With Ja Morant missing almost all of last season due to suspension and injury (playing just 9 games), he found himself a bit outside the conversation for top point guards in the NBA coming into the 2024-25 season. It was a lost season for both Morant and the Grizzlies last year, and both player and team are looking to remind the NBA of their talents early this season.
While it’s been an up-and-down start to the year, Morant has offered reminders of his unique brilliance with highlight reel plays that only he produces right now in the NBA. On Monday night in Brooklyn he offered up a pair of outrageous finishes as he was strong on the B-button with two 360 layups against the Nets. The first came on a drive against Nic Claxton, where Morant jumped in the air and spun all the way across the lane for a silky finish with his left. The second was even more spontaneous, as Morant went up thinking about a poster dunk on Cam Johnson before changing his mind for another spinning lefty layup, changing hands in mid-air.
It’s a pair of plays that perfectly encapsulate Morant’s singular ability as a high-flying guard. The first is so smooth as he just glides effortlessly through the air, while the second started with him thinking power but he had the time and ability to change his plan (and hands) mid-flight for the finish.
