Over the weekend, the Memphis Grizzlies were hit with some devastating news. After tweaking his ankle in a win against the OKC Thunder, it later came out that he suffered a Grade 1 sprain and would be week-to-week going forward. The All-Star point guard did not suit up in their Sunday night matchup against Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets.
Next up on the schedule for the Memphis Grizzlies is a meeting with the red-hot Sacramento Kings. This will be the second meeting between these teams after Memphis won the first matchup in convincing fashion.
Originally, Morant was listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s game as he continues to recover from the ankle injury. However, the door might have slightly opened for him to make his return after a one-game absence. The latest injury report has now upgraded him to questionable.
.@memgrizz status update: Ja Morant (LT Ankle Sprain) has been upgraded to QUESTIONABLE for tonight's game against the @SacramentoKings. https://t.co/SfPKoEw0ME
— Grizzlies PR (@GrizzliesPR) November 22, 2022
Before going down with this injury, Morant was playing at an MVP level. Through his first 14 games, the former No. 2 pick is averaging 28.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 7.1 APG.
The Memphis Grizzlies need to be extremely cautious with Ja Morant
Simply put, the Memphis Grizzlies need all the help they can get right now. Desmond Bane has been out of action for weeks, and Jaren Jackson Jr. is not yet ready to be a nightly fixture in the lineup. That being said, the team should be extremely cautious with Morant’s return.
Keeping a top spot in the Western Conference standings is important, but the Grizzlies need to get their star play through the regular season healthy. Fresh off playing in a career-low 57 games last season, the team should not look to overextend their star player.
There is no denying the Memphis Grizzlies want their star player back as fast as possible, but they need to keep the long view in mind. If they want any shot at a deep postseason run, Morant needs to be 100% physically. Pushing him too much this early in the season could prove to be detrimental by the time April rolls around.