Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant is one of the most electrifying players in the NBA, capable of tantalizing crowds due to his unreal feats of athleticism. Morant took an All-Star-sized leap last season, averaging 27.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 6.7 assists in 33.1 minutes a night in 57 games.
And if his preseason performance against the Detroit Pistons is any indication, then perhaps Morant has another level left to unlock.
In only 25 minutes of play, Ja Morant put Cade Cunningham and the Pistons to the sword. He went off for 31 points and 8 rebounds on 12-21 shooting from the field, including a jaw-dropping coast to coast jam. Defending the 23-year old guard was a puzzle the Pistons couldn't solve all night long.
After the game, Morant took to Twitter and responded to a fan who expressed his awe over the four-year guard's insane performance. The fan, who goes by the username @shotbynie, wrote, “I heard “Him” was out there 👀,” referring to Morant's self-given moniker.
And Morant responded: “yeah dat boy sum else”.
Ja Morant began referring to himself as “Him” back in February of 2021, and it has stuck ever since. The 23-year old even tattooed the word “Him.” on his right forearm, a clear sign of his confidence in his own abilities.
It's great to see Morant bounce back from a poor shooting performance in their previous preseason game against the Orlando Magic. Morant went 8-24 from the field, and he shot blanks from beyond the arc going 0-6, and he was a -21 in a four-point loss.
Plus-minus stats are noisy when used in a single-game context, but Ja Morant genuinely didn't look like himself against the Magic, so this decimation of the Pistons is a good sign as the regular season approaches.
At the end of the day, Ja Morant is primed to lead the Grizzlies into another strong playoff run after pushing the eventual champion Golden State Warriors to six games. With emergent co-stars such as Desmond Bane and the recovering Jaren Jackson Jr. alongside him, the Grizzlies will be tough opposition for the league to overcome for the next few years.