Memphis Grizzlies: Did something go wrong in Jaren Jackson Jr.’s meniscus surgery?

The Memphis Grizzlies have played 40 basketball games this season without Jaren Jackson Jr. in the lineup. They’ve maintained a .500 record at 20-20, but won’t stand much of a chance in the playoffs without their young star.

Jackson Jr. suffered a meniscus tear in last year’s NBA Bubble against the New Orleans Pelicans. He came down awkwardly after trying to block a shot and would later be ruled out for the remainder of the 2019-2020 season.

This would lead to the Grizzlies being knocked out of last year’s play-in tournament, so it’s easy to see the importance of his return before this year’s NBA Playoffs.

Currently, the Grizzlies sit in the 10th position in the Western Conference, most likely destined for another play-in tournament bid. If Jackson Jr. returns before the tournament, the Grizzlies should have a really good chance of making the NBA Playoffs.

But why has Memphis Grizzlies F Jaren Jackson Jr.’s recovery taken so long?

If you weren’t already aware, Jaren Jackson Jr. had surgery on his meniscus to have it repaired. Rather than having the meniscus removed, which can have a quicker turnaround with long-term side effects, he had it surgically repaired.

The future upside to this is huge, but can lead to a much longer recovery period. That said, the recovery period after said surgery still falls in a 3-6 month window, according to most sources.

After seeing how the Memphis Grizzlies treated Justise Winslow‘s recovery, it’s no surprise that things are taking so long, but with the Grizzlies in a dogfight for the playoff spot, fans are looking for answers.

In all likelihood, the Grizzlies are just taking extra caution with his recovery, but there is a small chance that something went wrong with the surgery.