Ja Morant catapulted into the NBA MVP race with a pair of highlights that wowed the sports world
- On Monday, Ja Morant produced two incredible highlights while scoring a career-high 52 points.
- Morant's poster dunk and first-half buzzer-beater had the sports world buzzing.
Ja Morant is the must-see show in the NBA right now.
He is also rightfully in the NBA MVP conversation.
On Monday, Morant had the type of memorable performance that can alter the MVP conversation. The third-year guard exploded for a career-high 52 points on 22-of-30 shooting to help the Memphis Grizzlies beat the San Antonio Spurs, 118-105.
In the process, Morant produced two of the best highlights of the year — a jaw-dropping poster dunk and a wild, buzzer-beating, tip-in shot before halftime.
And they happened within two minutes of each other.
A 1-on-3 transition didn't stop Morant from launching straight into the 7-foot Jakob Poeltl and throwing down perhaps the dunk of the season:
Minutes later, with .4 seconds left in the first half, Morant received a full-court heave from Steven Adams, caught the ball in mid-air, and popped it toward the basket for the buzzer-beater.
The two plays rocked the sports world and further cemented Morant's reputation as a must-see player.
But perhaps the most meaningful comment came from Allen Iverson, who tweeted a picture of Morant's jersey on his 2000-01 MVP trophy.
Basketball-Reference's MVP tracker doesn't value Morant's MVP odds all that highly — just 2.7%, 9th in the NBA.
But Morant figures to keep climbing the ladder. He's averaging 27.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 6.6 assists while shooting 49.8% from the field. Only three other players — Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LeBron James — can match those numbers this season.
Morant's Grizzlies have a better record than either of those three players' teams, sitting at 43-20, 3rd in the Western Conference. The Grizzlies have the second easiest schedule remaining in the league, according to Tankathon, meaning they could continue to climb the standings.
There is also the narrative element. Morant has exploded onto the scene since being taken with the second pick in the 2019 draft, a draft headlined by Zion Williamson as the consensus No. 1 player. While Williamson has battled injuries, Morant has transformed into a franchise star and the best player from that draft so far.
Morant is one of the most electric players in the league, a mix of explosive athleticism and guile, who has embraced a young, gritty Memphis team that has exceeded expectations.
Morant has some work to do to catch players like Jokic and Joel Embiid, big men having monstrous seasons while carrying their teams. However, Morant is the head of one of the NBA's best teams and a star forcing fans to tune into the league's smallest market. A strong finish for him and the Grizzlies could make him the youngest MVP since Derrick Rose in 2011.