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Iman Shumpert outlines how Ja Morant can make his second All-NBA team, ‘I don’t want to…’

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Jonah Kubicek | Last updated Aug 3, 2025 5:46 PM ET

Ja Morant can be one of the very best players in the NBA, but injuries and suspensions have held him back, although one former player thinks he can get back to the top this year.

Immediately after drafting Ja Morant second overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, it was clear that the Memphis Grizzlies had the next face of the franchise on their hands.

Zion Williamson, RJ Barrett, De’Andre Hunter, and Darius Garland rounded out the top five, and while Williamson and Garland have been All-Stars, neither of them is the centerpiece of a team with playoff hopes. Morant is.

Injuries and off-court issues have slowed Morant down, but in his last two (mostly) healthy seasons, he averaged 26.8 points and 7.4 assists, looking like one of the best guards in the NBA.

With Tuomas Iisalo taking over as head coach, at least one former player thinks Morant can get back to that level of production.

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One thing will determine Ja Morant’s success

When Morant is healthy and locked in, he can look like a combination of Dwyane Wade, Russell Westbrook, and Kyrie Irving. The only issue is that outings like that are few and far between, and the Grizzlies have not won a playoff series in the last three seasons.

Granted, Morant has dealt with injuries and suspensions during that timeframe, limiting the team’s success.

According to Iman Shumpert, Morant’s health is the only thing holding him back from making the second All-NBA team of his career.

“Ja Morant could be happy, he could be sad, he could be crying,” listed Shumpert. “I don’t care what he is. It’s going to be All-NBA. When you talk about somebody who’s that athletic, the only thing that can stop it is, I don’t even want to say it. I don’t want to jinx it!”

Shumpert didn’t want to say the “I-word,” although injuries have taken a toll on both Morant’s and the Grizzlies’ success. However, after a long offseason where he is seemingly healthy, Morant could have a bounce-back season.

Morant is primed to take over for the Grizzlies

With Morant missing time last season and the year prior, Desmond Bane took over as an elite floor-spacer and scorer. In a vacuum, a core of Bane, Morant, and Jaren Jackson Jr. should be good enough to compete, although Bane was traded to the Orlando Magic this summer.

With Bane out of town and Morant seemingly healthy, the Grizzlies can’t catch a break. Jackson Jr. will struggle to start the season as he recovers from a toe injury, leaving Morant the only star in Iisalo’s lineups.

In the loaded Western Conference, Morant alone is unlikely to get the Grizzlies into the postseason without going through the play-in tournament, but he could post elite individual numbers, like Shumpert predicted.

On top of that, after this season, Morant can sign a massive extension worth up to $125 million, keeping him in Memphis through 2029-20. However, in order for him to secure that money, he has to prove to the team that he is a viable star to build around.

With a new offensive scheme seemingly poised to get the most out of him, the ball is in Morant’s court, and if he can stay on the floor, it’s hard not to see Shumpert’s prediction come true.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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