Ja Morant receiving long overdue recognition

Owen Hill

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ESPN

The 22 year-old phenom has been putting the league on notice.

From the flashy dunks to the spectacular mid-air buzzer-beaters, the 6’3 guard from Murray State has been on a hot streak recently leading the Memphis Grizzlies to the third seed in the western conference.

Averaging 27 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists, Ja Morant has been leading Memphis up the leaderboards in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Winning eight of their last ten, the Grizzlies sit third in NBA standings. Morant in the last two games has dropped 46 points against the red-hot Chicago Bulls, and 52 against the San Antonio Spurs. Along with having 52 points, Ja Morant made sure to make it noticeable. 

Jakob Poeltl was Ja’s next victim. Morant threw down a massive dunk over seven-footer Jakob Poeltl and scored a career-high 52 points, helping the Grizzlies beat the Spurs 118-105 on Monday night. 

The third-year player has finally been getting the recognition he deserves. NBA hall of famer, Allen Iverson, tweeted expressing his thoughts on Morant. Posting a picture with his MVP trophy with Morant’s jersey over it, the tweet reads, “Sooner or later!!! @jamorant.”

Morant later responds to the tweet with a photoshopped picture of him and Iverson with the caption, “Pass the torch OG.”

The thing that makes Morant such a great player to watch is what he can do with his body. Being 6 foot 3, 174 lbs, he is not considered large in the NBA at all. He is arguably the most athletic player in the NBA with his bounce, quickness and explosiveness.

If Morant keeps this surge up, Memphis could be a scary team come playoffs.