Temetrius "Ja" Morant

[CptCrunch]

if I had to rank the the PGs the last 3 drafts I had/have them like this:

Smith Jr. (not looking for me right now)
Fox
Garland
Morant
Sexton
Gilgeous-Alexander
Ball
Young

This would also double as a most athletic PG list outside of Garland.

Personally I'd go:

DSJ
Ball
Sexton
Morant
Fultz

For my top 5. HM to Fox at 6.

C'mon Mr Revisionist.

Fultz was awesome in college. It is clear as day.

Ball
Fultz
DSJ
Morant



Sexton

[doordoor123]

if I had to rank the the PGs the last 3 drafts I had/have them like this:

Smith Jr. (not looking for me right now)
Fox
Garland
Morant
Sexton
Gilgeous-Alexander
Ball
Young

This would also double as a most athletic PG list outside of Garland.

Personally I'd go:

DSJ
Ball
Sexton
Morant
Fultz

For my top 5. HM to Fox at 6.

C'mon Mr Revisionist.

Fultz was awesome in college. It is clear as day.

Ball
Fultz
DSJ
Morant



Sexton

Sexton
Fultz
Ball
DSJ
Morant

[E-Balla]

if I had to rank the the PGs the last 3 drafts I had/have them like this:

Smith Jr. (not looking for me right now)
Fox
Garland
Morant
Sexton
Gilgeous-Alexander
Ball
Young

This would also double as a most athletic PG list outside of Garland.

Personally I'd go:

DSJ
Ball
Sexton
Morant
Fultz

For my top 5. HM to Fox at 6.

C'mon Mr Revisionist.

Fultz was awesome in college. It is clear as day.

Ball
Fultz
DSJ
Morant



Sexton

It's not revisionist. Fultz wasn't awesome in college. He was a big PG with a great shot that sucked at everything else. When his DX video came out there was more discussion on how much his agent paid them than there was on how accurate it was to his game. He had major flaws and was the 4th best prospect at best IMO.

[clyde21]

if I had to rank the the PGs the last 3 drafts I had/have them like this:

Smith Jr. (not looking for me right now)
Fox
Garland
Morant
Sexton
Gilgeous-Alexander
Ball
Young

This would also double as a most athletic PG list outside of Garland.

Personally I'd go:

DSJ
Ball
Sexton
Morant
Fultz

For my top 5. HM to Fox at 6.

C'mon Mr Revisionist.

Fultz was awesome in college. It is clear as day.

Ball
Fultz
DSJ
Morant



Sexton

Wasn't a fan of Fultz, Ball or Young as prospects.

[Ball4life32]

Top 5 in no order

Fox
Trae
Fultz
Morant
Sexton

[The-Power]

Surprised about all the Sexton love. I had (and still have) him as a terrible PG prospect. As a scoring Guard off the bench he's a solid prospect I guess. But in no way do I want him to be the primary ballhandler on my team.

[doordoor123]

Surprised about all the Sexton love. I had (and still have) him as a terrible PG prospect. As a scoring Guard off the bench he's a solid prospect I guess. But in no way do I want him to be the primary ballhandler on my team.

I’ve been high on him from the start so I don’t know why you would be surprised. I’m still high on him and it’s funny because I don’t think his is a good system for him. When LeBron was there it was perfect for him because he needs to be on an iso-heavy team. Just like how Austin Rivers became better on the Rockets versus the Wizards, Sexton would be much better in another system. But at least he’s learning to play off-ball.

[doordoor123]

In terms of Morant, I think he’s kind of a bone-headed defender. Just bad instincts. He also rarely guards lead point guards on other teams and defends the off-guard. Probably because they need him on offense and don’t want him to waste his energy on defense, but still something to consider. His handle is also a little too high for me and it limits how quick he can run with the ball. I don’t really think he the shake and first step to beat anyone one-on-one in the NBA. A lot of his finesse moves come from in the lane or on a fastbreak. His finishing ability is elite though. I think he’s probably more of a 2-guard in the NBA. Reminds me of Will Barton when he first got to the NBA but developed and more athletic. Probably a late teens pick for me. I think Lonnie Walker was a better prospect and he was late teens. Actually kind of similar to Walker.

[The-Power]

Surprised about all the Sexton love. I had (and still have) him as a terrible PG prospect. As a scoring Guard off the bench he's a solid prospect I guess. But in no way do I want him to be the primary ballhandler on my team.

I’ve been high on him from the start so I don’t know why you would be surprised. I’m still high on him and it’s funny because I don’t think his is a good system for him. When LeBron was there it was perfect for him because he needs to be on an iso-heavy team. Just like how Austin Rivers became better on the Rockets versus the Wizards, Sexton would be much better in another system. But at least he’s learning to play off-ball.

Only 30% of his 2's are assisted, and 65% of his 3's. He gets plenty of opportunities to play his way. He has an incredibly high amount of pull-up J's for a Rookie and a good number of drives. He's just not efficient. Your idea of Sexton blossoming basically boils down to him being the key cog in an iso-system. An inefficient scorer with marginal passing skills can't be the primarmy ballhandler/decision maker in the NBA if your goal is to have an efficient. That profile sounds an awful lot more like a scorer off the bench than a lead Guard. Unless you're as good as James Harden, you're just not a good lead Guard prospect if you need to be the center of an isolation system.

[No-Man]

From the last 3 Drafts including this one, in terms of my pre-drafts thoughts re:Guards (PG/CGs)

Markelle Fultz
Trae Young



Dennis Smith Jr.
Lonzo Ball
Frank Ntilikina
Darius Garland


Donovan Mitchell
Malik Monk
De'Aaron Fox
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Zhaire Smith
Coby White
Talen Horton-Tucker
Ja Morant


Derrick White
De'Anthony Melton
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Luguentz Dort
Tre Jones
Élie-Franck Okobo
Collin Sexton
Aaron Holiday
Jalen Pickett
Ty Jerome

Safe to say I was low on Sexton, and I remain low, my biggest miss has been Fox and been too high on DSJ and Ntilikina, I think Jarrett Culver with his growth spurt doesn't really qualify as a Guard, but if you want to include him, he'd be right before Garland

Donovan Mitchell kinda surprised everybody but a few, I really liked him, but still not enough

If I had to rank them now, with hindsight;

Trae Young
De'Aaron Fox
Donovan Mitchell
Darius Garland


Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Lonzo Ball
Zhaire Smith
Coby White
Talen Horton-Tucker
Ja Morant
Dennis Smith Jr.


Derrick White
Frank Ntilikina
De'Anthony Melton
Malik Monk

I am still really all in on Trae

[Stillwater]

From the last 3 Drafts including this one, in terms of my pre-drafts thoughts re:Guards (PG/CGs)

Markelle Fultz
Trae Young





I am still really all in on Trae

I don't get at all stubborn people's facination with Young as a NBA player. His court vision is really good so he at least can out think the opponent but his mechanics combined with his small size make it impossible for him to achieve all star levels.

[doordoor123]

Surprised about all the Sexton love. I had (and still have) him as a terrible PG prospect. As a scoring Guard off the bench he's a solid prospect I guess. But in no way do I want him to be the primary ballhandler on my team.

I’ve been high on him from the start so I don’t know why you would be surprised. I’m still high on him and it’s funny because I don’t think his is a good system for him. When LeBron was there it was perfect for him because he needs to be on an iso-heavy team. Just like how Austin Rivers became better on the Rockets versus the Wizards, Sexton would be much better in another system. But at least he’s learning to play off-ball.

Only 30% of his 2's are assisted, and 65% of his 3's. He gets plenty of opportunities to play his way. He has an incredibly high amount of pull-up J's for a Rookie and a good number of drives. He's just not efficient. Your idea of Sexton blossoming basically boils down to him being the key cog in an iso-system. An inefficient scorer with marginal passing skills can't be the primarmy ballhandler/decision maker in the NBA if your goal is to have an efficient. That profile sounds an awful lot more like a scorer off the bench than a lead Guard. Unless you're as good as James Harden, you're just not a good lead Guard prospect if you need to be the center of an isolation system.

What you’re not doing is taking into account the level of competition he’s playing against. He’s not playing against NBA players or future NBA players most of the time. He’s physically bigger and more athletic than a lot of the players guarding him. If you watch how he drives and how he gets to the basket you can see how ridiculous it is that he even gets in the lane. Often off of a pick or when hes left with an open lane to the basket. To me he’s in the mold of Iman Shumpert or Will Barton. He has some dribble moves, but he has a high handle that will lead to turnovers.

Sexton plays with pace and has the ability to make great decisions. He might not pass as well as he sees the floor, but that will come with experience. And I disagree that he can’t become a primary ball-handler, he’s just on a team that wants to constantly move the ball because they don’t have any stars and that’s how their roster is built. He’s a scoring guard, but he can be a high-level scoring guard. Who he is as a person is very similar to DeAaron Fox. Super quick leaner and extremely motivated. These kind of players tend to have a lot of success. It was the same with Victor Oladipo and to a lesser extent Zach LaVine.

[KushComa]

In terms of Morant, I think he’s kind of a bone-headed defender. Just bad instincts. He also rarely guards lead point guards on other teams and defends the off-guard. Probably because they need him on offense and don’t want him to waste his energy on defense, but still something to consider. His handle is also a little too high for me and it limits how quick he can run with the ball. I don’t really think he the shake and first step to beat anyone one-on-one in the NBA. A lot of his finesse moves come from in the lane or on a fastbreak. His finishing ability is elite though. I think he’s probably more of a 2-guard in the NBA. Reminds me of Will Barton when he first got to the NBA but developed and more athletic. Probably a late teens pick for me. I think Lonnie Walker was a better prospect and he was late teens. Actually kind of similar to Walker.

The kid is averaging 10 assists a game and you see him as a 2 guard? Lonnie Walker is not even close to a better prospect. He does not have better ball handling, vision, or functional athleticism (rebounding and finishing) compared to Ja. So disrespectful.....

[doordoor123]

In terms of Morant, I think he’s kind of a bone-headed defender. Just bad instincts. He also rarely guards lead point guards on other teams and defends the off-guard. Probably because they need him on offense and don’t want him to waste his energy on defense, but still something to consider. His handle is also a little too high for me and it limits how quick he can run with the ball. I don’t really think he the shake and first step to beat anyone one-on-one in the NBA. A lot of his finesse moves come from in the lane or on a fastbreak. His finishing ability is elite though. I think he’s probably more of a 2-guard in the NBA. Reminds me of Will Barton when he first got to the NBA but developed and more athletic. Probably a late teens pick for me. I think Lonnie Walker was a better prospect and he was late teens. Actually kind of similar to Walker.

The kid is averaging 10 assists a game and you see him as a 2 guard? Lonnie Walker is not even close to a better prospect. He does not have better ball handling, vision, or functional athleticism (rebounding and finishing) compared to Ja. So disrespectful.....

How many turnovers does Morant have? His vision is average because most of his assists come from the top of the key and because of his high usage. Morant’s handle is barely better than Walkers, same with his vision. Walker is actually more functionally athletic, he’s a much better defender. And I showed evidence last year of Walker’s finishing ability, he can be an elite finisher with the kind of body control he has. You’re disrespecting all of the NBA by thinking he’s a better player than that. His selling point isn’t even his skill, it’s his upside.

[GimmeDat]

I think Morant is absolutely a PG. If we're going to attribute his assists to his high usage, then you can't hold his TO's against him. I think it's the same situation with Trae Young, you have that super usage/defensive attention caveat.

(Per 40)
Morant - 11.0 assists, 5.5 turnovers
Young - 9.8 assists, 5.9 turnovers

Now I don't think Morant is on the same level as Young as a passer, nor does Morant necessary possess the same gravity to create looks as Young does because of Young's shooting, but I do think he's a very good passer, and I do think he possesses a lot of gravity through his driving alone. Young is a very high benchmark for passing so I think for Morant to not be on his level is not to say he's not a PG level initiator/facilitator.

I also don't think Morant has the frame or size to really hang as a 2 guard anyway. He's a PG through and through in my books.

I am concerned about the defense though. He certainly has the tools, and he can make plays with athleticism, but we need to see engagement and understanding, and I don't think we're going to see that at the college level. The same thing was said about DSJ, and he has even worse measurements to compete with on that end, but supposedly now he's putting in the effort and making an impact on that end, so Morant certainly has the potential to do so. It's a bit hard to gauge Morant from the college level on that end of the floor but it's certainly worth keeping in mind that he has a low floor defensively that would throw in to question the fit with teams like Phoenix (Booker) or Chicago (Lavine).

[clyde21]

Lol Morant is a PG all the way.

[doordoor123]

Lol Morant is a PG all the way.

I’m saying he’s more of a SG as a slight, not because I think he can play the position. I’m saying he can’t play point guard at the NBA level and is positionless (in a bad way) right now. To me he needs to become a shooting guard because he can’t pass guys off the dribble. He’s a player that needs to be molded. I really don’t like the way he plays, it’s choppy and filled with holes. And for a point guard you can’t play like that. Developing his jumper as a 2-guard will make him a better player long-term.

[King Ken]

I think Morant is absolutely a PG. If we're going to attribute his assists to his high usage, then you can't hold his TO's against him. I think it's the same situation with Trae Young, you have that super usage/defensive attention caveat.

(Per 40)
Morant - 11.0 assists, 5.5 turnovers
Young - 9.8 assists, 5.9 turnovers

Now I don't think Morant is on the same level as Young as a passer, nor does Morant necessary possess the same gravity to create looks as Young does because of Young's shooting, but I do think he's a very good passer, and I do think he possesses a lot of gravity through his driving alone. Young is a very high benchmark for passing so I think for Morant to not be on his level is not to say he's not a PG level initiator/facilitator.

I also don't think Morant has the frame or size to really hang as a 2 guard anyway. He's a PG through and through in my books.

I am concerned about the defense though. He certainly has the tools, and he can make plays with athleticism, but we need to see engagement and understanding, and I don't think we're going to see that at the college level. The same thing was said about DSJ, and he has even worse measurements to compete with on that end, but supposedly now he's putting in the effort and making an impact on that end, so Morant certainly has the potential to do so. It's a bit hard to gauge Morant from the college level on that end of the floor but it's certainly worth keeping in mind that he has a low floor defensively that would throw in to question the fit with teams like Phoenix (Booker) or Chicago (Lavine).

I think it's fair to compare him to Fox. I think that's a similar prospect even if I think they are different players.

[Mulhollanddrive]

Morant is my most disliked prospect in a while.

If I'm building a PG I'm looking at NBA Level - Ball handling (<2 Assist:TO), Shooting (31% 3PT), Size (Weighs less than Trae Young) and Defense (As Discussed) and he's in his 2nd year.

I think he's a smaller Dennis Smith who went 9th.

Also rookie PGs very rarely add to winning until multiple years of experience so you're going backwards as an investment which only suits further tanking teams (Top 10 PGs last 5 drafts) Fultz, Ball, Fox, Ntilikina, Smith, Young, Sexton, Dunn, Russell, Mudiay, Murray, Burke - maybe only 1 or 2 are average starters.

[shakes0]

From the last 3 Drafts including this one, in terms of my pre-drafts thoughts re:Guards (PG/CGs)

Markelle Fultz
Trae Young





I am still really all in on Trae

I don't get at all stubborn people's facination with Young as a NBA player. His court vision is really good so he at least can out think the opponent but his mechanics combined with his small size make it impossible for him to achieve all star levels.

pretty odd coming from a Cavs fan since Young has lit your team up with all star quality performances in all 3 matchups. Destroyed Sexton so bad in the first two they wouldn't even let him guard Trae in matchup #3.