Why is it that whenever I go to compose an edition of “Talking in Memphis,” it always seems to come after a Grizzlies loss? Yes, Memphis’s defeat against Boston dampers the week slightly for the Grizzlies as a whole, especially when the team is so close to passing Golden State for the two-seed. However, nothing can take away from the beautiful week for Ja Morant.
Since his “down night” against Minnesota last week, Morant is on a historical scoring tear. When it seemed like his 46-point effort against Chicago could be his most memorable game of the season, he went and dropped 52 points against San Antonio on Monday. As if the point total wasn’t enough, Morant executed two “play of the year” candidates with his dunk over Jakob Poeltl and buzzer-beater prayer shot.
Ja Morant did this all in one game ?
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 1, 2022
✅ Deep three
✅ Poster dunk
✅ Wild buzzer-beater
✅ Franchise-record 52 Pts pic.twitter.com/y6mRvjTb0X
Even in Thursday’s loss to Boston, Morant recorded 38 points and seven assists. Throughout this week, the conversation is ramping up about the MVP race. In what seemed like a three-man top-tier, the Grizzlies star forces himself into that discussion.
Ja Morant: A Legit MVP Candidate
Remember, there is a difference between an MVP favorite and a candidate. Just because a player becomes a legitimate candidate does not mean he is quite a favorite to bring home the hardware.
The MVP race consisted of three top-tier candidates for most of the season. Though the favorite was disputable, Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo inhabited the residence of legit contenders. Yes, they still live there. However, so does Ja Morant.
An MVP is much more than the league’s best player. They are an organization’s lifeblood, independently dictating their team’s success. Additionally, the player is a box office hit and icon throughout the NBA landscape.
Morant checks all of the boxes. Yes, the Grizzlies demonstrate the ability to stay afloat in Morant’s absence. Still, Memphis operates on another level when he is on the court. He is the catalyst for the team’s playstyle that has catapulted them close to the top of the NBA. Morant and the Grizzlies are the superior club by a decent margin when considering other candidates and their respective franchises. While Memphis sits at number three in the West, Denver is nine wins behind them in the sixth seed. Philadelphia holds the two-seed in the East but is five wins behind the Grizzlies. Although the Bucks scare teams in the playoffs, they are currently the East’s fourth-best team. So when considering team success, Morant has the edge.
Not leading any of the major statistical categories, Morant’s numbers might not jump out as much as other top-tier guys, but they remain impressive. Regardless, it’s hard to argue his impact and ability to stifle opponents completely. No one can get the crowd out of their seats quite like Morant, and he is becoming a player general NBA fans want to pay to see.
“OH. MY. GOODNESS.”
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 4, 2022
Ja Morant continues to be a showstopper ?pic.twitter.com/S4pox1Kfgt
Will Morant win this year’s MVP? Not likely. It seems like Embiid’s race to lose. Still, one must recognize the need to include him in the serious conversation.
Hey Lakers, Stop Losing!
Currently, Memphis holds plenty of draft capital. If the season ended today, they would have three 2022 first-round picks. However, the Grizzlies risk losing one of those because of the Lakers’ shortcomings.
The Grizzlies received Los Angeles’s first-round pick in the Steven Adams trade with New Orleans. Unfortunately, the selection came with top-ten protection. Of course, nobody thought the Lakers would even come close to a bottom-ten team this season. However, the wheels have ultimately come off for the organization, and they currently sit with the 11th-worst record.
Good Lord have mercy. What an ass-kicking the @LAClippers are handing to the @Lakers. A damn avalanche. It’s over. The @Lakers gotta make a change. This is just too bad to take.
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) March 4, 2022
Los Angeles’s struggles this year are well-documented. Currently ninth in the West, the Lakers are in the midst of a four-game losing streak and have lost eight of their last ten games. They remain in the play-in tournament, but the free-fall does not seem to be ending any time soon.
Although some may get joy out of the Lakers’ debacle, Grizzlies fans do not want to see them fall too far down the ladder. Yes, receiving Utah’s pick seems all but guaranteed, and Memphis would still hold two first-round selections. Still, an organization can never own too much draft capital.
What’s Next?
As the season dwindles, winning remains very important for the Grizzlies. With passing the Warriors looking more likely, Memphis needs to keep their foot on the gas pedal.
Saturday, Memphis hosts the Magic and then travels to Houston to take on the Rockets Sunday. Houston and Orlando are in a battle for the NBA’s worst team, both winning just 15 games. Of course, this serves as a very winnable pair of contests, but no victory is ever guaranteed.
The Grizzlies then come back home to take on the Pelicans on Tuesday. They cap off the week with another home game against the New York Knicks.
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