Memphis Grizzlies rookie point guard Ja Morant has had a sensational season thus far, but not quite enough to earn All Star honors over a guy like Devin Booker. That said, Morant knows that his time will come sooner than later.
On Thursday morning, the NBA announced that Booker would replace injured All Star Damian Lillard on Team LeBron, as well as in the 3-Point Contest on All Star Saturday night. Shortly after the news broke, Morant shared his thoughts of the All Star replacement on twitter, writing, "I will prepare, & one day my time will come" along with a sleeping emoji and an hourglass.
Heading into the All Star break, Morant has cemented himself as the front runner for the Rookie of the Year award, averaging 17.6, 7.1 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game while leading the Grizzlies to a 28-26 record and the eighth spot in the Western Conference. Despite his spectacular play in the first half of the season, it's tough to deny that Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker is most deserving to replace Dame in the All Star Game.
Although the Suns remain among the bottom feeders out West, Booker is currently averaging 26.4 points to go along with 6.3 assists and 4.2 rebounds per night. The 23-year old, now in his fifth season, had never earned All Star honors until this year, and it took an injury for him to get the nod.
The wealth of talent in the Western Conference could make it just as difficult for Ja Morant to earn his first All Star selection, but we all expect that day to come sooner than later.
