When Ja Morant credited D-Rose for his success in the NBA

The modern NBA has led to more guards with good jump shot mechanics leading the way to success. Stephen Curry has been at the forefront as the dominant shooter with four championships as he changed the sport of basketball to make shooting the focal point of the offense.

Despite how rampant shooting is, some players buck the trend. One of those players is Ja Morant, who is not reliant on his jump shooting because he is an athletic freak. He could dunk over any player with his leaping ability and out-pace everyone with his speed. While he is not a great shooter, Ja has become a star player, a notion he could not have earned because of Derrick Rose’s rise.

“He really made it to where people believe in guys like me. Coming in, athletic guards, I felt like he was pretty much the one who kind of made it more famous,” Ja said after playing against Rose and the Knicks in 2022. “With how acrobatic his finish is, his touch around the rim, and how explosive he was. Coming in, he was my comparison. It’s crazy to be out there on the floor sharing a court with him.”

Rose was the prototypical elite athletic guard

After getting drafted in 2008, D-Rose became the optimal athletic guard. He could out-jump everyone on the court, but he still had a good feel for the game that an elite point guard should have. Russell Westbrook arguably surpassed him as the 2010s progressed, but D-Rose was the initial example of an athletic guard leading a team.

Some can bring up a name like Steve Francis, but he was different from the high-level playmaker a team wanted. He was more of an explosive scorer who fit well as the undersized shooting guard. That was not the case with Rose because he knew he was a point guard, and he tailored his game around that and then supplemented it with his elite physical traits.

The same can be said about Morant because he is another elite athlete. However, his natural floor general abilities make him one of the best in the league.

Morant can still improve

At only 25 years old, Morant still has room to improve and become a bigger star. Most people know he is a dynamic offensive player with his playmaking and ability to get to the rim, but improvements in his shooting could make him unguardable.

Rose is a good example for Morant to keep looking at because he encountered problems when teams started to clue in on him not being the best shooter. Since Rose himself is on the Grizzlies bench as a role player, they can keep working together and figuring out what needs to be fixed.

Related: Will the Grizzlies have their revenge against Dillon Brooks?