Grizzlies All-Star Ja Morant has been on an absolute tear, netting 40 or more points in three of his last four games. The former Rookie of the Year was at his most patently ridiculous Monday night, torching San Antonio for a team-record 52 points in a performance for the ages. Highlights included a logo three, an impossible buzzer-beater off a full-court Hail Mary from teammate Steven Adams and a savage transition throwdown Spurs seven-footer Jakob Poltl will revisit in nightmares for the rest of his Earthly existence.
Morant is what Stephen A. Smith would call a “baaaaad man.” The 22-year-old’s emergence, transforming Memphis from a Western Conference afterthought to a team no one wants to face come playoff time, has been remarkable. And while Morant faces stiff competition from Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic in this year’s MVP race (some would argue DeMar DeRozan belongs in that conversation), the 6’3” guard has, at the very least, become appointment viewing as arguably the league’s most exciting talent.
Morant’s meteoric rise has many wondering if the Pelicans regret staking their future to injury-prone Zion Williamson, selected first overall in the 2019 NBA Draft. While it’s much too early to dismiss Williamson as a bust, durability and conditioning concerns persist, whereas Morant appears well on his way to becoming a franchise cornerstone—if he isn’t one already—worthy of someday having his number hang from the rafters at FedEx Forum.
Sixers great Allen Iverson, last seen donning a Red Sox cap at the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Celebration in Cleveland during All-Star Weekend, is apparently one of Morant’s biggest fans, endorsing the Murray State alum as a future MVP.
Some found it odd Iverson would heap praise on Morant without acknowledging Embiid, the NBA’s leading scorer at 29.8 points per game. Iverson was the last Sixer to earn MVP honors in 2001 (the same year he famously stepped over Tyronn Lue in the NBA Finals), though Embiid hopes to change that this year. With six weeks to go in the regular season, Embiid is seen as the frontrunner, holding +110 MVP odds on FanDuel Sportsbook, compared to +310 for Jokic and +500 for Giannis.
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