So today I got curious about Ja Morant’s crazy dunks and how they’re shaking up basketball. Started by pulling up old game footage – like that insane dunk over Klay Thompson last season. Watched it maybe twenty times straight. Noticed how he takes off from way further out than most guys. His knees practically touch his chin mid-air!
Reaching Out To Coaches
Next morning, I hit up three high school coaches I know. Asked ‘em: “Y’all changing drills because of this kid?” Coach Mike laughed hard: “Bro, my players now beg for ‘Ja drills’ – extra plyometrics, box jumps, even track work. They never cared about verticals before!” Wild how one dude’s highlights rewrite practice plans.
Breaking Down The Domino Effect
- First, defenses shifted heavy – saw teams putting two guys near the paint early when Morant’s at half-court. Opens up crazy perimeter shots for others.
- Second, development focus flipped. Big men now drill face-up drives instead of just post hooks.
- Third? Merch. Kids at my local park rock Morant’s signature shoes doing awkward Eurosteps. Never saw that with traditional bigs.
Checked stats too. League-wide dunk attempts jumped 18% since Morant’s rookie year – guards account for 74% of that spike. Coaches confirmed they’re drafting athletes over specialists now. One texted me: “Why teach a slow kid post moves when Ja makes paint attacks the new three-pointer?”
My Practice Experiment
Decided to test it myself with my nephew’s AAU team. Made them run full-court sprints doing dribble-drives for two hours straight. Half the kids puked. But next scrimmage? Three guards tried dunking in traffic instead of pull-ups. Two faceplanted, but the third? Absolute pandemonium. Parents went nuts like they’d won the Finals.
Finished calling a college recruiter buddy. He dropped truth: “We used to ignore 6’2″ guys who can’t shoot. Now if they got bounce? Instant scholarship offers.” Morant didn’t invent athletic guards obviously – but his highlights made GMs actually fear them. That’s the real game-changer.
