It’s largely flown under the radar thanks to COVID and other narratives like Steph Curry’s pursuit of history, the ongoing Ben Simmons saga and anti-vaxxer Kyrie Irving returning to the Nets in a part-time role, but one of the more compelling plotlines of the 2021-22 NBA season has to be the ascension of Ja Morant, who has taken the leap from promising up-and-comer to a legitimate MVP threat. The Grizzlies megastar was at it again Sunday night, wowing with a monstrous “Superman” block of Lakers guard Avery Bradley on a first-quarter layup attempt.
Bradley picked Morant’s pocket, only for Ja to return the favor with one of the greatest hustle plays you’ll ever see, taking Bradley’s milk money and stuffing him in a locker like a recess bully. Advanced analytics actually rate Morant as a below-average defender (206th out of 247 qualifiers in FiveThirtyEight’s RAPTOR metric), though the 6’3” point guard certainly has the length and athleticism to be a difference-maker on that end of the floor.
Morant finished with a modest 16 points—well below his 24.7 season average—on 4-of-10 shooting as the scorching-hot Grizzlies extended their winning streak to nine in a game far more lopsided than the 127-119 final score would indicate (they led by as many as 29 at one point). Memphis will have a day to catch its breath before returning home to face the Warriors, owners of the NBA’s best record, Tuesday at FedEx Forum.
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