For those who didn’t see Ja Morant’s superstar turn coming this quickly, don’t feel bad—neither did the defenders who are paid to stay in front of the springy point guard.
On Monday, the Memphis floor general notched 52 points in a win over the Spurs—marking the first 50-point game in Grizzlies franchise history—a showing that came one game after Morant had tallied a career-best 46 points on the road against a first-place Chicago Bulls club.
In the midst of his ascent, there’s one unstoppable play the first-time All-Star has made better use of than anyone else in the league. Specifically, when defenses try to step up and seal off his path to the basket with two men near the top of the arc, the slippery Morant detours on a dime by splitting the duo while racing toward the basket.
