"He gives me the same feeling" - NFL analyst likens NBA superstar to Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow has just taken the NFL by storm by guiding the Cincinnati Bengals from the basement of the AFC to coming up shy of beating the LA Rams in the Super Bowl in a matter of one season.
But Burrow isn't the only young star athlete to become an overnight sensation in his league. Ja Morant of the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies is taking his team from a borderline playoff team to a favorite to make the NBA Finals in the West.
ESPN analyst Max Kellerman has gone as far as to compare the Bengals quarterback and Morant to each other as players to take the bull by the horns and become elite early in their careers.
🗣️ Max Kellerman said Ja Morant gives him similar vibes as Cincinnati Bengals' superstar quarterback Joe Burrow!
#jamorant #joeburrow #memphisgrizzlies #cincinnatibengals https://t.co/5hfFcpDTDM
Kellerman went as far as to name Morant as being the favorite to win the NBA Finals MVP and added that he [Morant] gives off the same "I'm not waiting for my time" vibe as Joe Burrow.
"Joe Burrow is like, 'I ain't waiting for my turn. My turn is now.' Ja [Morant] gives me the same feeling," Kellerman said via ESPN.
Kellerman backed up his bold take with some real facts about both Morant and Burrow. The latter discovered a new gear once the Bengals made the postseason, averaging 276 passing yards and 1.25 touchdowns in four playoff games, including the Super Bowl. If it wasn't for his offensive line falling apart late in the game, he would have had a Super Bowl ring.
#JoeBurrow #CBPOY
In his FIRST full season. 💪 #JoeBurrow #CBPOY https://t.co/aTpGCE5XCw
NBA's Ja Morant is looking like the young hotshot Joe Burrow has been in the NFL
Kellerman believes Ja Morant could also find a new level in his game come the playoffs.
In just his third season in the NBA after being the No. 2 pick in 2019, Morant is averaging 26.8 points per game (up from 19.1 in 2020), 6.9 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals. His accuracy from the three-point range has improved from 33 percent in 2020 to 49.5 percent.
He was also voted as a starter in the All-Star game and can easily be seen as the top player in his draft class.
This slow-mo of Ja Morant splitting defenders and scoring at the rim 😍🔥
https://t.co/D28cvepI3M
The Memphis Grizzlies are now third in the West at 41-19 and could jump the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors by the time the postseason starts.
In 2020, Memphis finished eighth in the West and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
The Bengals were in a very similar position in 2020. They went 4-11-1 after their quarterback suffered a season-ending injury in the second half of the season. In 2021, the Bengals not only went 10-7 but also won the AFC North for the first time since 2015.
Ja Morant and the Grizzlies still have a long road ahead of them before the postseason, but they are putting themselves in a great position to make a deep run and potentially face the Suns or the Warriors in a heated Western Conference Championship series.