“What Ja Morant can do, Lord have mercy!!” – Stephen A. Smith compares Ja Morant and Giannis Antetokounmpo, explains why he'd hesitate picking the latter in playoff battle
Ja Morant and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been billed as the two players who could be the face of the NBA for the next decade or so. Because of that, there is an inevitable comparison between them.
On ESPN's "First Take," sports media personality Stephen A. Smith talked about that choice:
"Look, I know Giannis is going to dominate everybody that is smaller and weaker. I get that. But what Ja Morant can do, Lord have mercy. I got to tell you, I can't sit up there and definitively say I'd rather have Giannis come playoff time."
Smith continued:
"Let Ja Morant keep ascending, and I might go with Ja. I think it's a discussion. Giannis is Giannis. The guy is phenomenal. But we don't know what the hell Ja going to be."
.@stephenasmith thinks Ja Morant might be more valuable than Giannis in the postseason 👀
“I can’t sit up there and definitively say I’d rather have Giannis [than Ja] come playoff time!” https://t.co/zwB69BadqD
Who is better – Giannis Antetokounmpo or Ja Morant?
It is very easy to forget that Ja Morant is only in his third season in the league. Since being drafted as the second overall pick in the 2019 draft, Morant has gone on to light up the NBA with his high-flying dunks and incredible performances.
Morant is averaging 24.4 points, 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds while shooting better than 35% from beyond the arc and nearly 49% from the field. Morant also has five double-doubles as he has been instrumental in the Memphis Grizzlies standing third in the highly competitive Western Conference.
Giannis Antetokounmpo notched his 5th career game with 40 points, 15 rebounds & 5 assists.
That ties Russell Westbrook for the most by any player since the merger.
Giannis has 2 of those games this season, becoming the 5th player with multiple in a season since the merger. https://t.co/94FHdZMNGe
Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo plays for the reigning NBA champions and was the 2021 Finals MVP. He is also a two-time regular-season MVP and has won the Defensive Player of the Year award. In fact, only Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon have won the MVP and DPOY awards in the same season.
The Greek Freak is averaging 28.5 points, 11.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting the ball better than 53%.
When comparing the two, what must be kept in mind is that they are both in different spaces in terms of their development. Antetokounmpo was nowhere near as good as Morant in his third season. But that doesn't necessarily mean Morant is going to be as good as the "Greek Freak" when he hits his prime.
Antetokounmpo is the better scorer and rebounder, while Morant is the better passer and shooter from the perimeter. Antetokounmpo is one of the league's best defensive players and has proven himself in the postseason, while Morant has yet to go past the first round in the playoffs.
As things stand, Antetokounmpo is the better player. But Morant has the talent to one day be crowned as the best player in the NBA and could end up being a better player than Antetokounmpo soon.