"The league is in the best position it's been in since Michael Jordan retired" - Jalen Rose believes the NBA is in good hands with young generation outperforming veteran stars
The current crop of NBA players has displayed a fearless attitude, surpassing some of the big names in the league today. Many young players across the NBA have put up solid performances throughout the season, making themselves relevant from a young age.
Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Maxey, LaMelo Ball, and Trae Young have been exceptional over the past few years. They’ve been playing an elite level of basketball, putting their name among NBA stars like Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Steph Curry to name a few.
.@JalenRose says the NBA "is in the best position that it's been in since Michael Jordan retired."
Do you agree? 👀 https://t.co/I8i0TlrU0e
On ESPN’s “Get Up”, former NBA player Jalen Rose dished out heavy praise for the youngsters in the league:
“I feel like the league is in the best position that it’s been in, since Michael Jordan retired. Just think about this – when you guys were voting for your MVPs this year, no Kawhi, KD, LeBron or Steph.”
Among the youngsters and young teams this season, the two have stood out for their performances this year. The Memphis Grizzlies have taken the NBA by storm, finishing second in the West – while Ja Morant has been extraordinary on both ends of the floor. And it’s not just Morant, the entire team has been challenging various teams. The Grizzlies have a 20-5 record without Ja Morant this season.
Ja vs. Ant. Grizzlies vs. Timberwolves.
This will be electric 🔥 https://t.co/TCAaSAXriS
Another team that just displayed grit and intensity is the Minnesota Timberwolves, led by Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards. They finished the regular season in eighth position and beat the LA Clippers in the Play-In game to take the seventh seed in the playoffs. Both Towns and Edwards have been unafraid of competition and that has elevated them to a playoff team this season.
Jalen Rose went on to pick his best series of the first round of the playoffs:
“I wanna parachute myself into the Minnesota-Memphis series. The Grizzlies who outplayed expectations this year, became the number two seed. You guys mentioned the superstar that is Ja Morant – they’re now trailing in that series, to another young superstar Karl-Anthony Towns [and] Anthony Edwards, playing really well in that series.”
“So, it’s going to be interesting to see now, how Memphis overcomes the adversity of losing Game 1.”
Ja Morant and Karl-Anthony Towns’ fathers at the 2022 NBA Playoffs
The fathers of Morant and Towns were caught on camera during a friendly exchange as their sons locked horns in Game 1 of the series between Memphis and Minnesota. The Timberwolves were up 122-113 during the final minute of the game as Karl Towns Sr. and Tee Morant approached each other on the sidelines.
KAT and Ja's dads are in the playoff spirit 🤣
(via @NBATV) https://t.co/olkmhv8v87
Jalen Rose took a liking to the incident and brought it up in the discussion:
“And last but certainly not the least, as somebody that never met his father – I can’t lie. When I saw Papa Towns and I saw Papa Morant breaking bread on the sideline, looking good, looking clean – representing their families, representing their family names – all on the camera."
"I loved that. And so, that is the moment for me, but that’s definitely the series that stands out for me.”
The Minnesota Timberwolves took Game 1 on the road, with Anthony Edwards putting up 36 points on his playoffs debut. Ja Morant finished with 32 points, four rebounds and eight assists – as the Grizzlies fell 117-130 to Minnesota. It will definitely be an interesting series going forward, with two of the youngest teams in the NBA facing off against each other.