Ja Morant is an incredibly rare young talent, a productive star comfortable working with every element of basketball style. Style and aesthetics are an indelible part of basketball but the conversation around them is pure chaos. For a purely qualitative set of ideas, it’s not surprising that things are moving in every direction at once.
Memphis Grizzlies
As the Memphis Grizzlies weigh a move over the next couple weeks, Gorgui Dieng has surfaced as a name to watch. Coming out of the All-Star break, the Memphis Grizzlies are a .500 team (16-16) and within range of a playoff spot in the Western Conference (10th place). The question they have to ask themselves
Trae Young called out Grayson Allen on Twitter for allegedly tripping him during Saturday’s Atlanta Hawks-Memphis Grizzlies game. During the NBA preseason, Atlanta Hawks star point guard Trae Young got acquainted with Memphis Grizzlies guard Grayson Allen. And by acquainted, we mean that Young shoved Allen and created a brief scuffle between both teams. The
Brandon Clarke clocks in at No. 21 on our 25-under-25 list, thanks to his impressive balance and finesse moves in a traditional power skill-set. Brandon Clarke being on this list might be a surprise to the casual observer. There’s a lot of young talent in the NBA right now, and spending one of our 25
Is Jaren Jackson Jr. the NBA’s next great unicorn big man, or is he the second coming of Myles Turner? Every time a 3-point-shooting, shot-blocking big man comes into the NBA, he instantly gets slapped with the “unicorn” label. Memphis Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. is among the latest examples. The No. 4 pick
Ja Morant is the Memphis Grizzlies‘ latest superhero but with great power comes great responsibility. I am watching Into the Spider-Verse and thinking about Ja Morant. I am watching Into the Spider-Verse and thinking about how with great power there must also come great responsibility. I am watching Into the Spider-Verse and thinking about great
Ja Morant led the Grizzlies to a surprising playoff berth last season, but the odds are stacked against Memphis replicating that feat. The Grit N’ Grind era is over in Memphis, but Ja Morant gives the Grizzlies more star power than ever before. This season might be too soon for Morant to lead his young
Joe Harris could help out several contenders this offseason. Some might derisively call Brooklyn Nets sharpshooter Joe Harris a one-trick pony, but his one trick is so impressive that it’s allowed to be a reliable scoring presence on a team that has made the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. Harris will be
Ben Simmons, #25, Philadelphia 76ers, (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) A rash of significant knee injuries in the NBA may have an impact on not only the playoff picture but also next season as well. The injury bug bit again in the NBA this past week with three more players expected to miss a good
Giannis Antetokounmpo’s one-game suspension could have a big impact on the Western Conference playoff picture. After being ejected for a headbutt on Moritz Wagner Tuesday night, Giannis Antetokounmpo has officially been suspended by the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks‘ final seeding game on Thursday. This one-game suspension may seem inconsequential for a Bucks squad that’s
The Memphis Grizzlies and Phoenix Suns won to keep playoff hopes alive. The only NBA playoff spot that’s not currently locked in is the 8-seed in the Western Conference. On Thursday, four key matchups will ultimately decide which two teams will be competing in the league’s play-in game(s), which will pit the current 8-seed against
Morant is a beast in more ways than one. Even though the Memphis Grizzlies have struggled in the NBA bubble, rookie Ja Morant has been playing like a seasoned pro. If that wasn’t impressive enough, Morant revealed that he has been playing with a broken thumb on his shooting hand after the Grizzlies lost the
Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers, (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) Injuries are an inevitable part of sports, but a recent slew may hinder three NBA teams from reaching the playoffs. The NBA is about to resume officially sanctioned games with 22 of the league’s 30 teams vying for a playoff spot. As of now, 12 teams
Predicting the Lakers’ final 8 games of the season by John Likanje Ja Morant (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) Ja Morant has an idea for a new jersey amid the NBA’s new policy allowing player to promote social issues. A new NBA policy that will reportedly allow players to support a social justice
Basketball is back, baby. Well, sorta. OK, actually, not really. But they’re talking about it. Finally. Beyond that, they’re apparently making true, meaningful progress. And although the NBA is circling through potential scenarios — bubble games, re-seeding, ignoring conferences, etc. — there’s a very real chance that this shindig gets underway by mid-July. To celebrate
As Basketball Insiders has continued its “Looking Back” series, it was only a matter of time until we crossed the double digits. Now that time has come. Today we are taking a look at how all of the tenth overall picks since 2009 have fared in the NBA. As you probably know, as the lottery
Last week, Basketball Insiders dove into NBA nostalgia by looking back at previous NBA drafts of recent memory, starting from 2014 all the way to 2017. Over the next two weeks, we’re going to be changing the formula up a tad. Instead of looking at entire drafts, we’re looking at the individual picks – starting
In the NBA world right now, everybody is doing what they can to stay entertained. We’re tuning into The Last Dance every Sunday. We’re squeezing every detail we can get out of this supposed rift in Utah right now between Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. We’re trying to figure out what’s the aptest solution for
Last week, Basketball Insiders ranked who was the best of the best of each position in the NBA, including executives. This week, Basketball Insiders is taking a look at who are among the most underrated executives in the NBA. What makes an executive underrated? It’s actually a pretty loaded question. Their work may have led
Last week, Basketball Insiders ranked who was the best of the best of each position in the NBA, including executives. This week, Basketball Insiders is taking a look at who are among the most underrated executives in the NBA. What makes an executive underrated? It’s actually a pretty loaded question. Their work may have led
This week, Basketball Insiders is taking a look at various positions among players in the NBA and ranking who is the best of the best. Our writers have previously used very specific guidelines to rank the best players by position in the NBA. Today, we’re taking a look at the point guards. The floor generals.
It may seem like it, but, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the NBA world never truly stopped turning, even Bodog Canada is still running. Yes, in a time of some much-needed, sports-related distraction, the play has been put on hold. But the Association has continued to chug along as the draft and free
Basketball is back! Well, technically – 16 NBA players will be playing basketball. Online. In a video game. Hey, that still counts, right? Along with a few shining moments of optimism, the sporting world is slightly less of a barren hellscape than it was a week ago – even though the rest of the planet
The Rockets belong to Russell Westbrook now, but that’s not the only thing we learned from the 2019-20 NBA season. As we wait for whatever is to come of the 2019-20 NBA season, even a momentary pause will leave certain moments and breakthroughs from the season as a memory and conversation to cherish while we
A couple of days ago, the Warriors recalled Stephen Curry from their G League affiliate in Santa Cruz, which cued loads of jokes from NBA Twitter. Needless to say, the sport is better when it has one of its biggest icons back and healthy following a prolonged stint on the sideline. The Warriors may have
Dennis Smith Jr. sits at his locker, checking his phone and listening to music before most games. He’s available to the press in the locker room more than most Knicks, but he’s looked increasingly forlorn. It wasn’t supposed to go like this. “I’m thinking exactly what you’re thinking,” Smith Jr. told Basketball Insiders. “I had
LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of his generation and arguably of all-time. No matter how old he is or how many miles he has on those tires — 48,014 minutes total as of Feb. 20, good for eighth-most all-time among NBA players =- he is not to be underestimated. The Los Angeles Lakers
LeBron James is the greatest basketball player of his generation and arguably of all-time. No matter how old he is or how many miles he has on those tires — 48,014 minutes total as of Feb. 20, good for eighth-most all-time among NBA players =- he is not to be underestimated. The Los Angeles Lakers
Damian Lillard and Ja Morant raised each other over and over again as their teams battled for a crucial win and playoff position. With the Grizzlies and Trail Blazers engaged in a battle for the last playoff spot in the Western Conference, Wednesday night’s game held all sort of significance. What normally might have been a
Andre Iguodala only wants the Grizzlies to trade him to one of a handful of teams. The simple truth is that Memphis doesn’t owe him that courtesy. When the Grizzlies acquired Andre Iguodala this summer he made it very clear he didn’t to play a single minute of basketball for his new team. That decision