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The NBA community has been fascinated by how Ja Morant has played this season. But Shannon Sharpe, regardless of his displays, believes the third-year player is not yet a superstar.
Morant has made it a point to deliver highlight reels in every game, and he has carried that aim into the playoffs. He led a fourth-quarter comeback against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a 111-109 win in Game 5 on Tuesday, making sure to throw down the hammer on his way to the win.
With that display, Morant's praises have once again echoed loudly, with many calling him a superstar. However, Sharpe does not believe the 22-year-old has reached superstardom.
On "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed," the question of whether Morant has arrived as a bonafide superstar was raised, and Sharpe said:
"He is a star. He is on the rise, but I wouldn't label him a superstar just yet. He has that freakish athletic ability like D-Rose (Derrick Rose) pre-injury, like Russ (Russell Westbrook) pre-injury. He has that ability to play above the rim. He's not a great outside shooter, like these guys weren't. But if he gets hot, he can make you pay.
"So, when I look at him, he is a burgeoning superstar. He's not quite there yet."
After an exceptional season, helping the Memphis Grizzlies to second place in the Western Conference, Morant was named Most Improved Player. They are currently fighting for a spot in the conference semifinals, a stage they last reached in 2015.
Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies could close out the series on Friday night
The Grizzlies are up 3-2, which means that one more win could send them into the conference semifinals. While that may sound achievable, they first have to overcome the equally dogged Timberwolves.
Whoever wins this matchup will face the Golden State Warriors, who have already clinched their semifinal spot after a 4-1 series win over the Denver Nuggets.
As things stand, it is the Grizzlies' series to lose, as they would have to lose two consecutive games to get knocked out of the playoffs. Their next game will be in a hostile environment, but they have shown they can steal a victory on the road.
If the Grizzlies make it through, they would set up a repeat of the 2015 Western Conference semifinals, where the Warriors and Grizzlies squared off. With a player as explosive as Ja Monrant, the Grizzlies will be looking to exact revenge for their 2015 loss.
In the playoffs, Morant has averaged 22.4 points, 10.4 assists, 8.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals while shooting 40.2%.
Guess the Lakers players!
