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Ja Morant's Memphis Grizzlies are currently at 5-3. Tonight, they face off against the Portland Trailblazers, who currently sit at 5-2.
On ESPN’s “NBA Today," the hosts Ramona Shelbourne, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter talked about the playoff chances for these two teams. When asked who had a better chance of making a playoff run this season, Carter chose the Grizzlies.
The two teams faced off last night with the Grizzlies taking the game 111-106 on the Trailblazers home floor. The Blazers were without star Damian Lillard but still gave a strong performance.
“They are led by Ja Morant one of the most confident superstars in the league,” Vince Carter said.
Carter may be on to something. Ja Morant has played some of the best basketball of his career this season for the Grizzlies. The team is coming off a season where they finished 56-26 and lost to the eventual champion Warriors in the second round of the playoffs.
Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies and the Portland Trail Blazers run this season
Both the Blazers and the Grizzlies have shown promise this year. Both teams have star guards who have played well, and the supporting cast seems to be settling into their roles.
The Trailblazers had a disappointing season last year. They traded CJ McCollum, and All-Star Damian Lillard missed a number of games due to injury. The team appears to be strong this year. They have the second-best record in the league so far.
Lillard is healthy and does not appear to be rusty at all. He is currently averaging 31.9 points per game and hitting big shots. The team is a getting a boost from guard Anfernee Simons, who is averaging 20.4 points per game. He is filling the role that McCollum once had at shooting guard. Jusuf Kurkic is healthy, averaging 15.8 points and 14.3 rebounds per game, and controlling the inside.
The Blazers are also getting solid contributions from forward Jerami Grant, who is averaging 16.7 points per game. He gave the team 23 points last night, and the team was +8 on the floor.
The Grizzlies have a deep roster, and they are playing well. Star Ja Morant is currently averaging a career-high 33.3 points per game. The team is getting 24.2 points per game on the much-improved Desmond Bane. He was the leading scorer for the Grizzlies last night providing 29 points.
The team is not as good as it is going to be when forward Jaren Jackson is able to re-enter the lineup.
Ja Morant making an impact on Grizzlies
Ja Morant is in his fourth season in the NBA and has continued to improve each season he has been in the league. Morant will be hoping to improve upon that number seven in MVP voting from last year. Right now, he is averaging 33.3 points and 6.3 assists per game.
In Ja’s previous three seasons with the team, it only failed to make the playoffs during his rookie season. Morant’s scoring average has improved each season he has been in the NBA. Expect, as he continues to grow, the Grizzlies will get even better. This year, Memphis fans are hoping everyone takes the next step with their team.
