Draymond Green has an MVP contender on his team (Stephen Curry) and some coaches like Quin Snyder think he should be one himself. However, it is the claims of an adversary, possibly a rival, that Green mentioned in his podcast “The Draymond Green Show” this week: Ja Morant.
Asked to comment on the Memphis Grizzlies point guard’s chances of winning the MIP trophy, Draymond Green explained:
“Is Ja Morant going to be MIP? No, there’s no way. Miles Bridges should be MIP. I’m saying that because Ja didn’t just become Ja this year. We already knew last year that he was hot.
Has he progressed? Sure. We see that he spends his time working. The guys in his team follow him, that’s what I like the most about him. If I say that he will not be MIP, it is because in my eyes he has already passed that stage.
Let’s talk about the MVP instead. This is the category in which I feel it needs more mention. Since the start of the season, he’s been playing as an MVP and an All-Star Game holder.”
When Ja Morant fails a kid with the Warriors jersey
What makes Morant strong, according to Green, isn’t just that he’s athletically gifted. His basketball IQ and understanding of the game are at least as important.
“I consider myself one of the smartest players in the NBA. With Ja Morant, it’s like when I play against LeBron James or Chris Paul. Every possession is a game of chess. There are looks because he’s trying to see where you are on the pitch to figure out what you’re going to do on defense.
I’m not saying Ja is already at the level of a LeBron or a CP3 mentally, but he has the potential to get there.”
