Not a lot of players can mimic Derrick Rose’s style of play. However, Ja Morant has drawn comparisons with D-Rose since he started out in the NBA. When the former NBA star was asked on the Out The Mud Podcast whether he also sees those similarities, Rose humbly refused.
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Instead, he went on to give major props to Morant for being a complete player and outlined some of his most overlooked qualities. He refused to compare Morant with himself because he believes that the Grizzlies star does a lot of different things on the floor which are unique.
He said, “I see a pure point guard…His talent is his passing. Everything else is like an enhancement where he’s jumping, his IQ and all that.”
Outlining the advantage of his biggest asset, Rose said that even on an off night, Morant can easily put up assists in double digits. “That’s hard to do now these days in this game,” Rose added.
The three-time All-Star also talked about how Morant manages to put up numbers despite not being a great three-point shooter. There are several other qualities that the Grizzlies’ star possesses which puts him in a league of his own, as per Rose.
He said, “I don’t want to say we play alike because he jump higher, he do crazier s***t…He’s risky as f***.”
Derrick Rose on Ja Morant’s game and the comparison between them
“I see pure point guard. his talent is his passing and everything else is like an enhancement… I don’t like to say we play alike because he jumps higher and does crazier shit.”
(Via @OutTheMudTL) pic.twitter.com/1jbLaKJv0e
— Bryson Wright (@BrysonWright3) January 22, 2025
Most people would be very excited to have possibly inspired one of the greatest basketball players of the current generation. However, Rose isn’t cut from that cloth.
Interestingly, Morant is also aware of the D-Rose comparisons and spoke on it in December last year. He also credited Rose for bringing a change in him by sharing his life experiences when they were teammates.
Rose mentored Ja Morant
In the final stretch of his career, D-Rose played for the Memphis Grizzlies. He got to spend some time around Morant, who went through a lot of trouble during that period with one controversy after another.
During his conversation with Daily Memphian, Morant talked about how the veteran came to his rescue and helped him in getting his act together.
He said, “He [Rose] spoke on some of the stuff he went through, and we shared similar stuff, you know, growing up and all. So, it was surprising to see that. Obviously, watching a guy like that…guys said we have similarities in our game.” Morant realized that they have a lot of similarities even off the court.
Now, after taking lessons from a veteran as well respected as Rose, Morant believes he carries himself better. He also thinks that D-Rose’s advice helped him be a better member of the Grizzlies organization.
