Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant says that he isn’t interested in winning Rookie of the Year
“I honestly don’t care about Rookie of the Year,” said Grizzlies rookie Ja Morant, (when everybody considers Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson, who has been dominating and has been emerging this season, to win the award). “They can give that to who they want.”
Morant is a very promising guard that even if he plays very well and displays his skills almost every night, there is the №1 draft pick that gets all the lights on him, as he has become a ‘’must-watch’’ player for the fans and the people that work in the media. However, nobody doubts how good Morant is. He is a gifted player. 6’3 that moves very well without the ball. His athleticism, his ability to find guys, I mean he constantly puts pressure on the defense off the dribble.
Zion puts big numbers consistently, despite playing for a team that struggles a lot on both sides of the floor. He has become the name of the franchise so far and he averages 24.1 points per game, shooting 59.3% from the field and 41.7% from the three-point line and grabbing 6.8 rebounds per game. For a rookie that has played solely in 15 games this season due to his injury in his right knee, he has performed very well. Remember that Zion underwent successful arthroscopic surgery back in October 21st to address his injury (a torn right lateral meniscus) and it was estimated that he would need at least six to eight weeks to fully recover and finally make his debut in the league.
The 6-foot-6, 285-pound former Duke star was projected to not play this season, he heard a lot of things about his weight and how it can affect his body and might worsen his situation. The organization was next to him all the time and through encouragement, patience, some shooting etc., Zion managed to fully recover and finally make his debut in January 22nd (after he sat out for nearly three months) against the San Antonio Spurs and he had a great performance scoring 22 points, but the Pels got defeated 121–117 that night. He also had seven rebounds, three assists and five turnovers while playing 18 minutes, 18 seconds. Since then he has been great — a young kid that aspires to have a great career. There is a reason why he was drafted first and you can see it now. I believe that there is not a debate anymore regarding who will win the award ‘’Rookie of the Year’’ this season. He has already separated himself from everybody else. Even if some people look at him as the guy that only dunks, that’s not true. He is already the type of player that the moment you decide to put him on the floor, you know that you can rely on him and his ability to finish in the basket, not to forget his ability to grab offensive rebounds, shoot 3s or to attract double-teaming and still be able to score or pass the ball to his teammates for an open three-point shot.
When he is on the court, Williamson is a prominent target thanks to that extraordinary blend of size and athleticism that he possesses. The guards can just throw the ball somewhere near the basket, and he’ll come down with it. He is spoiled to play alongside Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball. Both are willing and talented passers. Holiday, in particular, conducts the action while keeping his turnover percentage low (14.0 as opposed to Ball’s 20.5). Lonzo Ball, Jrue Holiday, and Brandon Ingram all rank above him in touches per game, which makes sense considering they’re all ball handlers. Williamson, however, still manages 46.7 touches a night, the majority of which coming in the frontcourt. Upon receiving the ball, he uses the least amount of time possible to generate points.