[jwplayer Ivrt47LY]
Ja Morant turned in an impressive first year with the Memphis Grizzlies and that performance resulted in the second overall pick earning the 2019-20 NBA Rookie of the Year trophy, nearly unanimously.
Morant earned plenty of respect from his peers throughout the season for his electric playing style. From Damian Lillard to Trae Young, Morant was recognized by some of the best players in the league this season and he earned even more praise this week.
Kevin Durant and Rich Kleiman joined J.J. Redick on the latest episode of “The Old Man & the Three” podcast and discussed the current state of the point guard position and if Morant can eventually be in the conversation with those ahead of him.
Redick: He has got to be able to shoot it better. A couple of things about him: Clearly, he works hard. His feel for the game is insane. One of the things that I think he is so good at, at such a young age, is he has a feel for when it’s time to go and he has a feel for when it’s time to get his teammates involved. That level of feel you just don’t see from young players, especially ball-dominant players that early.
Durant: I agree with that. When he came to Barclays [Center], I saw him up close. His feel for the game and it doesn’t look like he forces anything. He is such a graceful athlete. Like you said, JJ, you got to be able to shoot it. His mechanics are not that bad; it’s not like he can’t make a shot at all. If you go under [on pick and rolls], he’ll knock down a couple of 3s in a game but once his shooting gets a little better and more accurate, the sky is the limit.
Morant proved this season that he has the potential to be an elite point guard. Like Redick mentioned, he did a tremendous job of getting his teammates involved and also had the ability to take over games late — he ranked sixth in fourth-quarter scoring among all players with 7.3 points.
He was certainly electric to watch this season and he figures to only get better the more he plays. The Grizzlies project to have a bright future and Morant is a key reason why.
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