Prior to the 2018-19 college basketball season, Ja Morant was a relatively unknown prospect. But, as the season progressed, Morant quickly became one of college basketball’s rising stars. Being one of the most electrifying players in college, NBA scouts quickly began hyping him up. Morant is now a projected top-five draft pick for this upcoming year. But, with Morant’s sudden rise to stardom, many question if he’s a future NBA star. With that being said, let’s break down Ja Morant in this section of Draft Board.
Scoring Ability
Morant was easily one of college basketball’s best scorers. He averaged 24.5 PPG which was good enough for the seventh most in the country and led the Ohio Valley Conference by a large margin. Despite Morant being one of the NCAA’s top scorers, he wasn’t the most efficient. He shot just below 50% from the field and a very average 34% from 3PT.
Don’t let the numbers tell the full story, though. Despite Morant not being the most efficient scorer, he still had the ability to score on all three levels. His slender body and extreme athleticism allow him to pull off some of the toughest finishes around the rim you’ll see. Whether Morant is skying over his defender for a ferocious dunk or adjusting mid-air to glide by a defender, he’s a surefire two points in the painted area. Morant ranks in the 58th percentile in paint FG%. He finishes a staggering 56% of all shots within the painted area.
Even though Morant shot a respectable 34 % from 3PT, this is definitely not a strong point in his multifaceted skill-set. There were points where Morant was electric from the perimeter, such as in the round of 32 against Florida State. Morant shot a staggering 5-6 from 3PT, hitting four in a row at one point. But, this type of game was an anomaly for Morant. He only made three or more 3PTs in a game five times. This is shocking considering how high defenders often play him.
His streaky shooting could be due to his abnormal jump-shot. His low release point and left-hand involvement make it difficult for Morant to replicate the same motion every shot. It also varies in speed, allowing a defender time to close out.
Despite all of Morant’s shortcomings from 3PT, he’s still serviceable. He may need to alter his jump-shot to see success from 3PT at the next level.
Fortunately for Morant, his inconsistency from 3PT doesn’t follow him to the mid-range area. Morant excels with the pull-up jumper from 10-15 feet. Often times, he uses his pull-up after taking a high ball screen going left. Oddly enough, Morant’s odd jump-shot form doesn’t appear when pulling up, even from 3PT. With Morant more often than not being a primary ball handler on whichever team selects him, his pull-up jumper will more than likely be his go-to move, considering he may struggle to get to the rim.
Transcendent Playmaking
What makes Morant such an intriguing prospect is his extreme potential as a playmaker. In all my years of watching college basketball, Ja Morant is, by far, the most creative, intuitive, and intelligent passers I’ve witnessed. He has an uncanny ability to swing passes through multiple defenders.
Morant averaged 10 APG which was both first in the OVC and the NCAA. He also led both in turnovers. Usually, a high number of turnovers is a downside for players, especially in college, but Morant had one of the highest usage rates in college basketball history, so the correlation makes sense. Morant also had many “tolerable turnovers” (turnovers that weren’t necessarily his fault; teammates not being able to handle passes, not anticipating advances passes, etc.).
Where Morant really shows his playmaking prowess is in the pick-and-roll. He has a great sense of when to hit the roll man or take his go-to 15-foot jumper. When he does decide to make an entry pass, it’s always on point. Morant often makes a cross-court pass to the deep corner out of the pick-and-roll as well.
In every facet of playmaking, Morant thrives. His handles are possibly the best in the country. His passing is once in a generation. And, his court IQ is extremely high for a 20-year-old.
Lackluster Defense
The only major downside of Morant is his defensive ability. Despite having a lengthy 6’7″ wingspan, he struggles to play on-ball defense. There were many instances where Morant would let a play completely blow by him with no challenge. He often bites on small moves made by the offensive player. Against Marquette, star guard Marcus Howard repeatedly made Morant bite on almost every ball fake, crossover, jab-step, etc.
Morant’s defensive shortcomings were so bad that Murray State played zone 68% of the time that he was on the court. Even while playing zone, Morant would lose his assignment and be slow on rotations. He also very rarely runs out on closeouts. Basically, even in a defensive set where most issues defensively for a play can be masked, Morant still struggles.
He’s a really odd case. He possesses the physical traits on the defensive end that are very hard to come by (length, height, athleticism). There were points where Morant did apply effort and attempt to lock down an opposing player, but they were few and far between. Even when he did apply effort, he’d still get blown off the ball. The only player comparable to Ja on the defensive end is Timberwolves’ wing, Andrew Wiggins.
The Recap
On the offensive end, Ja Morant is one of a kind. There are very few players that possess his scoring and passing ability. He’s truly one of a kind on that end. How exactly his ability to score will transition to the NBA is still unclear, considering he’s a very inconstant scorer. One thing is certain, Morant will be one of the NBA’s premier playmakers for years to come.
Defensively, Morant will likely struggle early in his career. Making the jump to the NBA will likely help him become more disciplined and bite on fewer fakes. Being around NBA coaches will also help with his extremely low defensive IQ.
Morant is a once in a generation PG prospect. It’s very rare that a player with this high of an ability to score and play-make has that combination of extreme athletism. He’ll be one of the league’s best young PGs.
Pro Comparison
Rajon Rondo-Damian Lillard
Watching a lot of Ja Morant this season, I was constantly reminded of a young Rajon Rondo. Both were/are excellent playmakers. Though Morant is slightly more athletic than Rondo, Rondo still possessed similar athleticism. Even though Rondo did make a few NBA All-Defensive teams, coming out of Kentucky, he was very raw on that end, similar to Morant.
Where the Lillard comparison is drawn is Morant’s scoring ability. They both are extremely creative finishers that possess the ability to go right over a defender or craftily finish around them. They both excel off the dribble. Lillard is light-years ahead of Morant when it comes to shooting the 3PT, but Morant could easily improve in this area as time progresses.
Best Fit for Morant
Usually, with draft boards, I break down where the player would fit best around their projected area of selection. With Morant though, there’s only one team where Morant would fit perfectly. That team would be the Phoenix Suns.
The main reason why Morant’s “dream team” is the Phoenix Suns is Devin Booker. Pairing Morant with a star back-court mate early is extremely vital to his success. Though his usage rate would be lower than being selected to a team where he’d be “the guy,” having another star next to him will take attention off of Morant. This will allow him space to get into the paint and score. He’d also be able to run a high pick-and-fade with Booker, allowing for easy assists.
The Suns’ roster is constructed perfectly for Morant. Having a center to run a pick-and-roll every time down the court with, a great back-court mate, and good shooters is the perfect scenario for Morant’s style of offense. On top of that, Phoenix is littered with young defenders that can hide Morant’s terrible defense.
There isn’t a team that’s selecting within the top-five that fit Morant better. Being in Phoenix would instantly make them one of the league’s best up-and-coming teams.
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