[O’Connor] The Blazers are betting on a Ja Morant comeback. Portland acquired a player who once looked like a future face of the NBA for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray: that’s how far his value has fallen. Maybe Ja still has a few prime seasons left in him. Or maybe he will shoot Portland in the foot.
The Trail Blazers acquired a player who once looked like a future face of the NBA for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. That’s how far Ja Morant’s value has fallen. Morant once electrified the NBA with his explosive handle, acrobatic finishes and complete disregard for anyone standing between him and the rim. But with injuries, off-court troubles and diminishing on-court performance, it becomes harder to justify paying him more than $40 million in each of the next two seasons.
But for just Grant and Murray, I understand why the Blazers took the chance. Deni Avdija needs a co-star. Scoot Henderson hasn’t shown enough consistency to become one. Damian Lillard is returning from a torn Achilles. Shaedon Sharpe is recovering from knee surgery. Taking the next step could require a gamble on talent Portland wouldn’t otherwise have a realistic chance to acquire. And maybe, just maybe, Morant could be that piece.
In his first 12 games last season, Morant was as bad as he’s ever been. He scored 22.4 points per 36 minutes on 47.7% true shooting and struggled to get to the basket. All that was missing was the James Harden fat suit, because Morant clearly didn’t want to be in Memphis anymore. But after returning from a calf strain in December, he posted 28.5 points per 36 on 58.7% true shooting over his final eight appearances. His efficiency and shot distribution resembled his two All-Star seasons, when he produced 29.6 points per 36 on 56.6% true shooting.
Ja began to look more like Ja. In the clips above from his 40-point game against the Sixers, he displayed burst off the dribble and finished acrobatically with either hand. His ability to get into the paint was returning, and so were the opportunities it created for everyone else.
In the next three games, he logged 36 assists: 11 against the Lakers, 13 against the Magic and 12 against the Hawks. He manipulated defenders with his handle, drew help and found the open man. In transition, he pushed the ball ahead before defenses could get organized.
For a brief moment before a sprained ligament in his left elbow and a Grizzlies tank job ended his season, Morant finally began to look like himself again. Of course, it was only eight games. But at 27, imagine what a healthy Morant could do for Avdija, who averaged 24.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists last season.
At 6-foot-8, Deni’s combination of size, downhill scoring and passing turned him into an offensive centerpiece. And at only 25, he may be only just tapping into his ceiling. Having another player capable of getting downhill could spare him from having to beat a set defense so often.
But can these Blazers blend?
Even at his peak, Ja had a shaky jumper and defensive limitations. Portland can help mitigate those flaws with Jrue Holiday and Toumani Camara there to take the tougher defensive assignments. The both of them also offer spot-up shooting, screening and connective passing on offense. But the core pieces need to offer enough of those role-player qualities too.
Morant has made 33% of his career catch-and-shoot 3-pointers, compared with Avdija’s 34.5%. Spacing could become an issue for this team if Camara can’t sustain his improvement from last year and if Donovan Clingan can’t successfully become a spot-up threat.
Is Dame supposed to play off-ball most of the time now just to offer some spacing? Maybe early on. But he averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 assists in his last season in Milwaukee and was named an All-Star. At age 36 coming off a torn Achilles, there’s no telling how much he has left. But Blazers fans know more than anyone how foolish it’d be to ever count out Dame.
Last season, Portland ranked 22nd in isolation scoring efficiency and 28th in pick-and-roll scoring efficiency, per Synergy Sports. Lillard could help solve those problems with his pull-up jump shooting. So could Ja. And their shared presence alleviates the pressure on each other to be themselves right away. Especially for Dame. At age 36, in his first year back from a torn Achilles, it might be beneficial for him to take on a lighter workload. And there will still be plenty of moments that everyone in the building knows the ball should be in Dame’s hands.
It’s been a weird year in Portland. But looking purely at the basketball situation, the Blazers hired one of the league’s most-respected assistants in Micah Nori and have an impressive blend of proven veterans and young players. Maybe Scoot takes a leap in a sixth-man role. Maybe Clingan becomes the rare center who can both put a lid on the rim and shoot 3s on the other end. Maybe Deni goes from All-Star to All-NBA. Maybe Dame looks like Dame once again. And maybe Ja still has a few prime seasons left in him. Or maybe Morant shoots Portland in the foot.
Link: https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/the-blazers-are-betting-on-a-ja-morant-comeback-170000225.html