Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has been ruled out of the remainder of the 2023-24 NBA season after suffering a right shoulder injury in practice over the weekend. Further tests revealed Morant had suffered a tear in his right labrum, which he will now get operated on and miss the rest of the season.
“Grizzlies’ Ja Morant will undergo season-ending surgery for a labrum tear in the shoulder.”
Grizzlies' Ja Morant will undergo season-ending surgery for a labrum tear in shoulder.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 9, 2024
Charania also gave additional details on what happened with Morant.
“Grizzlies say: Morant suffered a subluxation of his right shoulder on Saturday and after ongoing soreness and instability, Morant had an MRI that revealed an underlying labral tear. Devastating for the All-NBA superstar and the Grizzlies, who have returned to winning ways with Morant.”
Grizzlies say: Morant suffered a subluxation of his right shoulder on Saturday and after ongoing soreness and instability, Morant had MRI that revealed underlying labral tear. Devastating for the All-NBA superstar and the Grizzlies, who have returned to winning ways with Morant. https://t.co/OaVmovhE3z
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 9, 2024
Morant returned to the court in December after serving a 25-game suspension for flashing guns on Instagram. Morant had averaged 25.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 8.1 assists since returning. The team had started the season 6-19 without Morant and managed to improve their record to 6-3 with Morant in the lineup.
This will likely take Memphis out of the playoff race this season, as it’ll be very challenging for them to climb up the standings without Morant. We’ve seen how this team looks without him already, and they’re going to be lottery fodder. This is good news for the Lakers and Warriors, as they have one less team to worry about at the bottom of the play-in tournament,
The Grizzlies can use this as a developmental year for their young core while also adding a high-value draft pick this season. Even with a weak draft, the Grizz could find the perfect role-player for their star-led team already.
The Grizzlies Will Start Tanking
The Memphis Grizzlies season is all but over after this news. The team had looked dreadful without Morant to start the season, so there’s not much reason to believe that they would somehow respond to this injury by going on a winning streak. It’s likely the Grizzlies will use this as a gap year given their rotten injury luck, also missing Steven Adams and Brandon Clarke for the entirety of this season.
The Grizzlies would be better off staying in the Draft Lottery to see what they can get. This has been considered a weak draft for its lack of generational prospects, but the Grizzlies don’t need to find a player that will save the franchise. They need a role player who can contribute to a winning project, something they can find with ease at the top of this draft.
There is a possibility that the Grizz jump to a top-five pick and are in a position to draft someone like Alexander Sarr or Ron Holland, two players that fit exactly what this team needs. They wouldn’t have had a chance at landing these prospects if Morant was healthy and competing for a play-in tournament spot, but his injury could be a blessing in disguise for the long-term health of the Grizzlies.
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