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“Ja Morant views himself at the highest level with the top players in the league, just like I did”: Damian Lillard justifies selecting the Grizzlies star as the younger player he sees himself the most in

Advait Jajodia
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“Ja Morant views himself at the highest level with the top players in the league, just like I did”: Damian Lillard justifies selecting the Grizzlies star as a younger player he sees himself the most in

Portland Trail Blazers leader Damian Lillard selects Ja Morant as the one younger player he sees himself the most in.

Ja Morant is one of the top young players in the NBA. Despite being only 22-years-old, the Memphis Grizzlies high-flying guard has already established himself as one of the best guards in a league full of elite playmakers. Constantly making strides in his game, year after year, Ja will surely be one of the future faces of the league.

After an exceptional sophomore year, Morant has been absolutely phenomenal to start his third campaign. As expected, he is leading his young team from the front, while putting on some berserk numbers.

Averaging 24.1 points, 6.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game, on an improved 47.6/35.6/77.7 shooting split, Morant could very well be playing in his maiden All-Star Game this season. And despite being only 6-foot-3, the former ROTY is 4th in the league for points in the paint (14.1 ppg). The next guard on the list? 6-foot-7 Luka Doncic placed 20th on the list with 10 points per game.

Also Read: Skip Bayless praises the Nets’ MVP front-runner for his performance against the Timberwolves

Damian Lillard reveals why he picks Ja Morant as the younger player he sees himself the most in

Damian Lillard is one of the best and most experienced guards in the league. And his matchups with Ja are always entertaining to watch. Having played 7 games against each other, it’s Dame who has won 4 games, while outscoring the youngster 24.7-23.6. However, Morant has not only outrebounded (5.7-3.9) but has also out-assisted (8.9-7.7) the Blazers guard.

Despite their fiery battles, the two have the utmost respect for each other. Quite often, Damian has termed the Memphis prodigy as his favorite young player to watch. And more recently, Lillard had some more praises for the athletic guard, by naming him as the player Dame sees himself the most in.

The sharpshooter complimented:

“Mentality-wise I think Ja Morant… Early in his career it’s like he views himself at the highest level with the top players in the league. And that’s how I felt!”

As soon as he saw Lillard’s comments, Morant was quick enough to react to it.

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The two already faced each other once early this season, which was an impressive duel. Luckily, we will be witnessing three more Morant-Lillard matchups this regular season.

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia

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Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over three years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,500+ articles.

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