Is there dé·jà vu in Memphis?!?
Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is turning heads world wide with his tremendous play this season. His flashy style of play is undeniably must-see TV. His ability to create space rendering his defender helpless or even his ability to set his teammates up with flashy lobs that even the viewer watching from home are not able to predict. But above all it is Ja’s out of this world athleticism that makes this story seem so familiar.
Memphis Grizzlies young star Ja Morant outstanding play this season has drawn comparison to MVP Derrick Rose from NBA fans and even his colleagues have compared the two. In the 2010-11 season Derrick Rose became the youngest MVP in NBA history at 22 years old. Ja Morant is currently 22 years old and is arguably on the same path as he proves to be a front runner in this years MVP race.
Ja Morant’s fellow colleague Los Angeles Clippers superstar forward Paul George came out and praised Morant’s play describing the similarities between him and Derrick Rose stating
He’s just explosive and electrifying. I’d compare him to like D-Rose. I guarded him my rookie year, the Indy-Chicago series, and guarding Ja is very similar to how Derrick Rose was,
- PAUl george
Ja Morant humbly responded to that stating that he sees where the comparisons were coming from but that he feels Derrick Rose was on another level.
“I definitely see the comparisons, but D-Rose is one of a kind and one special player and you can see the similarities, sure, but there can never be another Derrick Rose,”
- Ja Morant
Now Ja’s response may have just been a humble way of paying his respects to Derrick Rose but the correspondence between the two are undeniable. The similarities in these two go as far back as their rookie season. After their rookie season both players ended earning a Rookie of the Year trophy with similar stats Ja Morant averaged 17.8pts, 7.8a, 3.9r, 0.9stl & Derrick Rose averaged 16.8pts, 6.8a, 3.9r, 0.8stls. In Derrick Rose's second season in the NBA, the Bulls were the 8th seed in the Eastern conference. In his MVP season the next year Rose’s game ascended and the Bulls went from a being .500 team to the number one seed in the Eastern conference ending with 62 wins. Sound familiar? Last year In Ja Morant’s second season the Memphis Grizzlies were the 9th seed in the NBA and a few games under .500. This season Ja Morant has had a breakout season leading the Grizzlies who are currently the 3rd seed in the Western conference. But that’s not it, even their stats in their breakout 3rd season in the league are shockingly similar down to their usage percentage and true shooting percentage. In Derrick Rose breakout season he averaged 25pts, 7.7ast, 4rbs & 1.5stls with a usage of 32.2% and a True shooting of 55%. This season Ja Morant is averaging 26.3pts, 6.9ast, 5.9rbs & 1.3sts with a usage rate of 33.1% and a True shooting of 56%.
Derrick Rose and Ja Morant comparisons of course don’t just end on paper their style of play mirrors one another. Both players are gifted with physical attributes that not many point guards in NBA history have been able to compete with. With Ja’s ability to soar through the air to attack the rim either finishing with an monstrous dunk on top of a defender or finishing with an enthralling acrobatic layup leaving the crowd in awe, chase down blocks where it looks as if he has defied gravity, or just his capability to blow past virtually any defender that dares to stand in his way. It is not hard to see flashes of a prime Derrick Rose in Ja Morant’s game the resemblance are unquestionable. But if Ja Morant is able to win a MVP this season the comparison between the two will be indisputable.