Over the weekend, news broke about the minor arthroscopic knee operation that Murray State point guard Ja Morant will undergo to remove loose bodies in his right knee. An operation that is expected to keep him out 3-4 weeks. It's called "minor" surgery for a reason and yet people have already started saying that Morant may no longer go #2 overall to the Memphis Grizzlies as a result.
Let me be really clear about something: The Grizzlies would be really stupid to not draft Morant because of his surgery. If you follow the NBA and basketball as a whole, you know that minor arthroscopic knee operations happen all the time. It's routine surgery and something that just about every basketball player will have at some point. It's hardly anything to be alarmed about. If Morant tore an ACL or something of that nature, that would be wholly different, but minor arthroscopic knee surgery is nothing to even get remotely concerned about.
Now, if the Grizzlies genuinely think R.J. Barrett or DeAndre Hunter are better fits for their team, then they should take one of them, but if they believe Morant is the best available prospect for their team, they should take him and not even think about his knee surgery. It's just not that big of a deal.
Morant pushes the ball in transition, knows how to create for others, and has done a really good job of improving his jump shot (30.7% from 3-point range as a freshman; 36.3% as a sophomore). His 24.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 10.0 assists, and 1.8 steals per game are reminiscent of John Wall, who when healthy is one of the top point guards in the league.
With Mike Conley aging, the Grizzlies need a new point guard to lead them, making Morant a great fit for them. They could also have him learn behind Conley for a year or two before he takes over the reigns. It would be a perfect situation.
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