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A closer look into how the Portland Trail Blazers contained Ja Morant

By Marlow Ferguson Jr.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - JULY 31: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies dribbles during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at The Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on July 31, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA - JULY 31: Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies dribbles during the first half against the Portland Trail Blazers at The Arena at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on July 31, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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Portland Trail Blazers
Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies (Photo by Brandon Dill/Getty Images) /

No. 3: What else helped the Blazers defend Morant? Luck.

It would be remiss of me to catalogue the tactics and strategies the Portland Trail Blazers used to combat Ja Morant’s production without mentioning that it had assistance from one powerful ally: luck.

The defensive strategy was sound, but Morant missed a number of shots that he likely would have hit if he were in midseason form. That aforementioned layup on Anthony, and a few floaters in the paint highlight that point.

Consider it variance; Morant is on pace to become just the 20th rookie in NBA history to average 17 points per game on a true shooting percentage of at least 56 percent or higher. So, to expect him to continue to shoot the ball on 7-of-22 and 9-of-23 clips, as he did in the previous two matchups would be unwise. And this will be something to watch for, too.

Consider a few of Morant’s attempts in yesterday’s game. The Portland Trail Blazers put themselves in great position by bottling him up early, so as to plant the seed that he might be having an off night. At the same rate, Morant seemed to come up just short on a lot of attempts, which suggests that he might not have had his legs completely.

Still, Morant has what I like to refer to as the “Iverson-effect.” Even if his shot goes awry, the amount of fear he puts into an opponent makes him a possession-to-possession nightmare. He collapses defense like few rookie point guards are capable of, and on misses, the Grizzlies’ front court bigs are in prime position to crash the glass, à la Tyrone Hill and Dikembe Mutombo for those Philadelphia teams.

Morant shaking off his rust could be the difference between a 7-of-22 night and a 10-of-22 one, and the Blazers have to be prepared for this. To this point, Morant has shot 35.6 percent against Memphis, the second-worst among teams he’s played at least twice (Orlando is No. 1).

He’s too talented a player to stump from that statistic in the future. And if you needed another reason to watch their potential future matchup, there you have it.

Next. Conclusions from Portland's first bubble victory:. dark