“I value elite athleticism over long-range shooting” – Jay Williams says he prefers watching Ja Morant over all other superstars in the league
Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has been putting on a show lately, and his performances have him firmly in the All-Star conversation. ESPN NBA analyst and former player Jay Williams believes Morant is the league's most entertaining and electrifying player.
When asked on ESPN's "First Take" to choose the NBA's most entertaining player between the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry and Morant, Williams credited Curry's shooting prowess but chose Morant. He said:
"For me, personally, I value elite athleticism over long-range shooting. There is no doubt that (Ja’s) the most entertaining and electrifying player there is in the league."
"Because at 6-(foot-)1, 185 (pounds), he is fearless and relentless with his ability to attack the rim. And I'm talking about over a 40-inch vertical that can contort his body in the air in a variety of different ways and has an uncanny feel and awareness for how to create those shots."
“There’s no doubt that [Ja’s] the most entertaining and electrifying player there is in the league!”
—@RealJayWilliams has HIGH praise for the Grizzlies guard 👀 https://t.co/7qxm1mbmbo
Morant had an unbelievably athletic, two-handed block on Avery Bradley at Crypto.com Arena against the LA Lakers on Sunday. That block showed exactly what Williams was talking about. The play displayed Morant's unexplainable ability to jump out of the gym that leaves fans mesmerized. Williams explained why Morant's block was Herculean:
"You know how hard it is to jump off two feet? His armpits are at the bottom of the backboard and his two hands are above the 90-degree angle of where the square meets. I have not seen a player of that size do something like that before. And every single game, it's five or six plays where, literally, your mouth is dropped to the floor."
JA MORANT 🤯
ONE OF THE MOST ATHLETIC BLOCKS YOU’LL EVER SEE. https://t.co/mSBEajPDtK
Jay Williams will watch Ja Morant play if he could only attend one game a season courtside
Ja Morant is one of the biggest shows in sports right now.
That title has been held by Stephen Curry for the past few seasons considering viewership, TV ratings, increased ticket prices and sold-out arenas. Curry has consistently had some of the most-watched games of the season and TV ratings spikes during his appearances. A 2021 survey asked spectators to name a player they would pay extra to watch play, and the majority voted for Curry.
However, Jay Williams had a different answer and chose Morant to be his go-to player to watch. He agreed that he personally values athleticism over long-range shooting and his decision is biased. Williams said:
"If I had to chance to see (just) one NBA game the whole year courtside, I will go see Ja Morant play."
Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies have won their last 10 games in a row and have climbed to fourth in the Western Conference. They, in fact, have more wins (29) than the third-place Utah Jazz (28-13). The 2020 Rookie of the Year is on a path to making his first All-Star appearance while also making a splash in the MVP conversation.