It's only preseason, but you can already get the sense that Ja Morant won't be the egotistical problem many portrayed him to be. That applies off the court as much as on the court.
Admittedly, that doesn't change the fact that it's an imperfect fit due to concerns surrounding floor spacing and positional size. Still, considering how little the Blazers gave up to acquire Morant, they don't need him to be anything more than a solid role player to return value on this trade.
I think that's what got lost with this trade and the narrative surrounding Morant. He's immediately stood out as one of the most unselfish players on this entire roster. To the point where Morant has already said his new teammates have encouraged him to be more aggressive. He was playing too passively, worried too much about fitting in.
It's going to be a balance this season for the Blazers, as they certainly want some of that swagger or edge that Morant plays with. But the key will be channeling that energy into a lessened role than the star one he was accustomed to being in Memphis.
Ja Morant is already proving he can be the role player Blazers need
So far, the scalability of Morant's role doesn't appear to be as much of a problem as many initially made it out to be. That's both through his words and actions. He's saying all the right things to give the sense that this fit will work in Portland. For instance, his comments about how it doesn't matter whether he's coming off the bench or starting, as that goes away as long as this team is winning.
Those have already translated to actions early on in preseason, the most pleasant surprise being Morant's willingness to pick up defensively. Maybe some of that is because he doesn't have to expend as much energy on the offensive end. Some of that could be attributed to the presumed chip he has on his shoulder after the Grizzlies essentially said this was no longer his team. Whatever the reason or motivation behind this Portland version of Morant, it's an encouraging sign that this pairing will work itself out.
Morant is rusty, needs reps, and is an imperfect fit in this backcourt. But when you look less through the lens of Morant, the former two-time All-Star, and more so through the lens of Morant, the player acquired for Jerami Grant and Kris Murray, it's much easier to get excited about this surprising offseason acquisition for Portland. That's largely thanks to his underappreciated willingness to buy into being a role player with unselfish playmaking and willing defense.
This change of scenery should do wonders for Morant when it comes to redefining his perception around the league. He's not this egocentric off-court problem some portrayed him to be in Memphis. He's an unselfish role player making plays for others and hounding ball handlers in Portland. Blazers fans have caught on to that willingness early on, and it's only a matter of time before the rest of the league figures out the player Morant truly is. It's only going to make this trade look better for the Blazers.
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