The NBA is a "what have you done for me lately" league and that's why it has felt like Ja Morant has been forgotten about. Entering last season serving a 25-game suspension left the door open for other young stars to take their teams to the next level and garner the attention that was once shown to Morant.
Anthony Edwards led the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Western Conference Finals and made second-team All-NBA. Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to the best regular season record in the west, made first-team All-NBA, and finished second in MVP voting. Jalen Brunson made second-team All-NBA and led a hobbled New York Knicks team to game 7 in the second round. Tyrese Haliburton made third-team All-NBA and led the Indiana Pacers to the Eastern Conference Finals.
All the players named above have gained the attention that Morant once held as one of the most exciting young players in the league, and he is looking to be that guy once again. In his nine games last season, Ja Morant showed why he was one of the most exciting players in the game but "nine games" was the problem.
1. The best ability is availability
It is no secret that Ja Morant hasn't been the most available star in the past couple of seasons for the Grizzlies. After missing a combined 15 games in his first two NBA seasons, Morant missed 25 games in 2021-22, missed 21 games in 2022-23, and missed 48 available games (not including suspension) in 2023-24.
With the 65-game threshold to be eligible to win awards and make All-NBA teams, Morant needs to play at least that amount of games to prove his worth as one of the NBA's best point guards. Playing that amount of games bold well for the Grizzlies to compete in the Western Conference as well.
2. Midrange game
Ja Morant's excellence at getting to the rim has always been a gift and a curse as the cause for his injuries could be due to the contact he faces at the rim, either by bigger players or hitting the floor on his landings. The three-point shot has always been the talk of his development, but a midrange jumper could be just as lethal.
Morant notably worked on his midrange in the summer leading to the 2022-23 season, and he began that season shooting well in the midrange but reverted back to the muscle memory of attacking the rim relentlessly. Having a midrange jumper could've easily prevented Ja from suffering the wrist injury that occurred on his dunk attempt on Anthony Davis in game 1 of the Grizzlies' first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 playoffs.
Midrange jumper looking great from Ja Morant pic.twitter.com/bos622bXV7
— eric (@EricTweetsNBA) November 10, 2022
He must tap into this part of his game to better protect his body and lengthen his career. He has always had a floater but developing and staying with a midrange jumper can do wonders for his game and make him nearly unstoppable.
3. The Presence of Zach Edey
Having a true big man who can set screens will always be a benefit to Ja Morant. Steven Adams was a great compliment to Morant in that department but Zach Edey could be the perfect match in pick-and-roll sets.
Zach Edey can be a true lob threat for Morant with his 7'4" frame and since scoring is in his repertoire, Edey can finish at the rim from passes he will receive from Morant in the pick-and-roll game. Ja Morant has been a solid passer in his career, averaging 8.1 assists the past two seasons, and Zach Edey can help him get to the double-digit mark and would make Morant a nightly double-double machine.