“If I had to pick a MVP today, next Monday it might change, but today it’s Ja Morant” – Kendrick Perkins surprisingly picks young star
The Memphis Grizzlies have a good one in Ja Morant, and in his third season he has exploded as a player with legitimate All-Star hopes. Retired NBA champion perkins" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Kendrick Perkins, now an analyst for ESPN, wants to take Morant's growing stardom a step further by throwing Morant’s name into the MVP race.
The 2019-20 Rookie of the Year is putting up career numbers while leading Memphis (24-14) to fourth in the Western Conference.
Morant averages 25.1 points, 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game in 26 appearances. He has also become a more efficient shooter from 3-point range, making 40% on 4.4 attempts per game. That's a massive bump from his first two seasons in which he shot 32% on 3.2 attempts per game.
Perkins said Morant is his current frontrunner in the MVP conversation. On ESPN's "First Take" Tuesday, Perkins said,
“Ja Morant, what he’s doing right now, he is the MVP of late in my opinion … Ja Morant, any guy that he faces, superstar talent, he has been walking off the floor as the best player.
"LeBron James comes into Memphis, puts up 37 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists, or something of that nature. Ja Morant hands him a 41-piece wing dinner with 10 biscuits on the side.”
“Ja Morant, what he’s doing right now, he is the MVP of late in my opinion!”
—@KendrickPerkins https://t.co/ZdCGWuwIfL
Morant has been outstanding and has played his best when the lights shine brightest. Perkins mentioned that the Grizzlies are the only team to beat the top three teams in the Western Conference on their home courts.
This season is Morant’s breakout season, and the Grizzlies have quickly become one of the better teams in the West since he was drafted.
Can Ja Morant be in the MVP conversation?
Ja Morant has been on a dominant run, averaging 34.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists in the last four games. The Grizzlies have beaten the Phoenix Suns, LA Lakers and Brooklyn Nets in this run.This recent stretch is one of the most significant factors shooting him from just being a probable first-time All-Star to being talked about as an MVP candidate.
The BEST of @JaMorant's last 4 games!
35.0 PPG
57.6 FG%
73.7 3P% (3.5 3PG)
All @memgrizz wins 🔥 https://t.co/IIWvraM7ps
He has played seven games since the Grizzlies went 10-2 in his 12-game absence.
Oddly, the Grizzlies lost their first two games after his return, including a 102-99 shocker at home to the lowly OKC Thunder. Memphis blasted OKC 152-79 on Dec. 2 with Morant sidelined. That sparked a conversation about how important Morant was to the Grizzles. But now they have won their last five, and Morant has been scorching hot.
Due to his lack of games, Morant is not yet eligible to be on the NBA leaderboard in stats. However, when he is eligible and if his stats stay roughly the same, he will rank 10th in points per game and around 14th in assists per game.
These are fantastic stats for a third-year player. However, he would need to be much higher on these charts to be the MVP. Other players have better overall numbers while having the same team success as Morant.
If the season ended today, Morant has a case to be in the top 10 of MVP voting. Regardless, Morant is showing there is a good chance he could win an MVP trophy in the not-so-distant future.