Mock Draft Monday: Ja Morant cleared for Memphis Grizzlies training camp

                                          (Credit: Getty Images) 

Chris Haynes of Yahoo! Sports reports that Memphis Grizzlies rookie point guard Ja Morant is cleared to participate in training camp following surgery on his knee. Given how vital Morant is to the Grizzlies' future, it's great news for them to have him start the season on time as opposed to having to miss training camp and possibly part of his rookie season.

Per Chris Haynes, #Grizzlies PG Ja Morant has recovered from his right knee procedure and will fully participate in training camp. #NBA

— NBA Lord (@nba_lord) October 1, 2019

Morant is not only making the jump from college to the NBA, he's making the jump from mid-major college basketball to the NBA. At Murray State, he was dominant and was always the best player on the floor. This will be the first time since his high school AAU days that he won't be the best player on the floor every night. It will be interesting to see how that adjustment goes for him.

By no means am I doubting Morant's future. I like his game a lot. He's an explosive athlete, finishes really well around the rim, knows how to make plays, and has the mentality to lead an NBA team. I'm just curious to see how his rookie campaign goes and whether or not he can threaten to win rookie of the year honors. Everyone seems to think that award will go to Zion Williamson, but perhaps Morant will make a strong case for himself.

As we look ahead to the 2019-20 NBA season, Ja Morant is definitely a name to keep a close eye on. He's got a lot of potential and a lot to prove as the #2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The Grizzlies need someone to energize their franchise and hopefully for them Morant will deliver the goods.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Can the Utah Jazz come out of the West?

One of the Western Conference teams that has gotten more buzz this summer/off-season is the Utah Jazz, who added three key pieces to their team in point guard Mike Conley, stretch forward Bojan Bogdanovic, and point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. In 70 games with the Grizzlies last season, Conley averaged 21.1 points, 6.4 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, bouncing back nicely from his Achilles injury. Bogdanovic averaged 18.0 points per game on 42.5% shooting from 3-point range (4.8 attempts per game) with the Pacers, playing in 81 regular season games. As for Mudiay, he averaged a solid 14.8 points per game last year with the Knicks.

Conley and Bogdanovic join a talented Jazz squad that features third year shooting guard Donovan Mitchell (23.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, & 1.4 steals), sixth year center Rudy Gobert (15.9 points, 12.9 rebounds, & 2.3 blocks), and sixth year small forward Joe Ingles (12.1 points). Mitchell and Gobert are the heart of this Jazz team, but they needed a veteran presence, something Conley in particular hopes to add.

                                          (Credit: Rick Egan-Salt Lake Tribune) 

When looking at this Jazz team, what makes them so dangerous is their ability to get after it on both ends of the floor. Gobert is one of the best interior defenders in the NBA, giving the Jazz their best defensive weapon since Andrei Kirilenko. As for Mitchell, he is a budding superstar that isn't afraid of the big moment. He attacks the rim really well, is developing a solid perimeter game, and is actually a pretty solid defender. Conley is a killer floor general that knows how to get his teammates involved while Bogdanovic is an absolutely lethal shooter from the perimeter. The Jazz are much more multidimensional now, which is why many see them going far in the playoffs this year.

The big question that's on everyone's mind with the Jazz is can they reach the conference finals and possibly represent the West in the NBA Finals. Personally, I think this Jazz team is at least one more year away from reaching the NBA Finals, but if all goes according to plan, they should be a top four seed in the West, win their opening round series, and maybe even reach the conference finals. They're really talented. The only concern I have is there are a lot of other talented teams in the West. The Clippers, Warriors, Nuggets, Trail Blazers, Rockets, and Lakers also project to be really good. I feel like the West is really deep this year and any number of combinations could reach the conference finals. A lot of it will come down to playoff seeding and match ups.

Casting playoff scenarios aside, one thing that is clear is that the Jazz have the pieces to have a breakout year. They're young, hungry, and have greatly upgraded their roster over the summer. If you are a Jazz fan, you have every right to be excited.

Note: This blog post also appears on my Utah Jazz blog. Click here to check it out. 

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Mock Draft Monday: R.J. Barrett needs to deliver for the New York Knicks

                                          (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images) 

The New York Knicks have not been to the playoffs since the 2012-13 season in which they finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 54-28 record. Since that season, the Knicks have gone downhill rather quickly, finishing with six consecutive losing seasons. The 2014-15 and 2018-19 seasons were tied for the worst seasons in franchise history as the Knicks went 17-65 both years.

During this tumultuous stretch, the Knicks have really struggled to find a franchise centerpiece. Carmelo Anthony did a decent job at filling the role, but he didn't have enough help thanks to Phil Jackson's inability to run a front office. Kristaps Porzingis could have been the answer, but his torn ACL cast a lot of doubt over his abilities to be the man going forward.

Then comes R.J. Barrett, the #3 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Duke. During his one year at Duke, Barrett was in the shadows of nationwide phenom Zion Williamson, playing second fiddle to his highlight dunks. Being second fiddle didn't mean he didn't produce. Barrett averaged 22.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game, showing that if Williamson wasn't around, the Blue Devils would have still been a force to be reckoned with.

With Williamson now in New Orleans trying to turn the Pelicans around, Barrett has the Big Apple all to himself, fulfilling a boyhood dream to play for the Knicks. Excited for what lies ahead, Barrett hopes to turn the Knicks' fortunes around and bring them back to glory. They've been looking for a savior for quite some time and perhaps they have found their man in Barrett.

When forecasting the future of the Knicks, it's clear that R.J. Barrett is at the center of it. He's their new franchise piece and finally is out of Zion Williamson's shadow. This is his time to shine. If he's able to deliver and become a legit franchise player, odds are good the Knicks will bounce back and become a contender in the Eastern Conference. If he's not, the Knicks will continue to flounder like they have for the past few years until someone else comes along to deliver them from bondage.

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Saturday Slam: DeMarcus Cousins has really fallen from grace

At the end of the 2016-17 season, DeMarcus Cousins concluded a season in which he averaged 27.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game in 72 total games played. He spent the bulk of that season with the Sacramento Kings but was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans to conclude the season. Since that year, everything has gone downhill for him in a rather shocking manner.

First, in the middle of the 2017-18 season, Cousins suffered a torn Achilles which limited his season to just 48 games. Prior to the injury, he was playing really good basketball, averaging 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. A torn Achilles is no joke, but an injury that one can come back from with the proper rehab. Still, no team wanted to take a chance on him until the Golden State Warriors scooped him up for close to nothing. He spent most of the 2018-19 season in street clothes, but was able to produce a little bit during the 30 games he played, averaging 16.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game before going down once again with a torn left quadriceps.

Already looking like he might be damaged goods, the Los Angeles Lakers threw their caution to the wind and decided to sign him this past July, hoping that he could get back to full strength. Instead, he tore his ACL in a preseason workout a little over a month later in mid-August, ruling him out for the entire 2019-20 season.

In the midst of all this injury misfortune, Cousins got married and even that didn't go as planned thanks to a leaked audio tape of him threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend over the phone for not allowing their son to come to his wedding. As a result, an arrest warrant was issued and now he's in the middle of an ugly legal dispute.

At just 29 years of age, Cousins' career seems to be over and what's crazy is that it wasn't that long ago that he was an NBA All-Star. We've seen guys drop off quickly, but rarely do we see guys drop off like this. It's like one day he's the best big man in the NBA and the next day he's having a hard time convincing teams to take a chance on him. Hopefully for him, he is able to find his second wind. If not, he better get ready for life after basketball.

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