How good is Ja Morant right now?!

Are the Grizzlies really better without Ja Morant? This detailed film room analysis looks at the exciting 3rd-year point guard, incorporating data and stats to understand how good he might be. What are his problems on defense? How has he improved since winning Rookie of the Year? And what is the single biggest reason that Memphis was better without Ja?
Support at Patreon: / thinkingbasketball
Book: www.amazon.com/Thinking-Baske...
Podcast: player.fm/series/thinking-bas... or at www.stitcher.com/podcast/ben-...
Website: www.backpicks.com
Twitter: @elgee35
Ben Taylor is the author of Thinking Basketball, a Nylon Calculus contributor, creator of the Backpicks Top 40 series & host of the Thinking Basketball podcast.
Stats courtesy:
www.pbpstats.com @bballport
www.basketball-reference.com
stats.nba.com
-----
Footage in this video is owned by the NBA and its partners. It is intended for critique and education.
Music: Hair Fairlight
#ThinkingBasketball

[@ThinkingBasketball]

Happy New Year, especially to the notification squad! Thanks for all of your encouraging, funny, and insightful comments throughout the year. There is an error on the summary graphic at the end -- his efficiency (TS%) dot should be farther to the left in the 57th percentile.

[@HiHi-is1im]

Can you do gianis and the wall part 2 and see how he has improved against it

[@ahmedabdelhamid3474]

Can u do lebron james this season

[@joshnic6639]

Great video! And thank you for touching on him keeping his dribble alive deep in the paint. Of course this allows him to pass or shoot at the last second, I’ve been trying to get my daughter to notice this and add it to her game as a junior in high school.

[@donovanroberts8607]

Love your channel. Could you please make a video about the growth and utility of the floater shot and please rank players using the floater today based on accuracy and frequency. I have a crazy friend who believes Ja Moron has the best floater game in the NBA, but I'm sure players Trey Young, Quickley, Holmes, Luka etc use the floater at a higher frequency and with higher accuracy the Ja 43% Morant.

[@joshnic6639]

So I had a realization earlier today, people wanna know how good wilt Chamberlain would be nowadays….. add 3 or 4 inches of height with a wider wingspan and more athleticism to Giannis Antetokounmpo….THAT’S what Wilt would be! 😳 scary ain’t it?

[@benseabrease2480]

This dude deserves his own Netflix show or ESPN segment or something. The quality of these are insane. By far the best basketball content on the internet, not just KZbin

[@leolazari4238]

No doubt! Huge shout to Motown Noah tho. Very different stuff, both as good.

[@jirojiro1029]

So true

[@JasonWindsor88]

Agreed, it’s embarrassingly good compared to some “hot take” stuff on ESPN

[@inm42]

I would've thought this type of analyst can get paid hundreds of thousands to go over film and stats for an actual NBA team, let alone do it for TV segments.

[@sergeynazaro1768]

Facts

[@shanethompson9891]

That’s an interesting way of looking at Ja’s dribble penetration as a way to “stress test” the defense

[@tmzteaspill6005]

FAX PLAYS LIKE DONOVAN MITCHELL

[@MR.CLEAN777]

Ye ur right 💯

[@schuylersavage276]

@@tmzteaspill6005 interesting! Care to expand the comparison? Would love to hear it!

[@jessier.4237]

I agree....most no Coach would ever put up w/ this...but good thing he's making it happen down there.

[@34564trfghf]

kzbin.infoOaAvj4BB4ik

[@benaddison7653]

The other young guard that has really impressed me this year is Jalen Brunson. He's averaging something like 21, 7, and 5 since he went into the starting lineup. He's about to play himself out of Dallas price range this off season unless they make some trades to clear cap.

[@cantripleplays]

I thought he was 28 idk why

[@TheDiegoo17]

Is he being efficient? Genuine question

[@Yute01]

Yeah ik he was good. Sometimes I would watch mavs games, and Brunson was the only one who could shot create effectively with Luka on the bench. He got a jumper too.

[@savethetrees1214]

I think he’s the most underrated point guard in the nba. He can score, pass and his game is so crafty and entertaining to watch. He’s amazing at finishing at the rim for his size and he gives me Chris Paul or Tony Parker vibes

[@drewm3996]

@@cantripleplays yeah he was a 4 year player I thought in his like 6th year

[@ReCharredSigh]

One thing i love about ben's breakdowns is that he never gets too hyped or down about any player; he praises ja's strengths in detail, but also notes the areas that he needs to improve; as fans we tend to fall into one or the other category. As an aside, one of my biggest fears about ja is that he ends up like drose; he's always trying to posterize 7 footers, and his landing technique on his dunks isn't the best.

[@MarGwaffingzz]

Same. The only difference is that Ja is thinner than drose. But once he starts to add muscles, that could be it. Praying for the longevity of his knees.

[@jahimuddin2306]

I hope he prioritizes the midrange more so he does not get injured like D Rose.

[@zayisthatguy]

He put on more weight and muscle he’ll be aight

[@jordanw5833]

One minor thing I love is that you’ll show great plays in your examples even if they end up in a missed shot. Dunno why maybe cause it just shows the opportunities themselves are just as important as the baskets.

[@Eidenhoek]

Baskets are success. Opportunities are skill. Continue to make opportunities, and you leave yourself open to success.

[@ericlorenzoa.5826]

6:07 Look how Trae is so separated from the rest. Kid is special!

[@brianan7342]

Would love a review of Derrick Rose's early career. Think all his fans would appreciate both a review of his current body of work and a realistic projection of what he could have been without injuries.

[@nathanielgomez8350]

Personally, I think the way Derrick Rose was playing in his youth he was bound to get injuries. As athletic as he was there was a lot going on with his body mechanics that put a ton of strain on his body. Perhaps if he had the same information we have today in bio-mechanics, he could have laster longer or played even better than he actually was (which is wild. MJ 2.0?) but it is what it is. What I think is more extraordinary is the fact that the man can still play at a high level even without his insane athleticism rn. Derrick Rose has been watching all the crafty PG's close to his size (Nash, Rondo, Kidd, Paul) and taking their moves and incorporated it into his game. I think even without the injuries, he'd end up playing the same way he is now, but only using his athleticism as a get out of jail free button. Considering what Westbrook has done through hai career, Rose could have easily been a MVP candidate level player if he hasn't had his injuries.

[@tropicarls]

@@nathanielgomez8350 I see Morant uses his atheticism to do most of the work. Do you think he could end up like Rose? I mean, sometimes I see him land funny after an alley oop, etc.

[@jugbrewer]

i agree, there is no derrick rose without injuries because his early success was predicated on abusing his joints. not saying he’s not talented obviously but even just the way he used to run, you watch the footage and you kind of have to conclude that it was never going to be sustainable

[@nathanielgomez8350]

@@tropicarls Morant I think is a lot more fluid than Rose was at that age and has a better chance of developing that healthy amount of restraint. Then again, hindsight is 20/20, but I can't help but feel optimistic about the guy. I don't know if he will reach Rose-like MVP numbers, but I can say he will definitely be a great piece to add to championship level team if he just becomes more consistent on defense.

[@nathanielgomez8350]

@HipHopTalk Oh yeah, Im not disputing that Morant and Rose play differently, they are very similar players. There are a few minor differences, strength, ball handling, favoured spots etc, but D Rose when going for a lot of his highlight finishes had some booster fuelled extra potent jump juice, but often landed terribly (small stuff like not aligning hips, no proper bending of knees, extremely abrupt dispersion of momentum etc. play a huge role in the wear and tear of his body) Morant on the other hand, does have a few of these odd landings, but overall his landing technique is a lot better than Rose. I'm not saying that Morant is better than Rose, far from it, it just that I think Morant will probably be in his prime for longer.

[@everythinglakers1713]

Ja Morant is an All-Star this year! ⭐️

[@DreamHoopz]

Easily 🗣💯

[@johnmcm7690]

Checks the guards in the west... nope

[@MohamedAli-sx2wu]

@@johnmcm7690 he’s still a All star he’s playing better than than most guards this year

[@DreamHoopz]

@@johnmcm7690 Who do you think he won't make it over?

[@niceasf7038]

@@johnmcm7690 stop. Maybe check social media. And stats and records

[@shlomogmz]

Ja Morant is without a doubt an all-star, but I will say that the level of basketball the Grizzlies were playing without him (winning 10 out of 11 games) was so fluid and connected, that there are times I think the grizz played better without him. They went deep into their line up, moved the ball better, as well as more off ball movement, and just played more unselfishly. Morant sometimes get Kobe syndrome and hogs the ball at times when it's unnecessary.

[@RayAP17]

What might be my favorite part of this channel is that some of the highlights he uses to praise a player are plays that don't pay off (i.e., the shot attempt is missed), because he knows that a play can still be executed to near-perfection even when ending in a miss.

[@skipperson4077]

my favorite player who isn't a GSWarrior, exciting to watch, amazingly athletic and really helping to make Memphis a contender again!!

[@jamespritchard9226]

Been loving the recent videos. Helps me focus on the special stuff happening this season. Your channel is so sweet

[@metalgeartrusty]

i love the value you place on the fundamentals. "he is hunting open space." statements like these make watching basketball more fun, as they help my eyes look at things in a better way

[@thomaskilian4989]

I love how didn’t only talked about his strengths but his weaknesses as well with out being biased. Great content. Subscribed

[@rasaecnai]

I remember Tony Parker leading the NBA on points in the paint at one point in his career. He was really fast with a lot of spins (on either direction) and a good floater. Ja is more stylish slasher to me Height does not seem a requirement to be a good scorer, speed and skill can tide you over.

[@NavidErde]

And then Tony calmed down a lot, switched most of his game to midrange shooting and made better decisions end up in several championships. So not the worst future for Ja and Memphis if you ask me ;)

[@BillToaOfPie]

Loved this video. The players' strengths and weaknesses that you point out in your vids help me actively look for these things when I watch the games. As a Trae Young stan, I'd love to see another video on him. I know you made one a couple years back, but I'd really appreciate an analysis on how his offensive game has improved from then to now.

[@sorchigo]

He reminds me of Westbrook on both ends for better and for worse. He really needs someone to sit him down and just instill defensive discipline. He doesn't have to make homerun defensive plays, which he seems to want to do all the time but ultimately hurts the defense more than it helps. If he's just disciplined on that end (awareness, not gambling, KYP) his natural physical gifts will make him a plus defender. I really hope his three point shot is real because if so he'd very easily develop into a superstar player for an already super interesting Memphis Grizzlies team.

[@LookingForAName...]

He's showing way more than Westbrook on offense, as far as awareness and playmaking goes

[@tako4mvp719]

No way is Ja like Westbrook outside of athleticism. You’re seriously reducing ja’s handle touch and Iq

[@brown_xkmd486]

@Daniel Sambula westbrook made the finals at Ja Morant’s age and that wasn’t even his prime yet. win a playoff series first

[@sorchigo]

@@tako4mvp719 I think their offensive play styles are actually extremely similar but Ja is a much better shooter and thus allows him to be much more more efficient player. Ja is in the mold of Rose/Westbrook/Wall but the thing that separates him from them is being a much better jump shooter. His floater game is coming along too which Rose was a master at during his MVP-ish years. Defensively Ja is almost exactly like Westbrook, he makes the same mistakes Westbrook does now but luckily Ja is only 22 and with good coaching and dedication to that side of the floor he can end up being a plus defender. I don’t think he’ll be Wall level but it’s not impossible.

[@Luka77Legend]

Ja a WAY BETTER SHOOTER Russ ever has been better IQ better body control just BETTER gtfoh lol

[@futurehofer1564]

Happy new year Ben! What a good way to start 2022!

[@carolmcenteewhite8962]

The way you broke these highlights down and explained the moves you made it look like poetry in motion and that made me subscribe to you!

[@SETHM03]

Great video man thanks for doing it 💯. If you run out of things for the Nba I think you could make videos on high school or college players such as DJ Wagner, Chet Holmgren, Paolo Banchero, Shaedon Sharpe, Keynote George or even Victor Wembanyama . Keep up the good work 💯

[@ninjamage5215]

I’m a Spurs fan that really enjoys watching Ja. I have a lot of respect for what the Grizzlies are doing and I hope Ja continues to improve

[@kiranmedou8111]

U forgot to talk bout his floater game which is elite. He can use it in every position after a pick n Roll and combine it really well with the alley-oop threat thanks to his looking

[@yahalyulmer2912]

Great Ben, thank you and Mike for the video

[@1caringhuman]

You are so skilled and great at what you do, Ben. Thank you for your work.

[@ipxuli6937]

“And controlling his body like this is what makes Ja a pliable penetrator”🤣

[@ImreallyIzzy]

I love this channel ! Such a great job bro . Thanks for this 🙏

[@fhjunior6183]

Thanks for the vid

[@LeeeWai]

Great review!

[@braddlesharris3577]

Seems like steven adams has helped alot too with his elite screens

[@mohalidingani8640]

That's what teammate does. What is your point?

[@tyrismaxey]

This is one of the few channels I follow, subscribe and like on the regular. Great quality.

[@ijiearcilla9947]

Great insigjt bro! Please continue creating more

[@TK-gq2hq]

Love the analysis, but I'm confused about the summary graphic at the end of the video at 11:43. You say that Ja Morant is in the 57th percentile in efficiency, but his dot looks like it is in the 87th percentile instead, farther to the right than his 84th percentile passer rating.

[@ThinkingBasketball]

Yup that's an error -- it should be way over to the left. The dot is in like the 88th percentile :/

[@michelelonghi7985]

Been waiting for this one! The Grizz got one hell of a team looking forward, hope they'll achieve something someday. Amazing vid as always 🙌

[@amitkumar-ss4re]

You mean a chip… maybe

[@inFamous_Izanagi]

Fantastic breakdown. Can you do one on SGA from the Thunder?

[@JohnEllzey]

My biggest complaint about this channel is I need one of these vids every day!

[@fredredyt]

great video, not biased, keeping it real by showing both his strong and weak sides, great delivery keep it up

[@fortheloveofthegamehoops502]

Great vid as usual

[@edwardzhou8590]

I was about to criticize for the thumbnail clickbait, but you proved me wrong at the end of the vid. Valuable insight and articulation as always TB

[@eviltiki13]

Always such great breakdowns! I wonder how many NBA coaches/scouts/players watch your stuff...

[@LaCurvaDirecta]

Favorite player rn. Great vids 💪💪

[@ramolong]

Great vid man! Gotta make a vid on Miami's success and Trae Young soon💯

[@ASURAN24]

Did the Memphis roll the die correctly then, meaning trading away MC, Jr. to give the 1 spot to Ja?

[@nicholson2054]

It was obviously rebuild time in Memphis, it was important to get value from Mike while we still could and try and get younger. A small market team like Memphis can’t get big free agents unless they’re an elite level team so they had to build through the draft and needed pieces to fit the timeline of their younger assets. I’m happy that Mike was put in a perfect situation while we moved in a newer direction.

[@skeletor398]

I mean he has about the same impact on winning a given game as Mike did kinda like they traded in for a younger cheaper version

[@ASURAN24]

@@skeletor398 True. A much cheaper option in Ja.

[@hugofernandes8485]

@@skeletor398 dont forget you comparing prime mike and 22 yearld Ja, i agree with you but i think Ja will surprass that level

[@ItsSeriousSarcasm]

Good way to start the new year - Thinking Basketball Style

[@lamar5848]

This is an amazing analysis. Ja is a special type of player and his athleticism is like no other. I noticed him when he was playing for Murray, and I am impressed with how he has improved in his game. He's putting in the work, but his defense is where he slips.

[@dddiop]

As always, good work Ben and also to acolyte Mike.

[@basketballtalk777]

I also feel like the grizzlies are really good at helping Ja Morant get those looks in the paint. A lot of times, I saw grizzly players screen the defense in the paint, and that opens it up well.They are definitely good at playing team basketball

[@tako4mvp719]

Yeah they’re coach really has the perfect system and philosophy to maximize Ja’s talents. If they add more shooters to the roster things will get even more deadly.

[@paquinraino8180]

I would say that it's elevate his level in it, but Ja was already deadly at it, watch some highlights of his rookie season when he is taking an supposed-to-be-bad Memphis to the 7-8th seed before the lockdown, he was already capable of taking these looks in the paint by himself, the coaching just give him a little boost with these screen in the paint

[@tako4mvp719]

@@paquinraino8180 yeah Ja has been elite on the pick and roll since college. But their coach does a great job of getting him in pick and roll in different ways that doesn’t allow the defense to always set up to guard it.

[@Stuart_Cox]

Superb work Ben. The detail and knowledge here are first rate and I hope you get paid to do this all day, plenty of teams could benefit.

[@L1theMage]

This guy's content is crazy good.

[@Zach_Ravel]

The largest improvement in his game has been his scoring, in both volume and efficiency. *2020-21:* 19.1 PTS, 4.0 REB, 7.4 AST, 0.9 STL, 0.2 BLK, 3.2 TOV, 1.4 PF, -3.5 rTS% *2021-22:* 24.7 PTS, 5.7 REB, 6.6 AST, 1.5 STL, 0.3 BLK, 3.2 TOV, 1.4 PF, +1.8 rTS%

[@steelwall4396]

Make sure that's at least per 100 or Ben is going to be pissed 😂

[@BT405]

@@steelwall4396 per 75*

[@Zach_Ravel]

@@steelwall4396 Per 75 poss adjusted for the year is the way to go but considering that Ja played 32.6 minutes per game last year, and is playing 32.4 minutes per game this year, I decided not to. Also, I'm too lazy to do that in a simple youtube comment.

[@andregulick3925]

amazing analysis, just a tremendous breakdown of how dominant Ja has become (and how he can still improve)

[@yungjefe7423]

This content is so goated

[@alexstudentemail]

Maybe its not the most interesting topic, but I would love to see a rookie ranking at end of the season, like the way you do top players every year. Normally that might not work, but this year's rookie class is so deep that a video of that nature in a few months would be really exciting. I understand that those take a long time to prepare, and this season is only so long, but if it's possible that would be super interesting.

[@drewm3996]

I noticed a lot of Ziare Williams he hasn’t been a highlight reel rookie but it seems he’s been a contributor

[@Yo_Lo23]

He’s been up and down you can see the flashes hopefully he can make an impact but he was getting mins b4 the injury

[@georgelelandturner]

Watching his last game verse the warriors was very impressive. This dude can ball like nobody’s business and he’s got the heart of a champion.

[@tiagooooo]

I think a video about Trae would be very interesting. Imo the best playmaker in the league.

[@paologirardi5812]

Thank you for another excellent analysis Ben, keep up with the great work! I just wanted to point out this ( but maybe I'm wrong): hasn't DRose the highest OBPM among third-year point guards? It think it was about 6.3

[@sareaper69]

Ja Morant controls his body like Jordan did. First person I've seen with control so profound since.

[@destructhor77]

Man I remember how Kobe used to impose rotation to his body in mid-air, to access the basket. There are some guys, but not that many.

[@juliansearcie1758]

guess you never saw DR J

[@sareaper69]

@@destructhor77 go watch Allen Iverson. Dude was a freak about that. Still not Jordan levels though with either of those guys. They couldn't quite get up the way Ja and Jordan do.

[@sareaper69]

@@juliansearcie1758 Dr J could fly and hang with the ball and hold it with his go-go-gadget arms but he isn't contorting mid-air. Just flying. Different.

[@richardmoran7141]

It’s a travesty to the league and a disservice to fans that the Grizzlies have so few national TV games this season. Easily the most fun team to watch in the NBA. Ja is All-NBA, Dillon Brooks and JJJ have made strides, and the emergence of DESMOND BANE!

[@samn90834]

Absolutely love Desmond Bane, knows what he’s good at, and does it to perfection, could tell coming into the draft that he was a very safe and good pick, but didn’t expect him to be THIS good

[@AveChristusRex789]

Can’t believe my mavs passed up on Bane for Josh Green

[@prometheus3498]

Ehh, I think the Warriors are the most fun team. However, Grizzlies are N.2 for me.

[@aaronghunter]

I dig Adams contribution as well, but I always did. He helps when he's useful, and doesn't sweat when he isn't engaged.

[@samn90834]

@@aaronghunter Adams IMO is in the argument for the best screen setter in the entire league, I thought Morant would suffer a little without Valanciunas’ pop threat and spacing but that hasn’t been the case at all

[@zacadams8263]

As a physical therapist, that type of explosion and torque on his ligaments and tendons scares me. I'm a huge fan and pray this young man has a long healthy career, but I am already getting 'early' Derrick Rose vibes. The amount of force and acceleration and deacceleration he can generate with those type II muscle twitch fibers are beyond human evolution per say. Freak of nature genetics. Stay healthy Ja.

[@zoidzilla348]

Best basketball channel ever I mean that!!!! 💯💪🏽

[@darrylwallace2428]

I love this channel

[@FaithisKey792]

Great 👍 video.

[@whalehunter1337]

Sick video! Can we have some BGM to spice things up tho?

[@PsychoWarper]

Ngl when looking at his driving/cutting ability Ja reminds me of a Younger Jordan with the quickness and hang time (Not claiming Ja is or will end up being Jordan obviously just can see similarities). Dudes really special, cant wait to see how he continues to develop.

[@yao8]

So happy to see Ja thriving. Meanwhile, Zion still trying to get his shit together

[@KidnapT]

@@GameChanger-xi4iy Everyone fans always hated Zion except Zion fans

[@KidnapT]

@@GameChanger-xi4iy people hate him because he got paid millions to plays the sport but he let himself fat and can’t play sport

[@rambooo2534]

I know this is Random as hell & I love Ja but can we get a D.Wade video anytime in the near future?

[@Loothansa]

I love how each one of those amazing passes ends in a brick

[@daR2daO2daZ]

lol Right!

[@lhagiduty]

I wish him good health and long career. Man, I just enjoy watching him play

[@MindfulAttraction]

The goat is back. I'm going to save this for later, get a blunt and some Chinese food like always.

[@gideoncheung8731]

lol

[@godson1253]

Remind me of the old NFL matchup that use come early Sunday mornings quality information ℹ️

[@theheebs100]

I need to start watching this guy more. this stuff is insane

[@IUS____]

Nice video

[@jadon3760]

Could you make a video on Charles Barkley? His play style is very unique and I was curious to see how’d you analyze the nuances of his game

[@boricua9071]

Second this.

[@theretrosavage]

Was unique....he doesn't play anymore

[@boricua9071]

@@theretrosavage isn’t this the same channel that has done greatest peaks on players like Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain? What does him not playing anymore have to do with anything?

[@theretrosavage]

Jadon said "his play style is very unique" is very unique means he's still playing in the NBA....it should've said "his play style was quite unique"... it's not that hard to figure out

[@theretrosavage]

@@boricua9071 he doesn't play in the NBA anymore...his comment is worded as though he still plays and that's not accurate....

[@loicthiant7448]

I seriously hope Morant can have a break out year like Iverson in 01 when he won the mvp . Cause the guy is everything the game needs rn he almost has it all . He's like Westbrook but with a brain and he's actually using it . He must win a mvp to save the travesty that saw Westbrook won one . I always saw RW as a fucking moron with hops but finally with the Lakers's situation the cat is out of the bag and everyone is a witness of that . I knew Ja was a baller but your analysis clearly show that he is on another level . FACTS

[@merrylderrickson3147]

I been saying before that draft, and laughed at as crazy, but ill say it again. I would MUCH rather have been Memphis at 2 than than New Orleans at 1. I took the same approach with Seattle at 2 over Portland at 1 several years earlier. not because i "knew" Morant and Durant would become exactly what they are...but because as a GM, you now get the best of both worlds...you can't "fck it up" per se, and you also get the more talented, albeit, lower perceived ceiling player) but you see skill and instinct and raw physicality that won't be prone to wear and breakdown like durant or morant came in with...and it "falls" to you, that's a good place to be.

[@donpetazaragomatuta9988]

I'm starting to think that Morant was the real deal in that draft

[@foxfairchild2458]

That’s retarded honestly like I get what your going for but at one you can still take whoever the fuck you’d want and even if you “fucked it up” I’d still take the opportunity at whoever I want over the scrutiny any day lolz

[@MiceInATree]

Curious if you could do a video on MVP Derrick Rose in this ilk. Seeing this vid just really made me reminisce about prime DRose. Love the videos, keep up the amazing work!

[@jsalgado6758]

Really interested to see how he continues to get better

[@themaninblack8271]

Hope you do a few new updated videos on guys like Embiid etc

[@Hotsauceonmy]

Yo fire whoever does your thumbnails

[@takealready]

2 minutes into the video I paused the video to type this. The last time we saw someone with the same skills as Ja, Morant was Derrick Rose (if you're reading this and you've NEVER seen a prime Derrick Rose play, go watch some highlights). I pray Ja's knees can handle what he's doing. Slashing point guards have a very hard time adjusting to the NBA once they loose their athleticism.

[@BWalker9313]

This dude is really good, and he's only getting better. They've put good pieces around him that compliment his game. The only thing you can hope for is that his knees stay healthy. I'd like for him to rely a bit more on his outside shooting because that's definitely improved, he shouldn't need to attack so much even though he's great at it. I just hope he stays healthy, love watching him

[@elvisfifo]

That slomo at the 1.29 mark with him spinning out Wiggins is crazy!

[@srymybad]

Can we get a Josh GIddey analysis one day? Love your work bro

[@samualcalnan4774]

I think I'm just gonna binge this guys videos all night 🤣

[@HibiscusFlowerFC]

Can you please do a Dennis Rodman analysis?!? And Happy New Years.

[@jordanimatedstreaming]

good video

[@kennylovessbs]

Please do a Evan Mobley vid, your vids are the best thing on KZbin

[@kane6336]

You should make a Maxey video imho!

[@jackswaisgood1005]

Can you do a video about the Cavs? Evan Mobley is awesome

[@chrisfreeman78]

this young man is a baller I can't lie, him and young Mello are the best two kids I have seen in a while !!!!!!

[@micomiranda9548]

The griz lucked out he was on the same draft with the overhyped zion they were able to get him 2nd overall. Huge fan of ja since I saw him play in the ncaa tourn. His like a hybrid of prime rondo and rose. But I would love for him to probably figure out a way to land better because he looks like an accident waiting to happen everytime he goes up (knock on wood)

[@isaacspeelman8565]

11:39 I think you put his actual TS% instead of what percentile his TS% is in the league. Would be curious to know if you have that info!

[@GustavoSilva-ny8jc]

That was INSAAAAANE. I loved the part about his fearlessness (made me feel inspired) and the goal tending! With this athleticism he could be an incredible defender (even rim protector? I feel like this fundamental has more than simple physicality, like timing, positing, movement and precision, giving someone like him the possibility of being elite) if his technique was really polished. But since he works too much on offense, a role of orchestrator like D.lo looks more feasible, if he wants to improve fast while maintaining Volume in his offense practice. Just awareness can make a HUUUGE difference. His style reminded me of Westbrook, ferocious attacks at the rim and passing (i don't know about his mid range) but lacks the shooting in which squanders his good qualities, so i was wondering how Ja lacks of shooting attemps was affecting his performance, maybe a playoff game would show that? But he seems to doing good for some reason.

[@tako4mvp719]

He’s shooting 40% at 4.4 attempts. When he ca get to the rim at will, he shouldn’t be jacking up to a of threes. Right now he’s shooting well enough for defenses to be scared about sagging off too far. So now Ja has them in his hands and he can get to the rim even easier now. That’s why he’s still sound good without being a sharpshooter. Also russ is only a comp for ja’s athleticism. Ja already has a floater in his game with a handle, jumper and touch on the rim that Westbrook never really had. He’s more drose or super athletic tony Parker or something like that.

[@GustavoSilva-ny8jc]

@@tako4mvp719 thanks for all the info!! I saw in another video that Ja's 3 pointer form is much more smoother now so his % doesn't surprise me much (but 40% seems pretty amazing tho).

[@2kfanatical113]

Shout to the vector thumbnail wave of the future

[@TheSocialFaker]

Ja is amazing, but how he lands sometimes scares me.

[@alexanderaristo]

yeah it reminds me of d rose 😢

[@emanuelstanley2523]

Ja Morant is unbelievable! His speed, body and ball control and hight of jump is far beyond normal. If he can improve his three point shooting he will be a game changer.

[@RTBiz]

Hey I’m a creator who does something similar with nba footage how do u handle the fair use claims you definitely get? Is it the playmakers program? I’m just wondering I love your videos I learn a lot!

[@Eggmancan]

Ja reminds me a lot of D-Rose, which is to say he's a great player, but I worry what will happen to his career if his athleticism takes a hit. Sprinting headlong into the paint works for him now, but it's a taxing style. That he's adding to his playmaking is a good sign, and I hope he keeps improving on his shot.

[@tranewreck123]

3:11 Ay ay lay 🤌🏽