The Basics of Following Ja Morant
Ja Morant rose from Murray State to the Memphis Grizzlies first overall pick in 2019 and quickly became one of the most exciting guards in basketball. His game is built on explosive speed, finishing through contact, and making passes that most point guards don't even attempt. I've followed his career pretty closely since he was in college, and there's a lot to break down about what makes him tick on the court. His development path wasn't the typical blue-chip prospect trajectory. He went undrafted out of high school, committed to Murray State as a late recruit, and spent two seasons there before declaring for the draft. What people often miss is how much film he put in during that college span. He wasn't a five-star recruit, but he was already reading defenses better than most NBA veterans. The key to understanding Morant is his offensive decision-making at speed. Most analysts focus on the highlights—the acrobatic finishes and the no-look dimes. But his real edge comes from how he manipulates the defense's first step. He forces big men into drag screens early in the shot clock, pulls defenders into traffic on drive-and-kick actions, and creates advantages out of nothing by attacking the ball screen with a hard dribble rather than a controlled one.
I remember watching his game film from the 2020 playoffs against the Clippers. He was playing with a broken nose and still averaging nearly 20 points and 8 assists. That's not just athleticism, it's spatial awareness under duress. Most rookies fold in that situation. He elevated. There are some real limitations to what we can learn from studying him. For one, his playstyle carries significant injury risk. His acrobatic finishes put enormous stress on his lower body. Since returning from suspension and shoulder surgery, his vertical explosiveness has appeared slightly diminished in certain games. That's a factor any serious analysis has to account for. Another thing that doesn't get enough attention is his turnover rate. In the 2022-23 season, he led the league in turnovers per game at around 3.4. High-risk passes come with high rewards, but they also mean his efficiency drops in close games where ball security matters more than highlight potential. Coaches in Memphis have tried to streamline his decision-making, but that's a slow process.
If you're looking at his development trajectory, the most useful metric isn't points per game—it's his assist-to-turnover ratio and his field goal percentage at the rim. When those two numbers move in the right direction together, that's when Morant becomes unstoppable. Right now, he's still a work in progress, and that's actually the most interesting part of watching him.
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