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Grizzlies: Ja Morant could have a say in the NBA MVP race

ByJack Williams|
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 15: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies dribbles the ball against the Chicago Bulls in the second half during a preseason game at United Center on October 15, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 118-105. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - OCTOBER 15: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies dribbles the ball against the Chicago Bulls in the second half during a preseason game at United Center on October 15, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 118-105. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

The Memphis Grizzlies got off to a 2-0 start in the 2021 season thanks to a pair of huge performances from Ja Morant. The Grizzly point guard dropped 37 points in the team’s season opener — a new franchise record.

But his team would stumble to a loss in game three.

Even so, in the Grizzlies’ third game of the season, Ja Morant looked like the best player on the court. This wasn’t a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder or Detroit Pistons, either — Morant looked like the best player in a game with future Hall of Famers like LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Russell Westbrook.

Now, before I get too far into this, I want to specify that I do not think Ja Morant is better than those three guys quite yet. Still, he was the best basketball player in Staples Center on Sunday night.

Based on how he’s playing, Ja Morant might have a say in the NBA MVP race

Yesterday, I published an article about how Ja Morant looks like an NBA All-Star. Just a day later, I didn’t think I’d be talking about how Morant could be in the running for the MVP Award this year, but here we are.

The Grizzly point guard is the NBA’s current scoring leader and he’s doing it while contributing all over the floor. At the top of the league, Morant is tied with Paul George with 35 points per game. He’s doing it on fewer minutes than PG.

Here are Morant’s stat lines from the first three Grizzly basketball games of the season:

  • 37 points, 6 assists, 2 blocks
  • 27 points, 8 assists, 1 steal
  • 40 points, 10 assists, 3 steals

Morant is also shooting 44.4% from beyond the arc, knocking down five of his seven three-point attempts. The Lakers disrespected Morant on defense and the third-year point guard absolutely torched them from deep.

If Morant can continue to knock down his deep shots, how do you stop him? He looks more confident driving to the lane than we’ve ever seen him before and there may not be a defender in the league who can stay in front of him. Just look at this play against the Lakers.

How do you stop that?

The only worrisome part of Morant’s game so far would be his consistent turnovers. The Grizzly point guard seems to get himself into a situation where he jumps and has to release the ball — this led to at least three giveaways that I can think of on the night. Still, these are easy issues to correct.

If Morant can limit his turnovers and continue to shoot well from downtown, the rest of the league might just be screwed.

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