Ja Morant is undeniably one of the top 10 players in the NBA and his talent could well be in the top five.
On top of that, his style of play might be the most watchable in a league of ridiculously talented players.
His ability as a point guard to cannonball to the edge is unparalleled and he accompanies this with the ability to deliver wildly daring passes and deftly shoot deep as well.
He had a new career-high in the regular season (he scored 47 in a playoff loss to Utah last season) and a franchise-record 46 points in the Memphis Grizzlies’ 116-110 win. against the Chicago Bulls and he showcased his full repertoire of dazzling skills.
The All-Star’s new signature night included a plethora of his gravity-defying assaults on the rim – including a 360-degree layup around MVP candidate DeMar DeRozan – and a one-handed alley-oop slam that rocked the Bulls crowd.
“I’ve seen too much. Kind of boring now,” teammate Steven Adams joked. “He’s such an incredible player.”
The former No. 2 overall scored 16 in the first half and 20 in the third quarter. He made 15 of 28 shots, including three 3-pointers, and was 13 for 15 from the foul line.
Inspired by Jordan?
The Memphis All-Star put on quite a display for the Chicago crowd and might have gotten a little extra boost seeing Michael Jordan highlights on the video board.
“I watched it,” he said. “And then I started scoring a lot. That probably played a part in that.”
Morant’s superstar season sends waves across the league, propelling Memphis up the standings and shattering franchise records — and Saturday night’s display against a very good Chicago Bulls team did all three of those things.
The win over the Bulls, who entered the night tied with Miami for first place in the Eastern Conference and on a six-game winning streak, keeps the Grizzlies (42-20) within striking distance of second-place Golden. State (43-17) with 20 games remaining in the regular season.
Morant and the Grizzlies are eyeing a deeper dive into the playoffs after coming out of last year’s inaugural Play-In tournament and losing to the top-seeded Jazz 4-1 in the first round.
And with arguably the most watchable player in the league at the center of it all, the Grizzlies just might have the ability to surprise everyone.
Morant’s other best players this season:
Please use Chrome browser for more accessible video player
Ja Morant put the NBA All-Star Dunk Contest to shame with this incredible in-game reverse slam dunk thanks to alley-oop help from Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young
Please use Chrome browser for more accessible video player
Ja Morant with the help behind the back of Ziaire Williams who throws a thundering dunk against the Philadelphia 76ers
Please use Chrome browser for more accessible video player
Ja Morant drives the crowd crazy with this huge slam over Robin Lopez against the Orlando Magic!
Please use Chrome browser for more accessible video player
Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies won the Game of the Day for that crazy run and set up against the San Antonio Spurs
Please use Chrome browser for more accessible video player
Ja Morant’s massive alley-oop slam here in the first week of the new season saw him already have a candidate for dunk of the year!
Please use Chrome browser for more accessible video player
Ja Morant produced this two-handed block for the Memphis Grizzlies against the Los Angeles Lakers
