Temetrius Jamel Morant prefers to go by “Ja,” a shortened version of his middle name.
It sounds like “Jaw,” as in jaw-dropping, which coincidentally is a good way to describe the Murray State sophomore playmaker’s litany of YouTube highlights.
Matt Babcock, owner of the NBA-Draft focused website BabcockHoops.com, admits he wasn’t immediately sold on Morant’s potential as an NBA point guard. And then he scouted him in person late last month.
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“I’ve been sort of slow to warm, as far as hyping Ja up,” he said. “I wanted to make sure I saw him in person before I drank the Kool-Aid.”
He’s guzzling it now.
“The guy is just about as dynamic of a college player as I’ve ever seen,” Babcock said. “Seeing him in person, his skill set and his quickness and explosiveness; he’s got the toolbox that translates to the next level.”
To borrow a Deandre Ayton euphemism, don’t get it twisted: If the Suns wind up with the first overall pick in the NBA Draft for a second consecutive year, Duke freshman power forward Zion Williamson has to be their pick.
“I mean, they would be a physical force, wouldn’t they?” Babcock said of a Williamson-Ayton front-court pairing. “Zion is such a unique player. Adding Zion or Ja, it changes the course of your time quite a bit.”
The NBA Draft lottery is flattened this year, with each of the three worst teams having the same odds of getting the first pick – 14 percent. There is a nearly 50-50 chance the Suns could draft as low as fifth even if they finish with the league’s worst record.
And that’s where the Suns currently reside with a 13-51 mark.
The New York Knicks, who visit Phoenix this week, also have 13 wins but have one fewer loss. Entering Monday, Cleveland has 16 victories and sits third in the lotto-thon.
If the Suns end up with the first pick and draft Williamson, it would make sense that they find a point guard in free agency. Brooklyn’s D’Angelo Russell, a close buddy of Suns guard Devin Booker who will be a restricted free agent this summer, would fit the bill nicely.
But if the Suns aren’t drafting first, they could fill their biggest need by selecting a point guard. That’s where Morant comes in (and, yes, the Suns, despite a short-handed staff, have scouted Morant in games and practice).
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Most mock drafts have Morant near the top, but typically behind Duke small forward R.J. Barrett. The Suns don’t exactly need another wing. Babcock and his staff, all of whom have NBA scouting experience, rank Morant second in their latest mock draft behind only Williamson.
Babcock, it should be noted, is from a basketball family. His uncles Pete and Rob, who grew up in the west Phoenix Maryvale neighborhood, were NBA front office executives. Same with his dad, Dave, who is now director of player personnel for the Bucks and was the guy who pushed Milwaukee to draft an unknown Greek kid named Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Babcock loves Morant. He also had a chance to scout Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland, who suffered a meniscus injury in his knee, before Garland decided to shut down his only college season after five games to prepare for the draft. The 6-foot-2, 172-pound Garland is sixth in Babcockhoops.com’s mock.
“Both of those players would fit in nicely (with Phoenix),” Babcock said. “They’re slightly different as prospects. Garland is kind of a cool, calm, collected kind of guy. He really stretches the floor, shoots the ball well, but picks his spots.
“After seeing Ja, he separated himself, for me personally, as far as being ahead of Garland. I don’t think it’s a dramatic difference right now, but I think Morant’s upside is really, really high. Except for Zion, he’s right there (at the top of the draft).”
At 6 feet 3, 175 pounds, Morant has a slight build, but Babcock said he has a frame that can take on more muscle. And by all accounts Morant has the work ethic to do it. Former Cavaliers executive David Griffin has said Morant is “a stud as a player and he’s a stud as a human being, too.”
“I don’t see (his thin build) being an issue long term,” Babcock said. “Short term he might have some matchups where he gets bullied a little bit, but that’s nothing out of the ordinary for a young kid.”
Morant’s 10.3 assists per game leads NCAA Div. 1 players, more than two assists a game better than the next player on the list. He has 18 double-doubles and two triple-doubles. He’s the only guard among the top 30 in Div. 1 double-doubles. And his 24 points a game was ranked eighth in the Div. 1 as of this writing.
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Of course, Murray State is a mid-major in the Ohio Valley Conference. But the success players such as Stephen Curry (Atlantic 10) and Damian Lillard (Big Sky) have had in the NBA has largely allayed any fears about taking players from mid-majors.
Babcock said that the competition level can make evaluation more difficult, but Morant’s skil lset translates to the NBA. He said Morant needs to improve his perimeter shooting and will probably struggle on the defensive end initially. But he said Morant will be able to play immediately for, and improve, whichever team he goes to.
“He’s looking to make plays every single possession,” he said. “He’s not not quite the outside shooter he can be. It’s not a situation where he has a broken outside shot; it’s just not his strength. He’s got water-bug quickness. He’s all over the place. His court vision, his craftiness at the rim, he’s a threat to make a play every time down the floor.”
One of Morant’s best attributes is his ability to use his off hand. In fact, the right-handed Morant almost seems to prefer driving left.
“His handle and his passing and finishing ability with both hands is tremendous,” Babcock said. “He’s one of these kids you can tell works on his game a lot. And he goes to his left just as much if not more than he goes to his right. He’s incredible in the pick and roll. His court vision and his ability to deliver is there pretty much in all spots on the floor – pick-and-roll, in transition, isolation spots. He’s top-notch as far as a playmaker goes.
“The one thing is his outside shooting. He’s going to have to continue to develop that to make sure the floor stays spread for him to operate. But it’s not a huge concern. It’s just something he has to make a conscious effort to develop.”
The only real concern about Morant might be a function of the competition more than Morant. Babcock said he’s got “a little big of a selective motor.”
“He’s by far the best player in every game he’s in,” he said. “He’s probably not really challenged right now. So he picks and chooses his spots as far as turning it up. The competition does make it somewhat challenging evaluating a guy playing at a lower level, but at the same time, the kid’s good. You put him against anybody, and he’s an effective talent.”
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And Babcock said he’d be a great fit alongside Devin Booker, at least on the offensive end.
“The one issue, as I eluded to before, is (Morant) has a little bit of a selective motor. Defensively, he’s going to have some growing pains. Fundamentally he’s a little behind, and he really needs to apply himself defensively.
“I know defense isn’t where Devin hangs his hat, either. So they could have some frustrations early on at that end of the floor, but offensively that’s a backcourt that would be a lot of fun to watch.
“He’s definitely a talent that will help a team right off the bat. He’s capable of playing right away. There will be a lot of ups and downs. I’d expect something along the lines of what Trae Young is doing in Atlanta.
“He’s putting up big numbers, but there is a decent amount of turnovers. There’s some growing pains along the way but with some big games. That’s probably what I’d expect, regardless of which team he goes to.”
Babcock said Morant has the potential to be a score-first point guard, but he hopes that the Murray State star embraces the playmaking role more, regardless of the offensive scheme he plays within.
“His handle and natural feel as a playmaker is really elite,” he said. “He gets to the hole as much as he wants. And I think he’s a guy who will get to the line a lot. The thing that’s going to be interesting to see, the game I saw him last weekend, he was really trying to be a point guard and set up his guys. And I know, based on what I’ve seen on film, he’s had games where he’s really looking to shoot first.
“It will be interesting, and time will tell, what approach he takes, possibly depending on which team he lands on. I would hope he’ll be more of a true point guard because I think that’s where he’ll really be effective, balancing out the scoring and the playmaking. With this kid, I don’t see him being a guy who is limited to certain schemes. He’s really versatile. If a team is looking to upgrade at point guard, you can pretty much plug him in.”
(Photo: Brian Spurlock / USA Today Sports)