“Giannis, Jokic, Embid, Luka, Steph that’s really hard to crack“ - NBA analyst predicts NBA All-Star to improve his scoring stats but is not an MVP contender, doubts Grizzlies winning more than 56 games
The 2022-23 NBA season will start in the coming weeks, and pundits have already begun making predictions on the various awards to be given. Ja Morant's name has come up in MVP conversations, but NBA analyst Zach Lowe does not believe he will be a contender.
Morant was seventh last year in the MVP voting, and perhaps he could have been higher up if he did not miss 25 games. Nonetheless, the competition for the award will be fierce if players like Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic play their best basketball.
On "NBA Today," the topic of whether Morant will finish higher in the MVP race than last season was brought up. Lowe believes he will not get as many votes this campaign and said:
"I will doubt Ja Morant at my own peril. The presumed top five, Giannis, Jokic, Embiid, Luka, Steph, that's really hard to crack.
"Obviously, they're gonna be injuries and all that. We didn't even mention [Kevin] Durant, LeBron [James], Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum. So, I'd go seventh or lower, and I'm sorry, Ja."
Lowe was also asked if the Grizzlies will better their 56-26 record from last season, to which he replied:
"Under. Their defensive backbone and second-best player Jaren Jackson Jr. starts the year injured. And the West is so loaded. I don't know if any team is gonna win 56 games so I'm going under."
Ja Morant could make another leap in his NBA career this season
Since joining the NBA, Morant has consistently improved upon his previous year's performances.
In his first season, he won the Rookie of the Year award after averaging 17.8 points and 7.3 assists. Although Morant did not earn any individual accolades in his sophomore year, he led the Grizzlies to their first playoff appearance since 2017.
They defeated the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors in the inaugural play-in tournament to clinch the eighth seed in the West. Memphis then started their series against the Utah Jazz on a bright note, but lost four games in a row and were knocked out of the competition.
Last season, Morant led the Grizzlies to another playoff appearance after finishing second in the regular season. Although they improved on their 2021 performance, they lost in the conference semifinals to the eventual champions, the Warriors.
To the surprise of many, Morant won the Most Improved Player award last season after averaging 27.4 points, 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game. While no one disputed his contributions, some believed other players were more deserving of the honor.
Ja Morant in his 3 seasons:
— 21/5/7
— ROTY
— All-NBA
— All-Star
— MIP
— 1st Grizzly with 25+ PPG in a season
He’s only 23. https://t.co/RQKMX0weZL
Given how Morant's career has followed an upward trajectory, it begs the question, "What next?"
The All-Star guard could improve on his seventh-placed spot in the MVP race last season and perhaps finish in the top five this time around.
The Grizzlies will start their 2022-23 campaign on October 19 against the New York Knicks. It will be an opportunity for Morant to come out aggressive and set the pace early.