Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant experienced a breakout campaign last season. In 2022-23, he has taken things to the next level.
The 23-year-old has gone from contending for the league’s ‘Most Improved’ crown to being a legitimate frontrunner to win MVP.
As one of the new faces of the NBA, Morant has a certain perspective on the game that few others do.
Recently, he delved into a very interesting topic: who his favorite player in the league is.
“[Bones Hyland] my fav player rn. Bro be too turnt & he da goodz,” Morant tweeted out.
The love for Hyland makes sense. So far this season he is averaging 13.6 points per game on 41.7 percent shooting from the field and 41.7 percent shooting from three.
That is notably higher than the 11.3 points per game Hyland averaged one year earlier out of college.
Due in no small part to Hyland’s growth as a player, the Denver Nuggets are currently 28-13 and sit atop the Western Conference.
The Grizzlies are right there with them, though – also boasting a 28-13 mark through 41 games.
With the way things are looking now, it wouldn’t be particularly shocking to see Morant and Hyland square off in the Western Conference Finals this year.
If it feels like Morant has been very out and about lately, it’s because he has been.
Between revealing who he believes to be the best team in the league, dropping his bold new logo, speaking his truth on Derrick Rose’s legacy and delivering a wild message to Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson – the 23-year-old has displayed precisely zero chill.
It’s down to a 2-team race for Cam Reddish at this point. https://t.co/6LiN73OJqW
— Game 7 (@game7__) January 12, 2023
This is going to be a big year for Morant. He already carries a lot of weight in the NBA.
But if he wins a chip in 2023?
That will take his star power to a whole new level.
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Jennifer Withers Hoey is a former Business Development Manager who transitioned to writing about sports. With valuable connections all over the West Coast, she has used those contacts to break some of the most interesting stories pertaining to the Portland Trail Blazers, Oregon Ducks, LA Lakers, LA Clippers, Seattle Supersonics (RIP), and more.
