Continuing with our ongoing top 25 player rankings we arrive at Ja Morant the Memphis Grizzlies’ dynamic young guard. Despite off-the-court issues and injuries hampering Morant’s previous two seasons, he’s among the best players in the league. Morant’s elite finishing and playmaking combined with his proven ability to be the best player on a competitive team solidifies this. Let’s explore Morant’s game and place within the NBA hierarchy.
Top 25 NBA Players 2024-25: No. 21 – Ja Morant
An Electrifying and Dynamic Guard
With elite speed, athleticism, and finishing Morant is simply one of the most entertaining players to watch. Morant is a nightly highlight reel with supreme athleticism and electrifying dunks. However, Morant isn’t just a flashy star when healthy, he’s one of the most productive NBA players. In the previous two seasons when Morant was healthy, he averaged 26.8 points and 7.4 assists while leading the Grizzlies to two 50-plus win seasons. In addition to his dynamic scoring abilities, Morant is one of the NBA’s best playmakers. Ja’s passing consistently elevates players around him. Crucially Morant has proven he can be the number one option on a highly competitive team. Ultimately Morant’s value to the Grizzlies and incredible talent can’t be understated.
— NBA World (@NBAW0RLD24) January 16, 2023
Season Recap
After waiving a gun on Instagram Live for the second time Morant was suspended for the first 25 games. Morant would return in December however, he would only play in nine games before having season-ending shoulder surgery. Nevertheless, in those nine games, Morant was excellent averaging 25.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 8.1 assists. Morant’s nine games included plenty of highlights and an incredible return game where he notched 34 points and hit the game-winning shot. Furthermore, the Grizzlies posted a 6-3 record with Morant in the lineup.
While it was disappointing to not see Morant on the court much this past season he delivered some great moments when he did play. Similarly, this season highlighted Morant’s value to the team as the Grizzlies won just 27 and finished 13th in the conference. Notably, in the two previous seasons, the Grizzlies had consecutive 50-plus win seasons and finished as the second seed in both years.
Season Outlook
With Ja and much of the Grizzlies’ supporting cast healthy, Memphis is poised to contend in the West. The Grizzlies drafted Zach Edey ninth overall who will provide Morant with a pick-n-roll partner and bruising interior presence. Morant’s co-star Jaren Jackson Jr. will also benefit from playing alongside Edey specifically on defense. As long as the Grizzlies stay healthy they are poised to return to the playoffs and perhaps even a top-three seed. This will go hand and hand with Morant having a stellar bounce-back season. When he’s on the court Ja is one of the league’s best players. This season Ja will have the chance to remind everyone of that. If Morant’s stats stay consistent with his career averages and the Grizzlies remain competitive in the West he will certainly rise up the ranks of the NBA’s best.
The Last Word
Morant is one of the more difficult players to properly rank. After a lackluster finish to the 2022-23 season and missing most of the 2023-24, many have forgotten how great Ja is. As a result, he has fallen off many people’s top 25 lists. Admittedly I have penalized several players on this list due to lack of availability. However, with Morant, I’m betting this won’t remain a consistent issue when healthy Morant is a proven number-one option on a 50-plus-win team.
Throughout his young career, Morant has also proven to be an expectational playoff performer, posting averages of 27.3 points, 8.6 assists, and 6.8 rebounds. In the right situation Ja could be the best player on a championship team the Grizzlies aren’t too far away from being true contenders. This level of superstar upside can’t be ignored from a 25-year-old guard. Let’s not forget Ja was a consensus top-15 and borderline top-10 player less than two years ago. With a productive season, Morant can reclaim this status however, if he gets injured again his ranking will drop.
