It's been three years since Zion Williamson and Morant stepped into the NBA, and so far, it looks like Morant should have been selected by the New Orleans Hornets in the 2019 NBA Draft. It's not disrespectful to Williamson (he's probably better technically than Morant), but in today's league, technology can only take you that far. To evaluate a rising star player, one has to look at his persistence, his influence on the team's culture, and how far he has led the team – in this case, Morant has the advantage.
Let's talk in more detail about why the Memphis Grizzlies star should be the winner of the 2019 NBA Draft.
The importance of durability
Despite Williamson's good performance on the pitch, his health is still a big question mark. Has he gone a season without injury? So far, he has only played 85 games, while Morant has played 136. As of press time, it was Morant who was now lying on the floor, not Williamson, who was nursing his foot injury. In today's game, the durability of the player is the most important asset, and this alone can give Morant an advantage.
Changing the culture of the Grizzlies
Since Morant joined the league, the Grizzlies have at least been competitive or made it into the NBA playoffs. He completely changed the culture of the Grizzlies, bringing back to the team the most famous traits of the Grizzlies. Meanwhile, Williamson has yet to prove that he has changed the culture of New Orleans because the Pelicans have yet to make the playoffs during his tenure.
It could even be said that Williamson has better teammates than Moran. Unfortunately, the Pelicans haven't taken that step yet. We don't know what the former duke did behind the scenes, but he has shown subtle signs that he may want to leave Nora. If I were to bet on who would stay longer on their respective teams, I would bet all my money on the long-term retention of Morant with the Grizzlies.
Moran has made progress
It's not a light-hearted look at Williamson, who has played faster than Morant at the All-Star Game, but it's reasonable to question why he's gaining weight every year. His weight can be a cause for concern, especially if you're engaged in a sport that requires you to be as healthy as possible. What's even more frightening is that Zion has recovered from a relatively serious foot injury, and his physical condition is not very good, so his state may not have recovered. He has to catch up, especially if he wants to get off to a strong start after returning to the pitch.
Morant, meanwhile, showed nothing but improvement in the game, especially his newly developed jump shots. The Grizzlies guard was one of the best players in the first week and a half of the game, and it looks like he's only going to get better. Morant is in his third year, but his form has never been a problem. He had his own injuries, but that never stopped him from being the best he could be.
In hindsight, the NBA draft was always better, but there's no denying that Ja Moran was easily turned down. 1 choice for 2019.