The Memphis Grizzlies announced on Saturday that star guard Ja Morant suffered a posterior hip subluxation and multiple Grade 1 pelvic muscle strains on a hard fall during the team’s 131-114 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 6. Morant is considered week-to-week.
Late in the third quarter of that contest, Jake LaRavia poked the ball away from Gabe Vincent, which started a fastbreak for the Grizzlies. LaRavia eventually threw a lob to Morant, who looked certain to throw down a highlight reel slam until he was knocked out of mid-air by Christian Koloko.
Koloko was not called for a foul on the play, and Morant landed awkwardly on his right leg. Morant stayed on the ground as the Lakers went the other way and made a 3-pointer, then hobbled off the floor once the Grizzlies called a timeout. He did not return and has not played since.
It goes without saying that Morant is a major loss for the Grizzlies. Through eight games, he was averaging 20.6 points, five rebounds and 9.1 assists per game. Though his shooting, particulary from 3-point range (25.8%) has not been great, the team has been significantly better with him on the floor.
Even including their 24-point win over the lowly Washington Wizards on Friday, which came without Morant, the Grizzlies have a plus-13.9 net rating with Morant on the floor and a minus-3.0 net rating when he sits. As great as the Grizzlies are with player development, there’s no replacing Morant.
We saw as much last season when a suspension and season-ending shoulder injury combined to limit Morant to just nine games. The Grizzlies finished 27-55, their worst record since drafting Morant with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
When Morant is healthy, the Grizzlies are capable of winning 50 games and making some noise in the playoffs. When he isn’t their a lottery team. Even with some other injuries to start this season, they were off to a 6-4 start, which had them in sixth place in a crowded Western Conference.
The good news for Morant and the Grizzlies is that this injury could easily have been much worse. The bad news is that there’s no exact timeline for his return, and even a month-long absence could have significant ramifications in what looks to be one of the toughest playoff races in recent memory.