The Memphis Grizzlies got arguably their biggest win of the regular season on January 30th at home against the Houston Rockets on TNT. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak to the Rockets and helped the Grizzlies avoid a season sweep at the hands of their divisional rivals.
The victory also helped the Grizzlies move within 0.5 game of the Rockets for the Western Conference's second seed. However, as great as a moment as that victory was for the Grizzlies, Ja Morant being added to the injury report before ultimately missing the game against the Rockets was a major storyline.
His latest setback is also in an area that caused him to miss the final 47 games of last season.
Ja Morant remains doubtful with right shoulder soreness
The Grizzlies' superstar point guard suffered a torn labrum in his right shoulder in a workout session last January which caused him to miss the rest of the season. His latest shoulder injury was suffered in a practice ahead of the Houston Rockets game, and it is in the same shoulder he had surgery on last January.
He also suffered an AC Joint Sprain in the same right shoulder after taking a hard hit on a screen by New Orleans Pelicans center Daniel Theis during their December 27th battle. He missed five games due to that injury before returning to the lineup against the Houston Rockets on January 9th.
He remains on the injury report as doubtful with the right shoulder soreness ahead of the Grizzlies game against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 2nd, leading to the fanbase's worry about his long-term prognosis. That worry is valid for all of the reasons laid out above about his shoulder injuries in the past year.
Also, Ja Morant has missed 20 of the team's 48 games this season with various injuries and hasn't played in more than five consecutive games from February to March 2023. The good news is that head coach Taylor Jenkins described Morant's latest injury as "just a reaggravation" before their game against the Houston Rockets on January 30th.
Also, although the doubtful injury designation means that Ja Morant is highly likely to miss their game against the Milwaukee Bucks, his not being ruled out is a promising sign that this is a short-term injury. The many injuries he has suffered this season have been frustrating for him and the fanbase but as long as it doesn't become a lengthy thing, the Grizzlies have hope for their end-of-season outcome.