The aftermath of Houston Rockets starting point guard Fred VanVleet's season-ending ACL injury continues to make waves in the Western Conference. The Houston Rockets were considered to be the Oklahoma City Thunder's biggest competitors this season, along with the Denver Nuggets, after acquiring Kevin Durant this offseason.
Due to the NBA salary cap rules and how close they are to going over the threshold, the Rockets are unable to replace him with a veteran free agent point guard. This leaves them with their young combo guards having to step into the point guard role, with Reed Sheppard likely to get the first crack following a rookie season where he barely played.
The Memphis Grizzlies have injuries of their own that they are dealing with, but those players are expected to return at some point early in the regular season. However, one of their position could become a weakness quickly if any setbacks occur.
The Grizzlies have and could face the same reality at center
The Grizzlies could be without their starting frontcourt to begin the regular season as Jaren Jackson Jr. recovers from turf toe surgery and Zach Edey returns from ankle surgery. Recent news from Jackson Jr. himself gave an encouraging sign that he could return before the season begins, or not too long after it begins if he has to miss any time at all.
That leaves Zach Edey, whom ESPN's Shams Charania reported was expected to miss some time at the beginning of the season when his ankle surgery was announced in early June. The center position isn't one of the Grizzlies' deepest positions, as Brandon Clarke and Jock Landale will likely fill in during Edey's absence.
That combination should be fine for the Grizzlies for a couple of weeks to begin the season. However, if Edey's injury lingers longer, it could spell trouble for a team where he was recently considered the third-best player on the team in the ESPN top 100 player rankings.
PJ Hall is signed on a two-way contract as another big man who could play spot minutes if needed, and the Grizzlies can also play lineups with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Santi Aldama in the frontcourt. Fortunately, Zach Edey is expected to return during the first half of the season, but the risk does exist if he needs to miss extended time following surgery on an injury he suffered multiple times in the last calendar year.