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Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant is a promising NBA rookie for the 2019-2020 season. Jakob Ashlin analyzes his fantasy basketball draft value as a sleeper.
Position: PG
Team: Memphis Grizzlies
Draft Spot: 1.02
Analysis: JA Morant was clearly the best player in the 2019 draft class outside of Zion Williamson. In his sophomore season, he averaged 24.5 points, 10 assists, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.8 steals while shooting 49.9 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from three. Those numbers combined with his jaw-dropping athleticism and elite passing ability signal that Morant is a potential superstar at the next level. The only true "weakness" on his scouting report is the fact that he played in the Ohio Valley Conference. However, Morant still recorded a triple-double against Marquette in the NCAA tournament.
From a fantasy perspective, Morant has the largest potential workload of any lottery selection. The Grizzlies have made it clear that he is the new leader of the franchise. They even shipped off former franchise cornerstone Mike Conley to open up more minutes for Morant. The roster also lacks overall talent, so they will have no choice but to rely on Morant. With only two Grizzlies returning who averaged more than 10 points per game, Morant's scoring potential is very high. Nevertheless, Morant's best attribute is still his passing, and that is likely where he will initially shine. He should put up a good assist average in his rookie season and form a good connection with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jonas Valanciunas on the court.
Bottom line: Morant should get every opportunity to be an elite fantasy point guard in Memphis. His production is only reliant on how quickly he can acclimate himself to the NBA. Morant's situation in Memphis is reminiscent of Trae Young's in Atlanta last season. As with all rookies, Morant is still somewhat an unknown commodity, which gives him more risk than other point guards on the board. Nevertheless, the upside is definitely intriguing.
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