Ja Morant is the 'Patrick Mahomes' of the NBA claims NBA Gametime analyst Steve Smith
Monday 24 February 2020 06:16, UK
NBA Rookie of the Year frontrunner Ja Morant has been receiving plaudits throughout the season but the latest comparison might be the best yet.
NBA Gametime analyst Steve Smith has compared him to NFL Superbowl hero Patrick Mahomes given how he combines youthful skill and endeavour with an older player's head in terms of knowledge and maturity.
"He can score but you saw in college, he can lead his team to wins with the pass and with his leadership," Smith said.
"I don't think a lot of young guys have that leadership in them. Not a lot of point guards are vocal, you can see him putting guys in the space and places where they need to be.
"I also think he's got that little bit of Patrick Mahomes where he is the veteran even though he's young. He's controlling the game and also having that relationship with the coach.
"And he's all about winning, that's what I love about him, and doing it on both ends. He's a throwback, new-school point guard!
"What I mean by that is, that old-school mentality but the game of how they play now: flair, finesse but at the end of the day it's still about winning for Ja Morant."
Earlier in the season, when Morant claimed his first career triple-double, opposing head coach Scott Brooks described him as playing "like a five-year All-Star".
The video at the top of the page features NBA coaching expert Stan Van Gundy breaking down exactly how Morant is making the Grizzlies tick.
It's clear that the young point guard's impact goes well beyond the 17.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.0 steal he is averaging in every game.
Some of the segments where you see Morant running the pick and roll with Jonas Valanciunas in particular as well as the other bigs on the roster demonstrate how he reads the play in a manner befitting a far more experienced player.
As well as that though, Smith's NBA Gametime colleague Earl Watson points out how his ability to improvise, both in terms of scoring and passing, makes him stand out as a top-echelon talent.
"There are playmakers who can play within the structures of patterns, he's a non-pattern player," Watson said. "That means he does things you can't teach.
"He does things in the scrum of making play within the behind-the-back or no-look passes, the hesitation dribbles and even finishing for himself that you can't drill. You can simulate that by watching film but his creativity takes over and it elevates his team-mates, it elevates the style of play and it deflates defenses.
"He does a great job of implementing who he is within coach Jenkins' style of play and coach Jenkins has done an amazing job by giving him the confidence to do so."
Morant is set to return to action on Monday night (early in Tuesday morning in the UK) when the Grizzlies face the LA Clippers at Staples Center.
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