Getty Ja Morant is likely to be a top-three pick in the 2019 NBA draft.
Ja Morant may not have received the same publicity as other top prospects, but his NBA draft stock is sky high. Morant is in the running to go as high as No. 2 in the 2019 NBA draft. He could help his case by sending Murray State to the NCAA tournament.
Morant hit the game-winning jump shot to help Murray State advance to the Ohio Valley Conference title game. The explosive guard did so in front of a number of NBA executives including Lakers brass Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka.
RJ Barrett is still the favorite to be selected No. 2 behind Zion Williamson, but Morant also has a case. ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Morant as his No. 3 ranked prospect.
I have Morant firmly behind Barrett but ahead of Blue Devils forward Reddish by a pretty comfortable margin. People will be up in arms initially if Morant and Murray State lose to Belmont in the Ohio Valley Conference tournament and end up in the NIT, but I think NBA teams will get over that eventually, especially as workouts start and scouts complete their background checks.
Barrett is far from a consensus to be the No. 2 pick and a strong showing in the NCAA tournament could help Morant’s case if Murray State is able to advance.
Ja Morant’s NBA Comparison to Russell Westbrook Is Unfair
Some have suggested Morant’s game is similar to Russell Westbrook, but this does not feel like an entirely fair comparison. The idea of comparing a college player to an NBA all-star is already challenging, but Morant’s court vision may be better than Westbrook’s passing ability when he was coming out of UCLA.
Morant is a scorer, but he enjoys getting his teammates involved. The Ringer’s Jonathan Tjarks broke down why he believes there is some similarities between Morant and Westbrook.
NBA scouts will not hold an early exit in March against Morant, but they do have some concerns about whether his dominance will translate to the next level. He won’t be able to overpower NBA defenders with raw physicality. At 6-foot-3 and 175 pounds, Morant has a far scrawnier frame than Westbrook, who is built like an NFL linebacker. He is also more explosive vertically than laterally, and he doesn’t have the top-end speed of a young Westbrook or De’Aaron Fox. There is more craftiness and guile to his game.
NBADraft.net compared Morant to De’Aaron Fox, but Morant also is a better passer than Fox was at Kentucky. If Morant were a better shooter, Trae Young would be a good comparison just based on their passing ability, but Morant’s jumper is a work in progress.
Ja Morant NBA Draft Profile
STRENGTHS: Morant is a pure scorer averaging 24.2 points per game this season. He is freakishly athletic which allows him to attack the basket with ease and even jump over opponents at times. What may be most surprising to people watching Morant for the first time is his passing ability.
Morant is averaging 10.3 assists per game and loves getting his teammates involved. Morant has already proven to be deadly in using the pick and roll to get easy buckets for his teammates. Given how much the NBA uses the pick and roll, teams are going to love having Morant in their offense.
WEAKNESSES: Morant is a sophomore and a year older than many of the other top prospects in the draft. Morant is shooting 33.8 percent from the three-point line which is lower than the NBA would prefer. Unlike Barrett, Morant has not been playing against ACC competition during his college career.
However, Morant is also unlikely to have had the same resources when it comes to player development like the majority of top prospects from this class. Despite being a little older than his peers, Morant should excel under NBA coaching. Morant has good size at 6’3″ but needs to add some weight to his 175-pound frame.
SUMMARY: Morant looks to be the best guard in this draft class, and has a strong argument to be the No. 2 pick. Morant possesses a rare combination of scoring, passing and athletic ability. If Murray State makes the NCAA tournament, Morant could give himself a better chance to be selected No. 2, and as of now, his floor is the No. 3 pick in June’s draft.