Yes Morant injury news is of great importance to the Memphis Grizzlies

On By Littum

No, not now.

That’s what Memphis Grizzlies fans had to think when star point guard Ja Morant fell to the floor after a crushing screen by New Orleans Pelicans center Daniel Theis on Friday night.

The screen led to a right shoulder injury in the third quarter of the Grizzlies’ 132-124 win Friday night against the Pelicans.

Morant left the game after scoring 25 points and adding seven assists.

The timing is less than ideal, not only because the Grizzlies (22-10) have climbed to the No. 2 in the Western Conference standings, but they enter their toughest stretch of the season to date.

Four road games against respectable Westen Conference foes are next, starting Sunday in Oklahoma City (6 p.m., Fan Duel Sports Network). Morant’s injury status will largely determine how Memphis prepares for that stretch.

What to know about Ja Morant’s shoulder injury

This is not the first time Morant has had a right shoulder injury. Morant had to undergo surgery on the same shoulder in January, causing him to miss the rest of the 2024 season.

Morant was fully cleared back in the summer and has shown no signs of limitation since the surgery.

The Grizzlies did not have an update on Morant immediately after the game.

“Obviously he took a nice hit on the shoulder, but we’ll get more evaluation over the next couple of days,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said.

What if Ja Morant is not available?

If Morant can’t play Sunday, the Grizzlies should continue to lean on Jaren Jackson Jr. The seventh-year forward finished with 33 points on Friday and closed out the game after Morant left. He also added four steals and three blocks, showing why he has won Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Jackson is already playing a bigger role with Santi Aldama out with an ankle injury. Without Aldama, the Grizzlies are playing Jackson more and relying on his versatility at the four and five.

If Morant is out, those skills will be highlighted even more.

Desmond Bane is also starting to look like the guy the Grizzlies consider a core member of the team. He’s scoring more efficiently and showing off his secondary play ability.

Bane finished Friday’s game with 18 points and eight assists.

What’s next

New Orleans was the first leg of a five-game road trip. Memphis travels to the top-seeded Thunder on Sunday, then faces the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors before returning home. The games against Sacramento and Golden State will be a back-to-back slate.

Memphis has relied on its depth all season despite constant injuries. With Marcus Smart and Aldama out, the Grizzlies are already down two role players. Vince Williams Jr. hasn’t played much and GG Jackson hasn’t played at all this season, but those two are also expected to be impact players when healthy.

No Smart already shortens point guard depth, which is another reason the upcoming news on Morant’s injury will be important.

Damichael Cole is the one Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.