Ja Morant's Burst Is Breaking Defenses: Pocket Passes, Baseline Gravity & a 45-Foot Dime

Ja's lost half a step from playing with that same reckless abandon, but he's still got more than enough juice to flip the screen back to his lefty drive and feed Kessler at the rim with an off foot lefty lay. That's special stuff.⁣
⁣
What I really love is how Coach Nori has built this offense to let Ja cut into space. Watch his gravity along the baseline pull the help away so Robert Williams can catch the pocket pass and finish. Looking at the assist numbers, Ja's genuinely outproducing Dame as a playmaker when the two share the floor.⁣
⁣
Add Deni into the mix and this gets unfair. The handoff into the Dame screen lures foolish weak side help and opens an easy catch and shoot triple. Run it back with Deni driving early to force the switch instead, and Dame just quietly manufactures another good look because that's what crafty vets do with a short clock.⁣
⁣
Put Dame and Deni on the weak side in pinch post and nobody wants to help off them, so Ja gets a free runway to the rim. And that 45 foot hook pass to Deni's pocket? That's just special offense. #shorts