Grizzlies fans, or NBA fans in general for that matter, might look at Jaren Jackson Jr. or Dillon Brooks as the best defenders on the team. Some might consider Steven Adams to be the anchor of the defense, after all, him going down with an injury has them in shambles. However, Ja Morant himself hasn’t been bad defensively either.
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In fact, a statistical analysis shows the 2x All-Star point guard might be the best defensive guard in the NBA. What’s more interesting is he might just be trailing Giannis Antetokounmpo as the best defender. Don’t believe it? Let’s drill down.
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Ja Morant has a tremendous record when players shoot against him 1-on-1
Nobody thinks of defense when they talk about Ja Morant, do they? It’s mostly about his high-flying poster dunks, or it’s something he said to the opposition or celebrities sitting courtside.
However, now we might have to talk about his two-way ability as well. As surprising as it sounds, the Grizzlies’ top scorer is also one of its best on-ball defenders, according to this statistic by NBA Muse.
Fun Fact:
Players are shooting 42.4% (239-564) when guarded by Ja Morant this season.
That’s the 2nd best mark in the NBA, only Giannis is better. (Min 500 FGA Defended) pic.twitter.com/BCGS5UYv2E
— NBA Muse (@NBAMuse24) February 21, 2023
To put things in perspective, Brooks has a Defensive rating of 113.8, Bane has 111.7, JJJ has 103, and Ja has 111.6. Not bad, huh?
Maybe, it has something to do with Dillon Brooks and Desmond Bane having to deal with the opposition’s best and second guards. Or perhaps, point guards and two guards, converting a lower amount of their shots in general than the bigs might be the reason.
Anyway, the Grizzlies would like him to improve on defense in any way he can, if he is able to work more on his off-the-ball defense, this team would be difficult to deal with.
Also read: “My Confidence Will Never Change”: Ja Morant Refuses To Take Back “Fine in the West” Comments
How good are Grizzlies for the Playoffs?
While having the seventh-best offensive rating, the Memphis team was the #1 defensive team in the league before Adams’ injury. Now they are 6th with their DRTG at 109.8.
They have slid down to 6th best record in the league from 3rd best in that period but have the determination to be better without the Big Kiwi, who is also their top rebounder.
When he gets back, they will surely be good. But seeing how much they played him in the 2022 Play-offs, they surely will need the plan to play with and without him in the best way possible.
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