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.
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.
If the Memphis Grizzlies are in playoff contention in February 2022, Ja Morant will be in consideration for the All-Star Game.
Taking a look at the standings in the Western Conference two weeks prior to the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, it’s evident that the best teams are usually the ones rewarded with at least one all-star representative.
Two weeks before the All-Star Game last season, the top eight teams in the Western Conference were: Utah, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, Denver, and Golden State. Each of those teams had at least one player selected to the All-Star Game, with San Antonio being the lone exception.
Luka Doncic and Zion Williamson were the only two players outside of the playoff picture to be selected for the game.
If the Memphis Grizzlies can get off to a great start and be in the playoff picture near the All-Star break, then Ja Morant will have a decent chance at being named to the All-Star Game.
By most accounts, next season will be a tough one for the Grizzlies, as they have a lot of new faces and they face an extremely difficult schedule to begin the season.
The easiest way to become an All-Star is to be voted in as a starter by the fans. This would likely require a big campaign front the team’s marketing department, fans, and teammates to help elevate Morant’s profile even further.
Last season, Morant collected more than half a million votes from fans to be named a starter in the All-Star game. His 556k+ votes were sixth-best amount guards in the Western Conference.
The best way to secure fan votes is for the Memphis Grizzlies to allow Ja Morant the space to produce viral, highlight plays.
Morant is no stranger to the SportsCenter Top 10 lists — he was a regular on the highlight reel last season, including this ridiculous dunk that was regularly featured during commercials for the 2021 NBA Playoffs.
Throwing down monster dunks, threading unreal dimes, or crossing someone out of their shoes is something Morant does on the regular for the Memphis Grizzlies. Fans notice this and could reward his efforts with votes for the All-Star game.
It’ll be tough to get more votes than Steph Curry, Damian Lillard, and/or Luka Doncic, but there will still be open slots for Morant to slide in as a reserve if he can’t get the votes to become a starter.
His main competition fighting for a spot in the Western Conference will likely be De’Aaron Fox and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. If Morant can up his scoring average or have the Grizzlies towards the top of the Western Conference standings prior to the All-Star break, it’ll be hard to keep Morant out of the 2022 NBA All-Star Game.