Fact-Checking Ja Morant's Vertical: What Science and Combine Data Actually Prove
By Maya Lin-Takahashi
At the 2019 NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, Morant sat out all physical testing drills. Weeks before the event, he underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee to remove a minor loose body, sidelining him from the stationary standing reach and vertical jump stations. As a result, the official NBA combine vertical records log no baseline entry for the Grizzlies guard.
Contextualizing Morant's explosive power requires examining baseline data across his position group. Over two decades of combine history, the point guard vertical jump average hovers right around 37.5 inches for max vertical leaps, with standing verticals averaging 30.8 inches. A 44-inch leap represents the extreme upper percentile of the league, matched officially by only a tiny handful of guards throughout history.
Combine data shows that players registering north of 42 inches possess distinct structural profiles. Keon Johnson set the modern combine ceiling in 2021 with a 48.0-inch max vertical, while Hamidou Diallo cleared 44.5 inches in 2017. If Morant's running vertical touches between 42 and 44 inches, he shares territory with prime Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook, whose pre-draft metrics set the physical gold standard for modern attacking point guards.
Maya is a hardware enthusiast who tests and reviews smart home devices, smartphones, wearables, and audio gear. She focuses on practical consumer value and build quality.
