Morant, playing peacemaker, steps toward James but is unable to contain his grin. Even Shaquille ONeal is a regular customer to get a custom piece from Dang. presentation-ready copies of Toronto Star content for distribution Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In the 1990s, the tactic became more prevalent again. "You increase your pickup point and then retreat, obviously. SALT LAKE CITY (AP) Keldon Johnson scored 25 points and San Antonio beat Utah to snap a 16-game losing streak. On any given weekend at a lounge, bar or gathering in Memphis, a room of people could end up rapping in unison:Johnny did these teeth, whole lotta cheese for these VVS," a nod tothe song "Tick"by Memphis rapper Big Homiie G. Morant himself referenced the line in an Instagram post that showed off his smile from the All-Star Game press conference. In the end, this new use of one of basketball's oldest moves highlights the intelligence and ingenuity of the game's best players. So what was Ja Morant doing? I dont know, and hopefully I can meet all these people in a non-elevator disaster scenario so I never have to find out. "All of us on our team pretty much grew up watching [James] play," Morant says later. But the best part about his game is despite his 63 height and 174 pound frame (which is skinny for the NBA), he plays like Allen Iverson, Kevin Garnett and Reggie Miller, tough. Austin Reaves had 17, while matching his season high with four 3-pointers. - The Ringer NBA Sports Ja Morant Is the NBAs First-Week MVP. WebJa Morant and LeBron James face off in a matchup of two of the league's top scorers when Memphis and Los Angeles hit the court. Ja Morant had already blessed the NBA evening with an all-time highlight once his astounding, above-the-box chasedown block on Bennedict Mathurin was ruled It is said that Ja Morants vertical jump is now 48 inches. That includes a last-second game winner in Phoenix that Morant banked in after driving and contorting his body in traffic. "It's funny, Trae [Young] was doing it against the Knicks in the playoffs a couple of years ago," Paul says. Yes, Morant could use his speed to run circles around the all-Williamson team, but Team Zion (6-7, 275) could simply run the patented Virginia/Wisconsin pack-line defense and take their chances. We like hanging around each other, and it translates.". In just over half of a season, this year's figures already blow those out of the water. Morant went to the bench with 4:40 left to a huge ovation and teammates telling him how close he was to a triple-double. So if you also want the secret to the Ja Morant workout and the Ja Morant diet plan, keep reading. INSIDE THE GRIZZLIES' ARENA, players are prepping for the first leg of a back-to-back against the San Antonio Spurs in November. Newspapers Limited, 8 Spadina Avenue, 10th Floor, Toronto, ON M5V 0S8. Dario Saric, a reserve forward/center the Thunder acquired in a trade with Phoenix before the All-Star break, had a season-high 21 points. You will see him there doing all the things that I have mentioned. Still in uniform. Morant recently tweeted a video featuring his highlights with commentary "nah this tough" and a fire emoji. I cant give advice much on the court workout with the ball, and I suggest you join a professional gym or get a coach to figure things out for you. Jrue Holiday had 14 points and eight assists for the Bucks, who went 10-0 in February and have passed Boston for the best record in the NBA. 525K views 11 months ago #nbahighlights #nba. Thunder rookie Jalen Williams matched a season high with 27 points. Morant scored 39 to go with 10 rebounds and 10 assists and he did the most damage in a The images were shared primarily among fellow county employees, however, some were seen by spouses of workers at the site, one person showed the photos to people he spoke with at an awards banquet, and in another case the photos were shared with a bartender at a bar where a deputy was drinking. However, multiple league sources say there are no plans to alter any clock rules in the fourth quarter or otherwise. I don't know what went into that. Williams missed his two free throws, but the foul call crushed the Nuggets' momentum, and the Celtics won easily. Morant scored 39 to go with 10 rebounds and 10 assists and he did the most damage in a sublime third quarter in which he relentlessly attacked a rotation of Lakers But Minhaj wanted trash talk which Minhaj wrote for Antetokounmpo targeting Luka Doncic, Nikola Joki, Kevin Durant and LeBron James. Youd think NFL scouts and coaches would have learned their lesson by now and stop knocking players for not having the best physical measurements. His defender, Ben Simmons, suddenly closes on him and lunges at the ball, looking for a steal -- but he's too late. The detonation set off NBA Twitter. 22 HOURS AGO ASSOCIATED PRESS. As sensational as Morant has been, averaging 26.4 points and 6.8 assists per game, the Grizzlies are not a one-man show. Nevertheless, if youre a small guy around the 60 or so range, this just tells you that you can make great plays at your height with he proper vertical jumping ability. Ja Morant had already blessed the NBA evening with an all-time highlight once his astounding, above-the-box chasedown block on Bennedict Mathurin was ruled legal. "I'll never forget watching the game, and one of the commentators was talking so bad about it. It's late October, and the Grizzlies lead the Nets by six with four minutes left when Memphis forward Santi Aldama softly rolls the This is something not many peoples can do even if they have 40+ inch vertical leaps. Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr. was seen one game giving Dang, who was sitting directly behind the bench, his phone number. To order In a 2020 YouTube video with Dang, Morant was asked whetherhe would wear the grill in a game. Adding Durant to Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton should make the Suns a contender in a West that feels wide open (even with Denver pulling away from the pack). Update: If youve been watching the 2022 NBA season and checking out Ja Morants updates on his workouts during the offseason, you probably also noticed that his vertical jump has increased. As the Grizzlies' lead swells to 17 early in the third quarter of the Jan. 9 game, the Lakers call timeout and Morant makes a detour to reply to a front-row fan who taunted him after a turnover the previous possession, several of his teammates strut and celebrate on the Crypto.com Arena court. That much was proved when Memphis went 10-2 while Morant was sidelined half of December because of a knee injury. The settlement is subject to court approval, but it is rare that it is not granted in the case of a settlement. Thats probably going to go down as dunk of the year, Desmond Bane added. That same flash is applied off the court, as well. Dang's other clientele includesBeyonc, Jay Z, Kanye West, Kodak Black, Quavo and more artists and celebrities. As you would expect, hes an slightly below average 3 points shooter since hes able to dominate his defenders off the dribble and by jumping over them. "It's a game that we play, right?" Make Your Picks. Morant usually ends his pregame routine by playing dodgeball with the assistant coaches who run his workouts. Giannis Antetokounmpo (@Giannis_An34) has all the smoke for his NBA brethren Luka Doni, Nikola Joki, and Kevin Durant pic.twitter.com/76w5wk0RHN, The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) February 28, 2023. It's one of many times Morant has put a spotlight on what he considers slights to himself or his team, ranging from national commentary, or lack thereof, to random Twitter mentions. He'll leap out of the way instead of catching the ball if the inbounder throws it too hard in his direction. Would it be enough to save me from being the first one eaten? The NFL Combine will be televised quite a bit this weekend, and its always an interesting event to watch. If Morant finds himself inbounding, he'll play dumb and misplace the ball as the game clock keeps running. Check out the best vertical jump training programs here, Dwight Howard Vertical Jump Height & Workout, Michael Jordan Vertical Jump & Workout Program, Zach Lavine Vertical Jump Height & Workout Training, Shannon Brown Vertical Jump, Workout, Dunks & Height, LaMelo Ball Vertical Jump Height & Workout. Now, Paul stays alert to make sure his opponents don't use this against him. "They were way ahead of the times," says Jim Barnett, a forward who played on the Celtics in 1966-67 and went on to become a TV analyst. "It's a natural evolution of a team trying to take that next step," Curry said. Dario Saric, a reserve forward/center the Thunder acquired in a trade with Phoenix before the All-Star break, had a season-high 21 points. When it comes to 3-point field goal percentage, Morant is shooting 33.8 percent, while Williamson is knocking down 29.2 percent of his outside shots. "Whether you do it by physically overwhelming a team with talent [or] you can get a victory by just outthinking a team and beating them at the mental game. When Paul became a Rocket in 2017, in the Daryl Morey and Mike D'Antoni era, the guard's attention to detail dovetailed with the league's most analytics-friendly organization. The Grizzlies have walked the dog 34 times this season in crunch-time scenarios, wasting 5 minutes and 10 seconds of game clock. "After that, I mean, we were up by 25 or 30 points," Bane says, punctuating the sentence with laughter, "so I went over there and rested.". Morant only needs to maintain a slow walk to keep up as he scans the court, uncontested by any Nets defender. "Nah, he ain't hoopin'. Barton joins the Raptors after he was waived by the Wizards on Feb. 21. However, in the game, he could make spectacular dunks on a nightly basis (over defenders at that) while guys who have 40+ inch vertical are only able to dunk when left alone on the fast break. Have a question for next weeks Mailbag? Before Morant was a franchise-lifting No. This is so dumb. Thanks to his explosive vertical jump, speed and skill, Morant was named NBA Rookie of the Year and currently has averages of 18.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game while shooting 46% from field. Unsolicited, he addressed it again during postgame media availability. Unfortunately, whether this is true or not no one except Ja Morant himself can tell you. Instead, its a mixture of compound movements, functional exercises, The counterpoint would be: At what expense to your rhythm and your flow? "You are able to run some time off the clock. Bane matter-of-factly explains "that little ordeal at the free throw line that everybody saw" this way: It all started, he says, after he drove for an and-1 layup in the first half and got an extra bump and shove from James after the whistle. Charlotte's LaMelo Ball made news in 2020 when he purchased a custom VVS diamond grill similar to Morant, Clarke and Jackson's. I know they want to, too. About Saturday Down South | Ethics and Editorial Standards | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions | Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Other Conferences: Big Ten | ACC | Pac-12, A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 14 SEC football teams. Jones and Sam Jones would let the basketball roll past half court, especially when the Celtics played from behind -- saving time on the shot clock, which in turn freed up time to feed the ball to Russell. This just goes to show you that proper training will help you keep increasing your vertical jump even if you think youve reached your max. Also, who would you have to eat first when things turn south? The Memphis Grizzlies have announced that star point guard Ja Morant will miss Wednesday's game vs. the Brooklyn Nets with right knee soreness. Thats not as effective in a very physical game like the NBA because you have to rely on more skill. Much of Memphis' chippiness is rooted in a roster loaded with players who delight in proving projections wrong. All Ja saw daylight. So on inbound plays, Celtics backcourt mates K.C. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Ja Morant scored 28 of his 39 points in the third quarter, had 10 assists and 10 rebounds and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles The tactic came to an extreme head in a late October game between the Nuggets and Celtics. Via Drew Hill of The Daily Memphian: "Ja Morant has returned to the Grizzlies bench. Still, having me and five other people in the elevator would be pretty cramped, so Ill have to be strategic with who I pick to be in there with me. Chaz NBA. Whistle. Antetokounmpo played along and it is classic. The Grizzlies are up 22 -- and with all due respect, they don't seem to be the least bit remorseful about provoking James. WHAT IS JA MORANT DOING? Ja Morant is a well-known player in the NBA league and is primarily known for that crazy bounce. So, it begs the question: Are the Grizzlies the iciest team in the league? The best part of this is just how uncomfortable Antetokounmpo is with it, this does not come naturally to him. You can be in dark, you can be in the light. Also, in the last pic, you can see that the proper box jumps now replace the tire drills. Ja Morant has a 44 inch vertical leap. The art of rolling the ball up the court on an inbound has quietly been a part of the game for seven decades. I know Im not an elite runner, but my goodness, I would hope I could beat this awful performance by ex-Oklahoma OL Orlando Brown: I have no basis for this, but I run five times a week and play rec soccer, so I think I could run in the 4.8 second range in the 40. Walking the dog is a simple way to facilitate this. The Toronto Star and thestar.com, each property of Toronto Star That broke open a close game and gave the Grizzlies a 93-84 advantage entering the fourth. Of course, there are days when Ja Morant would have some unhealthy meals, but he tries to eat as healthy as he can most of the weekfocusing on carbs before the game or practicing as he needs energy. This fast break ends with Morant getting fouled by Malik Monk, who gets turned around and backs into the Grizzlies point guard. Ja Morants vertical jump is one of the first things youll notice about his game. No disagreements here Michael Scott (and occasionally Michael Scarn) is the best manager ever, and one of the greatest characters in TV history. Doncic had 39 points and nine rebounds on his 24th birthday but fell to 1-4 in games with Kyrie Irving since the superstars were paired in a deal with Brooklyn before the trade deadline. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) Harrison Barnes scored 29 points and Sacramento beat Oklahoma City for its fourth consecutive victory. "They got maybe an extra four, five seconds in the backcourt before they touched the ball, and then they had a little extra time to operate.". He keeps letting the ball roll alongside him, knowing the 24-second shot clock won't start until he touches it -- burning precious game clock at the same time, almost 21 seconds now. The Memphis Grizzlies have walked the dog 34 times this season in crunch-time scenarios, wasting 5 minutes 10! Commentators was talking so bad about it scored 25 points and San Antonio beat Utah to snap a losing. Fourth consecutive victory, averaging 26.4 points and San Antonio Spurs in November proving projections.... You increase your pickup point and then retreat, obviously to get a custom VVS ja morant bench press similar. Matching his season high with four 3-pointers, while matching his season high 27! 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