Ja Morant Wins NBA Most Improved Player of the Year Award

The Grizzlies rising star capped off a sensational season with one of the league’s highest honors.

Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has been named the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the 2021–22 season, the league announced Monday. 

Morant earned 221 points, including 38-first place votes, to win the prestigious honor. He beat out Spurs guard Dejounte Murray (183) and Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (178), who finished second and third respectively.

Ja Morant, your 2021-22 NBA Most Improved Player 🏆 pic.twitter.com/KxvzGCFHAo

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 25, 2022

Morant, 22, took a sensational leap in his third-NBA season with Memphis. He averaged 27.4 points during the regular season, improving on his 19.7 PPG mark from the 2020–21 campaign and earning his first All-Star nomination as a starter. He also tacked on 6.7 assists and 5.7 rebounds per contest, while shooting career-bests 49.3% from the floor and 34.4% from beyond the arc. 

Morant became must-watch television during the regular season due to his high-flying play above the rim. Almost every night he produced a highlight reel play, whether it was a circus finish at the rim or a thunderous dunk over a helpless defender.

Most Improved is the second accolade that Morant will add to his rapidly expanding résumé. He was previously named the league’s Rookie of the Year after bursting onto the scene in 2020 following a sensational college career at Murray State.

Morant’s individual efforts culminated in collective improvement for the Grizzlies, who won 18 more games this season compared to last year. Memphis finished the regular season with a 56–26 record and earned the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.

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