Are Ja Morant's Memphis Grizzlies title favorites?
When looking at the fast-approaching NBA playoffs, it's hard to pick a clear-cut favorite.
The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks are just fourth in the East. The Brooklyn Nets are struggling — though they did get Kevin Durant back on Thursday. The Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls are all showing promising signs, yet all possess flaws as well.
And in the West, the Phoenix Suns are currently without Chris Paul, while the Golden State Warriors have lost seven of their last nine games.
With all of this in mind, has the door opened for a potential surprise team to march all the way to a championship? Skip Bayless thinks so, and he outlined who it might be on his podcast, "The Skip Bayless Show."
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Skip Bayless reveals why he's picking Ja Morant and the Memphis Grizzlies to come out of the Western Conference and win the NBA Finals.
"I'm picking Memphis. I've loved them for two months," he said. "I've said it repeatedly on "Undisputed." Obviously, Ja Morant has literally skyrocketed into super-stardom. He has become a human highlight film, à la Dominique [Wilkins] back in the 80s, on a nightly basis. Ja-dropping.
"They're taking off. They're growing up right before your very eyes. They've won eight of 10. They've almost caught Golden State. … I love the toughness and presence that Steven Adams has brought them. And they're about to get Dillon Brooks back. As you know, he's a ferocious defender, he's a tough guy of the highest level. He will bring them even more competitiveness, even more fight, even more swagger."
The Grizzlies enter Friday's action in third place in the West at 43-21. They're only middle of the pack in the NBA when it comes to defense, allowing 109.2 PPG (15th), but their offense is dazzling, dropping 113.8 PPG (third in NBA).
Morant is the engine behind that offense, as the 22-year-old is averaging 27.8 PPG and shooting just under 50% from the field (49.6%) in his third NBA season. And while he's not yet a great 3-point shooter (34.3%), he continues to improve in that area as well.
"He works so hard in the offseason to improve his shooting, and he improved it," Bayless said. "He can now launch … those logo 3s, à la Steph [Curry] and Dame [Lillard], to swing momentum."
Morant has also shown a flair for the dramatic, playing the game with an unbridled joy — and complete lack of fear — that has dazzled fans on a nightly basis.
"He's got guts, he's got courage, he's got attack mentality. He is afraid of nobody," Bayless said. "This team is afraid of no other team. If I had to pick it, and you could say it's the longest shot I could imagine, right now my eye test is telling me I like Memphis more than I like anybody else."
Morant is a dazzling player, and the Grizzlies are battling near the top of the Western Conference playoff race. But will regular-season success translate into the playoffs? Bayless is convinced.
"This team is legit," he said.
You can watch the "The Skip Bayless Show" on YouTube or subscribe on podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts.