Jaren Jackson Jr., Zach Edey, and Brandon Clarke — the starting four and five for the Memphis Grizzlies as well as the first big off the bench — are all expected to miss the start of the season as they recover from surgeries.
Now add Ja Morant to the list of the injured. The All-Star guard is week-to-week after spraining his ankle Sunday at practice, the team announced. He will not play in the Grizzlies’ season opener (Oct. 6). The team opens the season Oct. 22 against New Orleans.
Injuries and suspensions have slowed Morant in the past few seasons. Last season, he played in 50 games, averaging 23.2 points and 7.3 assists per game. The season before that he played in just nine games. He has played in 65+ games just once, his rookie season.
Memphis can ill afford to get off to a slow start in a deep Western Conference where some good teams will be forced into the play-in, if not miss the postseason entirely. These injuries do not help that cause.
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