MEMPHIS – After enduring one of the most injury-riddled seasons in franchise history, the Grizzlies anticipate moving forward with a relatively clean bill of health.
“Fingers crossed, I think we’ll be able to have a good start to our summer with majority of the roster from a health standpoint,” Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said. “Hopefully, that’ll lead to great work. And come the start of training camp in October, we’re fully healthy, which is something we missed this year.”
Jenkins’ comments came Monday as the Grizzlies conducted exit interviews and charted next steps as the team heads into the offseason much earlier than in recent years.
The Grizzlies (27-55) fell outside of the NBA postseason for the first time in four years after faltering through one of the most painful – literally and figuratively – seasons in NBA history.
Memphis opened the season with superstar point guard Ja Morant serving a league suspension for the first 25 games. And it closed the season with Morant limited to just nine games and undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery.
Among the positive developments that came out of Monday’s final team media session of the season was the revelation that Morant is progressing on schedule from the January surgery and is expected to resume basketball-related activities in about two months.
“It’s just attacking my rehab at a high level,” Morant said Monday in his first public comments since the first week of January. “Early on, it was tough. This was the first time with me having an injury that really sat me out for a season. That process was really hard. But as far as how I am mentally, that’s been motivating.”
Morant confirmed he plans to remain in Memphis most of the offseason as he continues to progress through rehab in anticipation of full clearance to resume basketball activities. Beyond Morant, the Grizzlies are confident that several other key players who finished the season on the injured list will be recovered and available for summer offseason workouts.
That list includes veteran starters and key rotation contributors such as Marcus Smart (finger), Desmond Bane (back), Derrick Rose (groin/back), Santi Aldama (foot), Ziaire Williams (back/hip) and Vince Williams Jr. (knee).
The Grizzlies finished the final games of the regular season with 13 players sitting out and on the injury report, although some were held out for maintenance and general recovery. The front office, coaching staff and players are eager to put behind them a season in which they established modern NBA records for attrition caused by wide-spread injuries.
The Grizzlies finished the season having used 33 players and 51 different starting lineups while enduring a combined 592 games lost to various player injuries along the way. Those absences never allowed the Grizzlies to gain any traction this season after they started 6-19 through the first 25 games Morant missed while serving the NBA-mandated suspension.
The goal now is to distance themselves from the injury bug and regroup for next season with a healthy core, a lottery pick entering June’s NBA Draft and the flexibility to address roster needs through trades and free agency.
The Grizzlies were coming off consecutive 50-win seasons and back-to-back, second-place finishes in the Western Conference standings as one of the NBA’s youngest teams. They are optimistic that Morant’s return to health, and the chance to build even more chemistry with Bane, Jackson, Smart and emerging talents in Williams Jr. and rookie GG Jackson will reestablish Memphis among the conference’s top contenders.
“We’ve been with each other for a while now, and we know what we can do when we’re all out there, so we have a lot of confidence in that,” said star big man Jaren Jackson Jr., who played 66 games as the lone veteran to suit up most of the season. “But we also have to take our games to a new level to win in the postseason as a unit.”
Jackson said conversations have already been had about maximizing the summer.
“I’m looking forward to a summer of work when I’m around them,” Jackson said of training with key players who missed significant time. “We’re always getting on each other and pushing each other. No one misses a day of (offseason) work around here. And if anyone even thinks of missing a day, everyone gets on each other about it. That’s what you need.”
The Grizzlies were only able to get a glimpse of their potential when Morant was available this season. Memphis went 6-3 in the games Morant played, including two thrilling road victories over the New Orleans Pelicans. One featured Morant’s winning shot at the buzzer.
A two-time All-Star and potential league MVP candidate, Morant said he tried to provide leadership and support throughout the season from the bench. But he also admitted nothing could replace what he can do for the team when he’s on the court and healthy.
Morant also acknowledged how much having a battle-tested veteran like Rose on the roster has helped steer him through the injury adversity.
“He’s pretty much a big brother . . . his locker is right beside me,” Morant said of Rose, a former MVP who had fought through multiple knee surgeries and injuries to last 15 years in the NBA. “He’s been big-time help for me. As I said, I never had an injury that sat me out for a season, and he’s had a couple. So being able to have him there and help me out, guide me through this process, was big-time.”
Grizzlies’ president and general manager Zach Kleiman has been encouraged with the approach Morant is taking at this stage of his recovery.
“Ja’s right on schedule – right on track, hitting everything he’s supposed to on that,” Kleiman said Monday. “He’s been very diligent with his work, and he’s been around the team, pouring in every day. He’s expected to be fully, fully cleared and have basketball reps well ahead of training camp. So, Ja’s in a great spot.”