizzlies, he’ll also be right in the middle of bona fide NBA All-Stars. The players with the highest points per game averages among Western Conference guards last season were:
Stephen Curry: 32.0 ppg
Damian Lillard: 28.8 ppg
Luka Doncic: 27.7 ppg
Donovan Mitchell: 26.4 ppg
Devin Booker: 25.6 ppg
If Ja Morant is able to add an extra 7 points per game to his scoring average, he’ll be sandwiched between Mitchell and Booker, boosting his chances significantly for becoming an All-Star.
It’s a big leap for Morant to make, but not an impossible one. The Memphis Grizzlies have to replace 34.5 points per game with the departures of Jonas Valanciunas, Grayson Allen, and Justice Winslow. Someone on the team is going to have to step up and produce.
Newcomer Steven Adams averaged around 7ppg last season and you would hope rookie Ziaire Williams can chip in around 8-10 points per game. That leaves around 17 points per game for the rest of the team to produce.
The best bet is to expect Morant to step up and shoulder some of that scoring load— perhaps an extra 7 or 8ppg more than last season. Jaren Jackson, Jr. and Desmond Bane seem like the most likely candidates on the team to increase their scoring averages as well. If they can each chip in an extra 3 or 4ppg each, the Memphis Grizzlies will be set and Morant will be among the best scorers in the Western Conference.