The injury report for the Memphis Grizzlies seems to never shrink. It either increases or a player is swapped for another when one returns. For example, Jaren Jackson Jr. returned to play in the preseason last week, but Scotty Pippen Jr. went down with a long-term injury. Also, Ja Morant is set to return for their season opener, while Ty Jerome is ruled out for at least a month.
While losing depth pieces is never a good thing, the Grizzlies did gain their stars back in time for their first season-opening game together for the first time since the 2021-22 season. That season saw the team make a second-round playoff appearance, which was the best season in the Ja Morant era (2019-present).
Jaren Jackson Jr. played 78 games that season, but Ja Morant only played 57 games. Morant has only played more than that number of games once in the last four seasons, leading to what many believe is a bold prediction for the star guard this season.
Is 65 games plausible for Morant to play this season?
It needs to be if the Grizzlies want any chance at playing significant basketball in the latter part of the season. Morant has only played more than 65 games once in his six-year career, and that was during his rookie season in the 2019-20 season. To make matters worse, he has averaged only 48 games played per season in the last five years since his rookie year.
Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey made a bold prediction for every team, and Ja Morant reaching the 65-game threshold to be eligible for postseason awards was his for the Grizzlies. During an interview during the team's media day, Ja Morant mentioned that his individual goal is to play 82 games this season.
When Morant played 67 games, it came in a shortened season due to COVID-19. His next highest number of games played came during another shortened COVID-19 season when he played 63 games during his sophomore season in 2020-21. While playing 82 games would be great and should be a goal, finally cracking the 70-game mark would be a solid expectation for the fan base.
All in all, Ja Morant will certainly have to play much more than the combined 59 games he played in the last two seasons. He knows how much the team needs him, so expect a player who will be mindful of making certain plays that would put him at risk of injury, but not too much to take away from what he does best on the court: Win!