“Michael Jordan left his team in his prime, and the Bulls don’t go 18-2, LeBron left Cleveland, an hour later it was a tire fire” - Colin Cowherd believes Ja Morant doesn’t elevate his teammates
Ja Morant has had a specular season so far. Him and the Memphis Grizzlies have made a gigantic splash this season, possibly ending the season with the second-best record in the Western Conference.
However, Fox Sports talk show host Colin Cowherd does not believe Morant is in the MVP conversation because of how good the Grizzlies are without him.
With the season winding down, the MVP conversation has started to heat up, and through most of the season, Morant has been in that conversation. He is on the team with the second-best record in the NBA, and Morant has been the leader of that team.
Despite that, when Morant does not play, the Grizzlies are 18-2, which is the biggest argument for Cowherd. On his show, “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” Cowherd said:
“He is not an MVP, and when you say that, all the pushback you get. He's great. He's gonna be a Hall of Famer. I love him. Most valuable player, Michael Jordan, left his team in his prime, and the Bulls don't go 18-2."
"LeBron left Cleveland an hour later it was a tire fire. He left Miami and Pat Riley, it smoldered for years. John Wall, Derrick Rose, Westbrook, Ja Morant, do they elevate others?”
Last season, Morant was in his second year in the league, averaging 19.1 points, four rebounds, and 7.4 assists, as the Grizzlies won two play-in games and one playoff game against the Utah Jazz.
This season Morant has stepped up to another level averaging 27.6 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists, as the Grizzlies have surged into the second seed in the Western Conference playoff rankings. This incredible leap by both Morant and the Grizzlies has caught the NBA world by storm, as they are such a young team.
Why are the Grizzles so good without Ja Morant?
Ja Morant needs to be put into at least one MVP conversation, despite what the Grizzlies do when he is not playing. The team is still one of the better teams in the NBA, and Morant has been the engine that drives that team.
"PUT SOME RESPECT ON MY TEAMMATES!" — @JaMorant https://t.co/MC4K8oqms7
The Grizzlies have quickly built an extraordinarily talented and well-balanced team. They have Steven Adams and Jaren Jackson Jr. as two elite interior defenders if they want to go big. The growth of Desmond Bane elevated his game so much that he should be in consideration for Most Improved Player this season.
From top to bottom, the whole roster knows its role, and they have almost no bad players on the team. Morant was only drafted three years ago, and in that time, the Grizzlies front office has done a masterful job of building the right team around him to compete at a high level.
Ja Morant should not be criticized for having a good team be placed around him. When he does play, he is the clear leader and is often the reason the Grizzles get better every game, so when he is out, they can still win.