With both players now healthy in their second season, the debate between the 2019 NBA Premier League is picking up … [+]
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As the top two picks of the 2019 NBA draft, Zion Williamson and Ja Morant will be forever linked, always on the go.
Of course this is not a competition, TKO at the first round if we are talking about a fair.
Zion was the cant-miss electronic preview from Duke with the explosive, earthquake, edge-rattling and unpredictable athletics for a player with the body of an NFL defender at 6-foot-7. He was the guy you put a tank on and the No. 1 simple pick in the Big Easy for the New Orleans Pelicans. With 5 million Instagram followers and another 470,000 on Twitter, Nike is $ 75 million
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But while Williamson was the man everyone knew and was one of the top soldiers in the country out of high school, Ja Morant was more than a slow rise. The pair played together AAU one summer in South Carolina, but the 21-year-old Morant was not considered a high school outlet and played for Murray State midfielder.
But Ja was so sad and scintillating in his sophomore season with the Racers that everyone had to pay attention. Moving down the court on a quick break, controlling the pace of the game and getting to the edge with careless abandonment, Morant averaged 24.5 points and 10 assists per game and gave Murray State a lead. to the NCAA Tournament. The 6-foot-3 point guard was finished with a 2nd overall draft by the Memphis Grizzlies ahead of RJ Barrett, Duke Williamson’s team player.
Ja Morant has emerged as the undisputed director of Memphis Grizzlies and the best player in his second … [+]
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Sadly, both players have dealt with injury issues during their short careers.
Zion had to undergo knee surgery before his rookie season began, limiting him to just 24 games in 2019-2020, many with minute restrictions. It was a disappointment for the league, which New Orleans put on early and often on national TV to try to take advantage of the huge Williamson show. But when he finally got on the court on Jan. 22, he had an incredible 22-point debate when he scored 17 straight points for the Pelicans against San Antonio on ESPN.
Williamson averaged 22.5 points and 6.3 replays per game as a rookie, but it was Morant who took Rookie of the Year. Ja stayed healthy and added 17.8 points, 7.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds per contest in 67 games, leading the young, brilliant Grizz to the play-in game at the bubble of Orlando, where he collapsed them to Portland Trail Blazers.
With the last two players completely healthy, the debate was sure to go up in the players ’NBA sophomore seasons. Williamson was finally healthy and no longer on a minute limit and still puts up strong numbers, with 22.6 points and 8.3 boards per game at 57.5% off the field, very similar to his rookie stats. But it was Morant who was injured early on this time, his season almost ended on December 28 against the Brooklyn Nets when he injured his ankle and had to be taken off the court. in a wheelchair.
Luckily for Ja and the NBA, it ended up just like a sprain that cost him just three weeks. And while Zion’s per-game stats and efficiency were clearly better in their first few quarters, things are far more balanced between the two in 2020-2021. In five games so far this season, compared to Williamson 11, Morant is up 22.6 points and seven assists per game on a 53.2% shot, with winning allowance numbers every 48 minutes now better than Williamson this year after being circulated in a smaller sample size a quarter ago.
On the national stage Monday against the Phoenix Suns, Morant put out the ongoing assist with 66 seconds left and grabbed the next possession, recording 17 points and 10 rebounds in the inning. recapture 108-104 won by Martin Luther King Day.
“Ja has a good false sense of humor for the game,” team player Brandon Clarke told the AP, who matched Morant’s 17 points. “I feel like those first three quarters, it’s just like looking at the defense, looking at us, seeing what the defense gives it. By the fourth quarter, it’s just like he was already getting everything out with that, and he’s able to get in the paint, put off his design, get his team’s views. “
Both Memphis and New Orleans are ready for a similar start, with the Grizzlies at 7-6 and the Pels at 5-7.
“We had a slow start and people were saying we needed to make a tank,” Morant said. “That’s never on our minds. We want to go out and win. I feel like we all accept the upheaval. I feel like love we have that. “
Earlier in the day on Sunday, Williamson was very emotional against Sacramento, putting up 31 points and six boards on a 13-of-15 shooting in a 128-123 Pels win that included a draw, which dunk reel lighting.
The NBA and its fans love to engage in debate, and a good guy is on his hands here with Zion and Ja. With similar numbers and teams with almost identical records this season, the battle between the two 2019 Draft Soldiers is building as the two players continue to develop more comfortably than they do. getting in the league.