Chicago Bulls fans need to temper their infatuation with Ja Morant

Ja Morant was really fun in the NCAA Tournament, but it’s important for Chicago Bulls fans to temper their infatuation with the young point guard.

March is the best month of the year for basketball fans. The NCAA Tournament is a time when college hoops fans get to go crazy and NBA fans get to do some pre-draft scouting. The dangerous thing about March Madness for NBA fans, though, is getting emotionally attached to a player after watching only one or two games.

Enter Chicago Bulls fans and Ja Morant.

Over the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, the NBA Twittersphere was revolving around Ja Morant’s electric play. But are NBA fans a little too smitten with the sophomore point guard from Murray State? Are they looking at him with blinders on? It sure feels like it.

Morant was extremely fun in Murray State’s two tournament games. In the first round, he put up 17 points on an efficient 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 shooting from 3-point land to go along with 16 (16!) assists and 11 rebounds. He simply dominated Marquette in every way possible.

In the second round, Morant played well, but Florida State was too much for Murray State to handle. Ja still managed to finish the game with 28 points, five rebounds and four assists, though.

After Morant’s weekend highlight reel, the nation was in love. But how many Murray State games did the average fan actually watch all year? Probably not that many, right? I mean, Murray State is cool, but they’re not Duke.

There’s no question that Morant is an unbelievable player with an extremely bright future, but he’s not without his flaws. He’s far from the perfect prospect. His jump shot is iffy, he has a wiry frame and his defensive upside is concerning.

I’m not saying the Bulls should steer clear from Ja Morant – I actually think he’d be a solid draft pick if taken at the right spot – but Bulls fans need to take a deep breath before declaring him the possible savior of the franchise. In fact, this feels like an unpopular opinion, but if R.J. Barrett and Morant were both available, I would still take Barrett 10 times out of 10.

Like Morant, Barrett has his flaws. His tunnel vision, more than anything, is cause for concern, but Barrett is still the better prospect. He’s lengthy, athletic, strong and has an indescribable will to win – something the Bulls could really use right about now. We’ve also seen R.J. excel against much stiffer competition than Morant has had to face all year.

If the Bulls have the third overall pick and Ja Morant is available, he’s probably the guy they should take. They need a point guard, his vision is incredible and he has a high ceiling. But if the Bulls get the first or second overall pick, there’s no world where they should take Morant over Zion Williamson or Barrett. All three players have superstar qualities, but Morant has the highest likelihood to bust.

A lot of Bulls fans right now are similar to teenagers in the first days of a new relationship. They’re looking at Morant like he’s the one, without looking at the reasons why he might not be.

Maybe Morant is the one – it’ll be awesome if he is – but the infatuation needs to stop before it becomes destructive.