Ja Morant could be one of the best players in the NBA, but he must first shine on the brightest stage.
In 2019, Ja Morant announced his arrival with Memphis Grizzlies on his back as the face of the once proud franchise. Since then, he has created two All-Star games, received All-NBA honors and has been broken as one of the most exciting players in the NBA.
He is only 25 years old and although the Grizzlies roster around him is rather young and inexperienced, he has already received two labels.
First, his history of gun-related suspensions and injuries raises his availability question. He hasn’t played 65 games since his rookie season and has already missed 26 contests this season.
Secondly, he won 50 games twice in the season and made the playoffs three times, but he only led Memphis once past the first round. If he proves that he can’t shine when the lights are brightest in the playoffs, his longtime role as the face of the franchise is put into question.
However, one franchise legend and NBA champion believes Morant has what it needs.
Tony Allen won the NBA Finals as a role player for the Boston Celtics in 2008 and signed with the Grizzlies in 2010. As a key member of the Gritton Grand era, he created six all-defensive teams in a row, but he was unable to return to the finals.
Memphis has long been a playoff staple for the Western Conference, but behind the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors, they never played for the championship.
Allen appears to believe the Grizzlies are breaking through.
“I believe that,” Tony Allen said of Ja Morant’s chance to win the title as his first option.
“This guy is a must-see TV, box office if you ask me,” he continued. “I think he was hit with a few injuries this year, Nicknack injuries and so much injuries.
Key players like Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane will be signed until at least next season. Rookies Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey should give Grizzlies hope for years to come, but the Grizzlies need to mark early as other Western Conference teams go on to dominate for years.
“This is when they want to win some games. They don’t have to play on play-in or make things a little harder, because they have to think they’re second behind OKC, so they’re playing well as a unit,” Allen finished.
“They’re now healthy at this point. JaMorant is at the forefront of this organization. We’re going where he goes. He has to be JA.
Memphis needs to deal with his weaknesses as Morant has the keys to the attack and franchise. He is an underrated passerby, one of the league’s best finishers, second only to Anthony Edwards, but his external shooting requires some work.
This season he shot 29.1% from the deep, almost matching his career average. Memphis tried to combine him with Marcus Smart. Marcus Smart was not a shooting threat and could not find success.
In the modern NBA, having a point guard that is not a threat to shooting is a difficult obstacle to overcome, but that’s not impossible. Through the construction of a smart roster, Memphis should be able to remain the top team in the West, but they need to prove that they can become major postseason players.