Zion Williamson and Ja Morant, respectively the first and second picks of the 2019 draft, were once the talk of the basketball world. Yet, while each has ascended to stardom, neither has quite reached the threshold of a game-changer. Through five seasons, they have just a single top-10 finish in MVP voting between them (Morant was seventh in 2021-22).

For both, the challenge has been more about availability than actual ability. Had they suited up every night for the past three seasons, they would’ve made 492 combined appearances. Instead, they’ve hit the hardwood a total of 226 times (99 for Williamson, 127 for Morant). The injury bug has battered both, with Williamson also struggling at times with conditioning and Morant missing time to suspension.

They don’t generate as much buzz as they once did, due in no small part to the out-of-sight, out-of-mind phenomenon. They are such prodigious talents, though, that they can still bring the Association to a standstill. Few moments from the 2023-24 season felt more meaningful than Morant’s electric return (a 34-point, eight-assist masterpiece punctuated by a game-winner) or Williamson’s dominant showing in the play-in tournament (40 points, 11 rebounds, five assists) before a hamstring strain forced him off the floor.

If their disappearing acts are behind them, then superstardom could be ahead. If the only thing we’re discussing about them this season is basketball, we’ll all be talking about brilliance. There’s a universe in which both are steering their squads to top-four finishes in the West and generating MVP voting support along the way.