Memphis Grizzlies: Where Ja Morant ranked on Sports Illustrated’s Top-100

The Memphis Grizzlies haven’t had a player reach the NBA All-Star game since Marc Gasol did it in the 2016-17 season. He became just the third Grizzly to make an NBA All-Star game, joining his brother, Pau Gasol, and Zach Randolph.

Since then, the Grizzlies have had a dead period that is rapidly approaching five years, but they do have a player who is coming close in Ja Morant.

Morant didn’t make the All-Star game last season in a year where his overall improvements were overshadowed by a three-point shot that wasn’t dropping. He did, however, put himself on the map by the end of the season as one of the best young players in the league. At the very least, the NBA world now has confidence that Morant is ready to lead an NBA franchise.

He earned this confidence by playing lights-out basketball through the NBA Play-in tournament, allowing the Grizzlies entrance to the NBA Playoffs for the first time since the aforementioned 2016-17 season.

Sports Illustrated ranked Memphis Grizzlies PG Ja Morant as one of the best overall players in the league

While Morant is striving for an NBA All-Star appearance, many media outlets already consider him an All-Star-caliber player. One of those media outlets is Sports Illustrated, which didn’t outwardly refer to Morant as a guy who should make the All-Star game. Rather, they listed him in their Top-100 NBA players list.

Last year, Morant also made an appearance on the list, coming in at the 41st spot. After a strong rookie season, nobody was upset about his positioning. This year, he managed to rise up the ranks of the NBA once again.

Morant is ranked as Sports Illustrated’s 25th-best NBA player. Here’s their explanation.

"Morant continues to ascend as one of the league’s genuinely breathtaking young talents, with a striking blend of speed, vertical, explosion, and visionary passing that allow him to pressure defenses even without a reliable three-point shot. His 47-point performance in a playoff loss to Utah was demonstrably special. Moreover, Morant’s relentless mindset is tough to replicate. The total package here is unlike any other guard in the league, and it feels like a foregone conclusion the 22-year-old continues to improve. And if he adds a jumper, the calculus changes in a scary way."

For once, we get an explanation that doesn’t exaggerate Morant’s shooting woes. Rather than focus on the bad, SI explains that Morant has a very particular skill set that cannot be replicated. Rather than an athletic guy who can’t shoot, he’s a visionary passer with a relentless mindset.

If you’re wondering why I keep mentioning the NBA All-star game, it’s because Morant was the 25h-ranked player on SI’s list. That means that they believe he was the first player left out of the NBA All-Star Game, which hosts 24 of the league’s best players.

It’s hard to see a world where Morant doesn’t continue to improve, which would instantly send him toward All-Star status. Great things could be on the horizon in Memphis.