NBA Draft 2019: Best and worst fits for all potential lottery picks

3. Ja Morant, 6-3 PG, Murray State

BEST: Chicago Bulls

It’s quite difficult (i.e., impossible) to trust Jim Boylen as a coach, or Gar Forman and John Paxson as talent evaluators and team builders, but the current roster in place quite literally has only one whole in the starting lineup, and that’s a facilitating point guard who can set up positions ‘2’ through ‘5’ on what amounts to be a team full of young talent. Zach LaVine (24), Otto Porter Jr. (25), Lauri Markkanen (21) and Wendell Carter Jr. (20) make for a solid core (particularly the two bigs still on their rookie deals), but the point guard play of Kris Dunn (as well as Ryan Arcidiacono, Walter Lemon Jr., and Shaquille Harrison) left a lot to be desired.

Morant’s stellar vision and passing craft (9.9 APG as a sophomore) should fit nicely on a team full of play-finishers: All four players can spot-up from the perimeter, LaVine is a fearless gunner and cutter, Porter stepped up as a scorer after his move to Chicago, and both Markannen and Carter pose as solid screeners and passers. Morant fits best on a court surrounded by floor spacers and rim runners, and he’d get just that in Chicago. The coaching fit is far from ideal, and Boylen would need to adapt to the athleticism that his players possess, but roster-wise, it makes a ton of sense.

WORST: Phoenix Suns

By all accounts, the Phoenix Suns are absolutely enamored by Ja Morant’s open-court athleticism and spectacular passing vision, and they view the 6-3 Murray State product as their potential point guard of the future to pair next to Devin Booker (26.6. PPG, 4.1 RPG, 6.8 APG) in the backcourt. Phoenix’s pursuit of a starting point guard is well-chronicled, as they added four different point guards (Tyler Johnson via trade, Jimmer Fredette via free agency, Elie Okobo and De’Anthony Melton via the 2018 Draft) to the roster in the past calendar year alone.

Morant is obviously talented, but is he ready to step in right away to be a full-time starter? And, more importantly, does he fit the system that Monty Williams will be bringing with him to Suns? Not exactly. Williams has proven himself to rely on pick-and-roll and isolation sets on offense, and although Morant is gifted as a passer, he needs the threat of a reliable pull-up jumper to truly unlock his potential as a pick-and-roll playmaker, and his shot needs quite a bit of work to even get to that point in an NBA setting. If Morant isn’t feared as a legit shooter, and if 2018 No. 1 pick DeAndre Ayton isn’t feared as a shooter, either, then that makes the 1-5 pick-and-roll too predictable and far too easy to defend for opposing defenses.

And, speaking of defense, another one of Monty Williams’ main sticking points, there is much to be done before Morant — who’s frame and decision-making aren’t ideal at this junction — is a net-neutral on that end. A Morant-Booker pairing in the backcourt would bleed points, and the team itself is rather poor defensively overall due to inexperience and a lack of defensive-minded talent. It seems probable that the Suns would select Morant if he were available wherever their pick lands on draft night, and the thought process of doing so isn’t inexcusable — there’s just a lot of kinks to work out in order to make the pairing of player and team fit. Could Morant grow into the player he’s capable of being in a few years? Sure, but a pertinent question still remains — is Devin Booker willing to wait that long?