Grizzlies: Justise Winslow appears on questionable list

Grizzlies fans been waiting for so long. After an offseason of excitement, we have not yet had the chance to watch Justise Winslow suit up in a Grizzlies Uniform. That may change today, as Winslow showed up on the Grizzlies PR injury report today, listed as “questionable.”

Winslow, along with Jaren Jackson Jr., have had mysteriously slow-healing injuries, keeping them out of the game to this point in the year. There hasn’t been much word on either of these guys until today.

It’s hard to say whether or not he’ll actually play, but seeing him listed as “questionable” today is huge news for a team that’s trending in the right direction. The return of the former Miami Heat and Duke Blue Devils scorer would get the Grizzlies going before the All-Star break, helping them earn a strong seed in the playoffs.

Winslow’s return is perfectly timed, with multiple rotational players missing tonight’s game

Four guys who are normally a part of the rotation will be out today, so Winslow’s return will come just in time. Right off the bat, we should keep expectations low for a guy who hasn’t played basketball this entire season. That being said, he is capable of making a huge difference on this squad.

Winslow averaged 12 and 11 points per game the past two seasons, respectively. He also tacked on four assists per game in those seasons, so his contributions will definitely upgrade this Grizzlies offense. Defensively, he can be expected to improve on a team that prides itself on being a tough team on the forgotten side of the ball.

The Grizzlies will come up against a strong Phoenix Suns team tonight. Despite this, we’ll see four key contributors out with Grayson Allen, Kyle Anderson, Dillon Brooks, and Brandon Clarke all sitting out for tonight’s game. Here is the full injury report from Grizzlies PR.

This doesn’t mean that Winslow will definitely play, but Taylor Jenkins is going to need some extra firepower against a team that the Grizzlies have already beat this year. Hopefully, strong play from Ja Morant and Jonas Valanciunas can help transition Winslow into the Grizzlies lineup and back to playing strong NBA basketball.

Again, we shouldn’t look to see an instant explosion of success from Winslow, but his return will be huge down the road. When he is fully healthy, along with Jaren Jackson Jr., this team will be capable of making some noise in the Western Conference.