Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is one of the most exciting players in the NBA today. Despite being just 6-foot-2, Morant is one of the league's best finishers, and he is also a daredevil who is not afraid to venture into the land of the giants by aggressively attacking the basket.
Ja's style of play has been compared to Derrick Rose , specifically the pre-injury D-Rose, who took the league by storm and became the youngest player to win the NBA's MVP award. Rose's former Chicago Bulls teammate and 2014 NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner, Joakim Noah , agrees that there are similarities between the two athletic guards.
“I think so,” he began . “I see it. I see a lot of similarities. They’re definitely hood favorites. It’s cool. I think there’s similarities in their explosiveness. Physically, I think D-Rose is a little bit more explosive. There’s definitely differences in their game.”
Their numbers are almost the same too
If there's anyone who knows Rose well, it is Joakim, who saw the 2011 NBA MVP from the start of his career to his peak and also his decline. Noah and D-Rose were teammates for eight seasons, and they were supposed to be Chicago's next great duo after Jordan and Pippen.
Rose averaged 21.8 points and 6.8 assists per game before his injury, including a 25-4-7 season in 2010-11, during which he won MVP honors. Meanwhile, Ja averaged 22.5 PPG and 7.4 APG in five NBA seasons.
Like Rose, Morant is a shifty point guard whose style involves attacking the rim rather than shooting three-pointers. Both can finish with both hands in traffic, but as Noah noted, perhaps the most striking resemblance is the explosiveness that helps them get to the basket and finish strong.
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Morant and Rose are currently teammates at Memphis
Interestingly, Ja and D-Rose ended up becoming teammates in Memphis after Rose signed a two-year $6.5 million deal to play for the Grizzlies in 2023. Many thought that the organization brought in the youngest MVP to play a mentor role to Morant, but he said he came for more than just watching Ja grow .
"Look, I'm not here to babysit," Rose said . "I'm not here to babysit, micromanage, or anything. I'm not here to be a plant, a plant in the locker room, or any of that. I'm here to help guys win. I'm not here to steal minutes. I'm not here to steal nobody's job. I'm here to win. Once again. I'm here to show that I still have a lot left in the tank."
Injuries limited Rose to only 24 games last season, but he was still good for 8.0 points and 3.3 assists per game when he was healthy. Ja's return was also cut short by injuries, and he ended up suiting up for just nine games. With the former Bulls guard now serving as a "mentor from the shadows," it’s hard not to think the two have exchanged notes, and we'll see if that influence shows when Morant graces the court next campaign.
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