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Former 76ers Guard Gives Advice to Grizzlies Star Ja Morant

Lou Williams cites key area of improvement for Ja Morant.
Nov 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles the ball against Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (5) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) dribbles the ball against Philadelphia 76ers center Andre Drummond (5) during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Over the past few years, Ja Morant has emerged as one of the top young talents in the NBA. That said, as he gets closer to his prime, one former Philadelphia 76ers guard offered advice to grow his game.

Injuries and off-court issues derailed things a bit for Morant over the past year-and-a-half. Nonetheless, when he is on the court, he is still one of the most electrifying talents the league has to offer. While the Grizzlies continue to impress as a whole, Morant's numbers have seen a slight dip in 2025. He is currently averaging 20.9 PPG on the year, his lowest mark since his second season in the league back in 2021.

During Tuesday's episode of Run It Back, Lou Williams gave his thoughts on Morant's numbers dropping. He feels part of it has to do with how defenses are playing, essentially cutting off all driving lanes to the basket. Williams feels Morant has to go through a similar development as Andre Iguodala and become some form of threat from beyond the arc.

"Ja Morant may be in a position now in his career where you gotta adjust your game," Williams said. "As you get older and teams start to understand the way that you like to play the game, they start guarding you different...Now you got to make them pay with your mid-range and your three-point shot. So that should be a point of emphasis."

As a three-level scorer in his playing days, Williams understands how important it is to be able to score from anywhere. He now wants to see the same from Morant as he slowly reaches the peak of his powers in the NBA.

At the end of the day, Morant is always going to want to attack the rim with his speed and explosiveness. In order to do that at a high level, he needs to become a threat from farther out. When opposing defenses have to pick him up on the perimeter, all it will do is give him more room to operate and create separation to get to his spots.

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Kevin McCormick
KEVIN MCCORMICK

Kevin McCormick covers the Philadelphia 76ers FanNation's All76ers. Since graduating from Holy Family University with a degree in Sports Management, he's gone on to pursue a career in journalism covering the NBA. Some of his previous bylines include 97.3 ESPN, ClutchPoints, and Sportskeeda. 

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