Is Ja Morant the most box-office star in the NBA? Memphis Grizzlies superstar’s 46-point display against Chicago Bulls was pure entertainment | NBA News

February 27, 2022 admin

Ja Morant is undeniably a top 10 player in the NBA now and talent-wise could well be in the top five.

In addition to that, his style of play might be the most watchable in a league of ridiculously talented players.

His ability as a point guard to cannonball towards the rim is unparalleled and he accompanies that with the ability to dish crazily audacious passes and shoot skilfully from deep as well.

He had a new regular-season career-high (he scored 47 in a playoff loss to Utah last season) and franchise-record 46 points in the Memphis Grizzlies’ 116-110 win over the Chicago Bulls and he showcased his entire repertoire of dazzling skills.

The newly minted All-Star’s signature night included a plethora of his gravity-defying assaults on the rim – including a 360-degree layup around MVP candidate DeMar DeRozan – and a one-handed alley-oop slam that set the Bulls crowd buzzing.

“I’ve seen too many of them. Kinda boring now,” team-mate Steven Adams said in jest. “He’s such an amazing player.”

The former No 2 overall pick scored 16 in the first half and 20 in the third quarter. He made 15 of 28 shots, including three 3-pointers, and was 13 for 15 at the foul line.

Inspired by Jordan?

Memphis’ All-Star put on quite a display for the Chicago crowd and might have gotten little extra lift seeing highlights of Michael Jordan on the video board.

“I did watch it,” he said. “And then, I did start scoring a lot. It probably played a part in it.”

Morant’s superstar season is sending waves through the league, shooting Memphis up the standings and shattering franchise records – and Saturday night’s display against a very good Chicago Bulls team did all three of those things.

The win over the Bulls, who entered the night tied with Miami for first place in the Eastern Conference and on a six-game winning streak, keeps the Grizzlies (42-20) within striking distance of second-place Golden State (43-17) with 20 games remaining in the regular season.

Morant and the Grizzlies are eyeing a deeper plunge into the postseason after emerging from last year’s inaugural Play-In Tournament and losing to the top-seeded Jazz 4-1 in the first round.

And with arguably the league’s most watchable player at the hub of it all, the Grizzlies may well have the ability to surprise everyone.