The Memphis Grizzlies had been already going through a giant problem within the Western Convention with two starters out to start the season. Now, that quantity is probably going as much as three.
Ja Morant sprained his left ankle in apply Sunday and is taken into account “week to week” going ahead. That is unhealthy information for the Grizzlies, who’re simply two weeks away from their season opener. They’re already lacking starters Jaren Jackson Jr., who had surgical procedure in July for a turf toe harm, and Zach Edey, who had ankle surgical procedure in June.
Frontcourt absences had been already a priority
The Grizzlies expect to get Jackson back by mid-November, whereas Edey is prone to return in December. Backup large man Brandon Clarke would not have a projected return after an arthroscopic knee process final Monday. That is unhealthy timing because the Grizzlies play 10 of their first 16 video games in opposition to 2025 playoff groups.
They will need to face star large males like Bam Adebayo, Anthony Davis, Karl-Anthony Cities and Chet Holmgren in that stretch, plus Victor Wembanyama of their seventeenth recreation. Determining how you can cease these gamers with a decimated frontcourt might be a tall order.
Ja Morant’s harm historical past has been intensive
The accidents to Grizzlies large males are an obstacle, however one which the Grizzlies have recognized about since early in the summertime. Morant’s ankle sprain is surprising and occurs at a troublesome time when the Grizzlies try to combine new guards Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Ty Jerome into the group after buying and selling capturing guard Desmond Bane within the offseason.
Buying and selling Bane was a cost-saving transfer that trusted Morant making up for Bane’s misplaced offense (19.2 PPG, 5.3 assists). Now, Morant would possibly miss the start of the season, together with his ankle remaining a priority even after he returns. Morant has famously missed plenty of time on account of suspensions, together with one which price him the primary 25 video games of the 2023-24 season. However he is additionally missed vital time on account of accidents.
After serving his suspension, Morant performed solely 9 video games in 2023-24 due to injuring his shoulder in apply. He missed 32 video games final season on account of accidents throughout his physique — shoulder, hip, thigh, knee, again, foot, hamstring and ankle. Even in his breakout 2021-22 season, Morant missed 25 video games with accidents. He is a unbelievable participant — however solely in two-thirds of his group’s video games.
Now, the Grizzlies might be counting on a short-handed group in a extremely aggressive Western Convention, the place final season successful 48 video games solely obtained the Grizzlies eighth place (they’d have been fifth within the East). They could solely be lacking their prime two large males for a month, however for a group whose margin for error was already skinny, it could possibly be the distinction between the playoffs and the play-in event.
