Ja Morant has the potential to be one of the best players in the NBA, but he needs to shine on the brightest stage first.
However, one franchise legend and NBA champion thinks Morant has what it takes.
Tony Allen believes the Grizzlies can be champions with Morant
Tony Allen won the NBA Finals as a role player for the 2008 Boston Celtics and then signed with the Grizzlies in 2010. As a key member of the Grit’n’Grind era, he made six All-Defensive Teams in a row, although he was never able to make it back to the Finals.
Memphis has long been a staple of the Western Conference playoffs, but behind the Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, and Golden State Warriors they never broke through to play for a championship.
Allen seems to believe the Grizzlies are close to breaking through.
“I believe so,” said Tony Allen about Ja Morant’s chances of winning a title as the first option.
“This guy is a must-see TV, box office if you ask me,” he continued. “I think this year he’s been hit with a few injuries, knick-knack injuries, nothing too major. He just went on ESPN not too long ago and said something about how he got some help with his shoulder, he came back and had a 44-point game.”
Allen admits the clock is ticking in Memphis
Key players like Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane are all under contract at least through next season, and rookies Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey should give the Grizzlies hope for the next several years, but with other Western Conference teams gearing up for years of dominance, the Grizzlies need to make their mark early.
“This is the time they want to win some games so they don’t have to play in the Play-In, make things a little harder, because you gotta figure they were number two at one point, behind OKC, and they’ve been playing well as a unit,” Allen finished.
“They just got to be healthy at this time now. Ja Morant is the spearhead of this organization, we o where he goes, and he just needs to be Ja, I don’t need him to be thinking about too much.”
With Morant having the keys to the offense and the franchise, Memphis needs to address his weaknesses. He is an underrated passer and is one of the best finishers in the league, second to only Anthony Edwards, but his outside shooting needs some work.
This season, he is shooting 29.1% from deep, pretty much in line with his career average. Memphis has tried pairing him with Marcus Smart, who isn’t much of a shooting threat, and failed to find any success.
In the modern NBA, having a point guard who isn’t a shooting threat is a hard obstacle to overcome, but it’s not impossible. Through smart roster construction, Memphis should be able to remain a top team in the West, but they need to prove that they can be major postseason players.
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