One of the biggest surprises of the NBA halfway through the season is, without a doubt, the Memphis Grizzlies.
One of the reasons the Grizzlies find themselves so far up the standings is the play of third-year point guard Ja Morant.
Morant has put up All-Star level numbers this year, and when speaking with Drew Hill from the Daily Memphian, he said he believes his season deserves some recognition.
“I deserve this. I earned this. I worked for this,” Morant said, “This is the way I wanted it. I didn’t want to be no alternate. I don’t want to be a spot-filler.”
Morant’s confidence in himself is well deserved when you look at his numbers. Through 36 games, Morant is putting up 25.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from three.
Those numbers, along with the excellent play of teammates Desmond Bane, Dillon Brooks, and Jaren Jackson Jr., have catapulted the Grizzlies to the top half of the western conference. Currently, the Grizzlies sit third in the west with a record of 32-17, trailing only the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors.
Morant was second in votes for Western Conference guard with just over 2.6 million votes, trailing only Stephen Curry in the most recent return of All-Star fan voting.
The All-Star Game, which is taking place in Cleveland this year, is just under a month away, taking place on Sunday, Feb. 20. The starters for the All-Star Game will be announced later this week on Thursday, Jan. 27, with the rest of the roster being announced on Feb. 3.
