Height helps when playing basketball, but it’s not everything. While many amazing players have managed to be tall, there are many shorter guards who have excelled as well. Ja Morant, is a larger guard who still manages to be quick, speedy, and incredibly fun to watch.
This article will look at Ja Morant’s height in relation to the rest of the league. That comparison will show, not just how he stacks up to similar guards, but how much his size and athleticism have played a role in his recent success.
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Ja Morant’s Height
Ja Morant stands at six foot three. That might be tall when looking at a regular player, but it’s on the smaller side in a league where the average height sits right around 6’6.
He’s not someone you’d expect to be able to mix it up in the paint or jump over people. Yet, he does just that.
Morant relies heavily on his inherent athleticism (in addition to his incredible shooting and basketball IQ) to run the Grizzlies offense. He has an incredibly high 44-inch vertical, which enables him to play like a much larger player without losing any of his quickness.
How Does He Stack Up Against Point Guards?
Back in the day, a 6’3 point guard would have been quite large. However, the position’s average height has only increased with each passing season.
For the 2021-2022 season point guards in the NBA stand at an average of 6’2. That makes Morant above a lot of his competition.
Though he’s far below the 6’9 Ben Simmons, he’s still taller than other superstars like Damien Lillard, Stephen Curry, and Kyrie Irving. He’s also the same height as C.J McCollum, Goran Dragic, Gary Payton II, and Jrue Holiday.
That list shows two things. Not only do you not have to be big to be a point guard, you don’t have to be big compared to the rest of the league. As long as Morant stands as tall or taller than his competition, he can play defense and score with ease.
Height is Just a Number
Morant is not a monster with a lot of size and power, but he doesn’t need it when running the point. Where many positions rely on bulk, the one is the only where you can get away with being undersized. That’s because there’s a huge reliance on IQ and shooting.
A point guard like Steph Curry isn’t going to be on the block. He also isn’t going to do a lot in terms of rebounding or constantly crashing the glass. Despite that, he is one of the best players to ever play the game because he does such a good job at stretching the floor.
Morant is still someone who has a good amount of explosiveness thanks to his vertical and strength. He can drive hard to the rim when needed, and isn’t afraid to go up for a tough rebound every now and then.
There have been a variety of solid starting point guards who are much smaller than Morant too. Isaiah Thomas, Nate Robinson and Muggsy Bogues were all 5’10 or shorter, and they had long, successful careers.
Final Words
Ja Morant is not the tallest player in the game, nor is he the tallest point guard.
Despite that, his 6’3, 174 pound frame perfectly complements his playstyle. He’s an outside shooter who gets to the basket with a variety of crafty moves and fancy layups.
He also passes well and stands above many of the best point guards in the NBA. Taking all of that into consideration, his height is nearly irrelevant to how he plays the game.
Sure, he won’t be blocking centers anytime soon, but with his scoring abilities, he simply doesn’t have to.
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