Zion Williamson was perhaps the most hyped No. 1 overall pick since LeBron James. The former Duke star is still getting his NBA feet wet, as he is averaged 19.6 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists in seven games this season.
Ja Morant, however, has been just as good, if not better. The No. 2 overall pick out of Murray State is averaging 17.3 points and 7.1 assists for Memphis (25-25), which is currently the No. 8 seed in the West.
If you were an NBA general manager and could have Williamson or Morant for the next seven to ten years, who would you take?
“I’d take Ja Morant,” ESPN NBA analyst Ryan Hollins said on Tiki & Tierney. “He’s fit, he shoots it well, he plays well from deep, he’s just as elite as an athlete, and he is a unicorn at the point guard position.”
Morant, only 20, is an athletic freak who can dunk on you but also beat you from the three-point line. He is shooting 38.5 percent from three and 78.1 percent from the foul line. Morant is also adept at making plays for other, as he ranks 12th in assists per game.
Did we mention he’s only 20?
“Guys, the only ones we can compare him to athletically is, what, Russell Westbrook?” Hollins said. “We’ve got to start searching. And he’s got a handle like Jamal Crawford? And he’s a dog, too? I didn’t know he was a dog.”